Specially for Graduate Students

Questions about Publishing in a Journal

Jessica Nelson

For graduate students the idea of submitting one’s work to a journal can be intimidating but I assure you everyone feels this way no matter how long they have been in the field.  But it is essential to get one’s work published.  There are many questions that I had when I submitted my first paper for consideration.  Where should I send my paper?  How long will this process take?  What do I do if my work is rejected?  What if it is accepted?  How important is it for a graduate student to get published?  How many publications should a graduate student have?  In order to answer these questions I have done a lot of reading (see suggested books and chapters) and emailing professors who have responded to these questions. 

1. Where should graduate students send their papers?

-Look at what journals you read for your research

-It is okay to start at the top, so if you study social history, send to the Journal of Social History

-Submit to a journal that is good-quality specialized journals that are appropriate for the topic and your research

-Look at the journal to see if and how often they publish graduate student work

-Discuss your options with your advisor

2. How long will the process take?

-It can take a while, especially if you send your paper to a more prestigious journal because they get more submissions and the turn around time from submission to review to response can vary depending on the journal. 

3. What should a graduate student do if the paper is rejected?

-Not a bad thing, it takes time to get published

-Most often you will get a critique and suggestions for another journal to submit to

-Revise the paper according to the suggestions and send to another journal

-Don’t take it personally, often your work just doesn’t fit the theme many journals have

-Most academics have had papers turned down, it is part of the process of learning and developing as a scholar

4. What if a graduate student gets a Revise and Resubmit?

-Consider the comments from the readers

-Document precisely how you have revised the paper

-Provide a letter to the editor detailing changes or reasons why you haven’t acted on a suggestion

-Try not to be hurt by the critique; this criticism can help you revise your paper to make it stronger

5. How important is it for graduate students to get published?

-Lately it has become more significant.  It shows that you are a productive researcher and that you are dedicated to your work (the same is true for presenting at conferences). 

-Helps set you apart on the job market or if you apply for a post-doc.

-More than just a line on the CV, getting feedback on your research from people outside of your program whose expertise you might not normally get.

-Can help secure scholarship and external funding opportunities

6. Other things to consider

-Provide a nice cover letter to the editor explaining the main argument of the paper and the significance, most often they receive several submissions so providing this will help the editor easily decide if your work will fit.

-Check what the journal requires for guidelines, formatting, and length of submissions

-It is not a quick, simple process, it takes work, don’t get discouraged.

Books and Chapters Consulted

Christopher Tomlins, “Your Name in This Space: The Mysteries of Scholarly Publishing,” Perspectives on Life After a History Ph.D.  Washington DC: American Historical Association, 2005.

Joan Bolker, Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis.  New York: Holt, 1998.

Professors/Scholars who Contributed Advice

Christopher Corley
Whitney Walton
Benjamin Roberts
James Farr
Scott Randolph
Ryan Anderson
Mona Gleason
John Larson
Sylvie Perrier