Top five tips for getting published in academic journals
Isabel Muttreja
Submitting to a journal can be a long, difficult and frustrating process. After years of study on a topic you’ve crafted what you think is an exceptional research paper, only for you to receive a notification through an automated system that your paper has been rejected. Unfortunately, this is a common experience for both junior and senior academics. But don’t despair, there are few simple things you can do to improve the chances of your article being published.
At the International Studies Association (ISA) conference in April 2021, the International Affairs team joined academics from around the globe to discuss developments in International Relations. Six editors from leading journals in the field, including our own Andrew Dorman, hosted a session on publishing in journals. Early career scholars were able to ask their burning questions about peer review, rejection and the routes to successful publication. The editors gave fantastic advice useful to all scholars — early career or not — so we’ve captured the top five tips for getting published here.
1. Do your research on the journal
All the editors stressed that before you submit to a journal you must know exactly what topics it covers. For example, at International Affairs, we cover the whole field, but the research has to be relevant for both academics and policy-makers. Look very closely at author guidelines to ensure your paper fits the scope and don’t be afraid to reach out to the editorial team if you’re not sure.
Bonus tip: Don’t just look for journals with the biggest impact factor or highest ranking. Think about who you want to read your research and what subfield it best sits in. You may realise that a smaller journal within your subfield is the most appropriate.
2. Don’t get knocked down by rejection
There are lots of reasons for rejections. Some of them are in your control: finding a journal with the right scope, following the style guide and making sure your article and argument are well developed. If your article is rejected because of an issue like this, make sure you get feedback and use it to improve your work.
There are also reasons for rejection that are out of your control, such as the journal recently publishing a similar piece, or the issue just being full! Try not to let this effect your confidence — in these cases it’s really not you, it’s them.
3. Lean on your network for support
Some early career researchers in the ISA session were concerned about submitting an article in the wrong written style, or one that would need a lot of editing, which could cause an immediate (desk) rejection.
If you’re concerned about your writing style (and even if you aren’t), it’s good practice to get feedback from your network. Ask friends, or ideally colleagues in the field, to read and review your work. If you do two or three rounds of reviews and edits with a few people, they will probably catch any big errors.
4. Don’t let it sit, just submit
Many of us spend months or even years agonizing over a paper. Anecdotal evidence from the panel and our own experiences during the 50:50 initiative show that women spend longer writing a paper than men (data on non-binary people is lacking). While it’s good to get feedback and redraft your paper, you shouldn’t sit on it for too long. Not only will it prevent you from working on other things, but you simply can’t get published unless you submit.
5. Bear with editors!
From desk rejection to long peer-review processes and many rounds of edits, the journal submission process can be exasperating. However, behind the technology, there are people working hard to help you. Editors read hundreds of manuscripts a year, peer reviewers give their time freely to read and comment on your work, and many others work to create the final published journal.
It’s also worth remembering that COVID-19 has slowed down the process and all journals are struggling to find peer reviewers, so progress might take longer than you expect. Feel free to get in touch with questions, but bear with us!
Isabel Muttreja is the Marketing Assistant for International Affairs.
If you would like to find out more about submitting your research to the journal, read our Author Guidelines.
For more advice and insights from the editorial team, take a look at our Editor’s Desk blog series.
All views expressed are individual not institutional.
