Publication
Publishing your research is an important part of developing your profile as a researcher. Publication is how you establish your reputation within the field, allowing you to share the findings of your research with a larger audience and contribute to ongoing debates and discussions within your discipline. Publishing your research not only allows you to add valuable lines to your academic CV, but will also allow you to demonstrate your ability to meet deadlines and to communicate complex ideas to employers outside of the academy.
In this section we will outline the types of publication which PhD researchers are often expected to contribute and some of the services that the university offers to help you navigate the publication process. While reading this section, it is important to remember publishing practices and norms vary wildly between disciplines. In addition to the overview provided here, your supervisor, peers, and colleagues across your field will be an excellent source of information in regards to understanding publishing practices and norms within your specific field.
Publish or Perish?
While publishing is an important means of communicating your research and establishing your reputation within your field, it is not the only way of measuring your impact as a researcher. UK Research Councils have adopted the Résumé for Researchers format, allowing researchers to articulate their contributions beyond the narrow parameters of citation metrics. More information about the Résumé for Researchers format can be found in the Research Policy section of this guide, under Assessing Research
Types of Publication
Journal Articles
Journal articles are an important line on an Academic CV and are the main form of publication that you will be expected to pursue during your PhD research. Academic journals are not only where you can share the findings of your research but where you can establish yourself as a researcher to the field as a whole. In order to be accepted into a journal your article will need to pass peer review, a process wherein your independent researchers will assess the originality, accuracy, quality and validity of your piece before advising the journal to accept or reject the article, subject to revisions. Publication can be a lengthy process, especially if you aspire to the larger and more prestigious journals in your field, and so it's important to be strategic when considering where to submit your work - remember: you can't submit a piece to a new publication while it's still under review somewhere else. Make sure to familiarise yourself with the major journals in your field, and keep an eye out for relevant calls for papers (CFPs).
Book Chapters
While writing a book is often a post-PhD project, PhD researchers often have the opportunity to contribute chapters to books edited by more senior researchers. While similar to journal articles in length and depth, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to contributing a chapter to an edited collections. As opposed to journal articles, book chapters are often not subject to peer-review, and a contract for the final book has been secured prior to asking for contributions, there is the risk that the project will be delayed or even fall through. Edited collections often seek to explore a specific subject or issue, and so contributing to a book project does allow you to assert yourself as an expert within a given area of study and to establish working relationships with more senior scholars.
Book Reviews
Book reviews are a common feature of most academic journals and allow contributors to provide other researchers with an assessment of new books in the field. As a reviewer you will usually receive a new copy of the book which you have been contracted to review. While not considered a publication in its own right, writing a book review is key means of demonstrating your expertise on a given subject while contributing to the intellectual life of your field.
Blogs
Blogging is the quickest means of sharing and receiving feedback on your research. Blogs are not as "REF-able" as other forms of writing but they allow you to create easily shareable content capable of reaching both academic and non-academic audiences. You can start your own blog or write for an already existing research blog within your field by making contact with the editors and making them a pitch.
Training and Resources
Training
University of Cambridge Training offers courses designed to help students navigate the process of publishing their research. Courses tailored to different disciplines explore how to identify relevant journals, how to navigate the review process, how to respond to feedback and how to avoid predatory publishers. There are also courses designed to help students develop their research for publication as a monograph post-PhD, as well as courses that explore how to effectively share and disseminate research post-publication. Available courses and training change from term-to-term, so check back often to identify new training opportunities.
For students for whom English is not their first language, The Language Centre offers its Academic Development and Training for International Students scheme. The ADTIS offers several taught and online courses, as well as offering coaching and consultation services and often works with different faculties and departments to provide more bespoke training.
Resources
The Public Library of Science (PLOS) provides a wealth of writing resources for researchers looking to improve their scientific writing skills. Check out their Writing Center to find resources related to abstract writing, editing, and other article writing essentials
The Researcher Development office provides its own Writing and Publishing resources, including videos, guides and ebooks
Image credits
Image credits
Folder Stack, Beatriz Pérez Moya, via Unsplash
Woman with a tattoo holding up a stack of books, Thought Catalog, via Unsplash
Reading is love, reading is life, Joseph Chan, via Unsplash
MacBook Pro, Andrew Neel, via Unsplash