This resource is licenced under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence by Claire Sewell, the Office of Scholarly Communication, Cambridge University Libraries.
Although the actual process of making publications available varies, it really comes down to a series of decisions which researchers have to make. The outcome of these decisions will depend on the discipline of the researcher and of course their own personal circumstances so it is important for librarians to maintain an awareness of factors which are likely to have an impact. Two of the most important decisions a researcher looking to publish will have to make are choosing a format and then selecting a publisher of that format to approach.
One of the first major decisions a researcher will face is what they will actually publish - a book, an article or something else. The choice of publication format will be influenced by many factors such as the type of project they are involved in or the expectations in their particular discipline.
For many researchers early in their career their most substantial piece of work will be their PhD and it can be tempting to publish this ‘as is’ in order to fulfill any publication requirements. Unfortunately the content will need work before publication - there are very few PhD theses which can be published straight away. The best advice is to take a strategic approach and see what could work as a standalone piece - for example the literature review may work as an article on its own whilst the results are presented at a conference. Researchers may also want to write multiple versions of the same work for different audiences, for example a scholarly journal article and a popular magazine piece for a wider readership.
So, what does a researcher need to consider when choosing a publication format? The list below offer a few ideas:
What is the researcher trying to achieve with this publication? Are they looking for a large audience or do they just need to have something in print quickly with minimum fuss? Looking at the overall aim and reason for publishing should be the starting point for deciding on a format.
The audience level that a researcher is aiming for will also influence their decision about the format they choose. They may want to share their work with an audience of peers or they may prefer to reach out to a wider audience. The language used and the type of publication offered will differ between audience and the researcher will need to think about this carefully, particularly if they are looking to make an impact outside academia.
The thoughts of their peers is something with affects researchers at different stages of their careers differently. Within each discipline there will be formats which are considered superior to others (rightly or wrongly) and this may be a particularly important to researchers at an early stage of their career.
Different publication types require different lengths of manuscript – for example, a book is often longer than a journal article. Researchers should consider if they have enough content to fill their chosen format or if they would be better looking at an alternative.
The time it takes to publish varies between format. A blog post can be published instantly but a book can take years, especially if it is peer reviewed. Researchers need to think about how quickly their research will date – is it something that needs to be put out immediately in case they are scooped or can they take some time? It might be that they need to present their results at a conference to create a record of their insights before pursuing more formal publication.
Researchers also need to consider their own time and availability. They might want to write a 300 page book but is that realistic for them at this point in their lives? Peer reviewed publications are unlikely to be accepted instantly and revisions take time and energy which need to be built into the schedule. The schedule of the publisher also needs to be considered – do they have any specific calls for papers or submission periods?
Many publication formats have a financial cost associated with them, especially if they are to be made available via Open Access. These costs can be high depending on the publisher and the format so researchers will need to factor this into their budgets.
Although all publications are different, some types do have a higher rejection rate than others. Having something you have worked hard on rejected can be hard to accept and will impact different researchers in different ways. In an age when the research community is under increasing amounts of pressure this is an important consideration.
Depending on the discipline and career stage of the researcher some of these factors are likely to have more of an impact than others. For example, peer opinion may mean more to to a researcher looking to make a good impression at the start of their career than someone more senior. Librarians can help to offer a more rounded perspective on this decision and encourage researchers to look at non-traditional formats which could reach a broader audience.
Once they have chosen a format, the next step for a researcher is to approach a publisher of that format. This may be in response to a request for content such as a journal call for papers or as an unsolicited manuscript. Each publisher has its own rules and formats so preparing a submission takes time. Researchers should think carefully about who to approach to make the best use of their time and effort.
The list below shows a few of the considerations that an author will need to take into account when selecting a publisher:
Researchers need to ensure that the work they want to submit is within the scope of the publisher they are contacting. Choosing a high prestige publisher can be tempting for those wanting to make an impression but if the work is not within scope then it is a wasted effort. Publishers should make the range of topics that they cover clear on their website.
Even if the publisher accepts work on a particular topic they may not accept it in the format which the researcher has prepared. For example, a literature review may only be acceptable as part of a longer article than as a standalone piece.
Publishers have their own schedules which they need to work to and these may not be compatible with the time which the researcher has available to produce something. The time it takes to produce something for publication should not be underestimated and if a publisher has particularly tight deadlines then this can be a barrier.
This is particularly important if the finished publication is to be made available Open Access. Although self-archiving is free it may be that the researcher wants or needs to pursue the gold option which comes with a cost. Researchers should carefully assess any potential fees and factor these into their grant applications if necessary.
The time it takes to publish varies between format. A blog post can be published instantly but a book can take years, especially if it is peer reviewed. Researchers need to think about how quickly their research will date – is it something that needs to be put out immediately in case they are scooped or can they take some time? It might be that they need to present their results at a conference to create a record of their insights before pursuing more formal publication.
It is important to remember that researchers should not approach more than one publisher with a manuscript at the same time. Each publisher will expect to be the only one considering a particular title and will not be impressed if they find out otherwise. This can of course add time to the publication process as the output may go through several rounds of review before a decision is made or it may even be rejected outright. It is therefore important for researchers to think carefully about their publication strategy and approach publishers in the best order for their needs.
