A Pocket Guide to Academic Publishing
by
Nikolas Sellheim Polar Cooperation Research Centre Kobe University, Japan
&
Scott Polar Research Institute University of Cambridge, UK
© Nikolas Sellheim 2017 Rovaniemi: University of the Arctic Cover design by Jarkko Rintee, Tampere, Finland When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose, Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes, Shall then this verse to future age pretend Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend!
Alexander Pope, The Poet’s Friend Acknowledgements------i Preface------iv Chapter 1 Introduction ------1 Chapter 2 The Idea------6 2.1. Seminar Paper vs Research Paper ...... 6 2.2. The Research Question ...... 9 2.3. Writing your Research Paper ...... 12 Chapter 3 The Journal------21 3.1. The Instructions for Contributors ...... 25 3.2. Publication Fees, Open Access ...... 28 3.3. Impact Factor, Ranking and Citation Indexes ...... 33 3.4. Dubious, Pseudo, Predatory Journals & Publishers ..... 40 Chapter 4 Submission------47 4.1. Means of Submission ...... 47 4.2. Double, Triple, Multiple Submission? ...... 51 4.3. The Cover Letter...... 53 4.4. Disclosure of Funders ...... 54 4.5. The Checklist ...... 57 4.6. Peer-review ...... 61 Chapter 5 Rejection, Revision, Acceptance------67 5.1. Rejection ...... 67 5.2. Revision ...... 73 5.3. Acceptance...... 76 Chapter 6 The Production and Publication Process------77 6.1. Copy-editing ...... 77 Table of Contents 6.2. Type-setting ...... 79 6.3. Proof-reading ...... 81 6.4. Copyright Transfer ...... 83 6.5. Publication ...... 84 Chapter 7 The Doctoral Thesis------88 7.1. The Monograph ...... 89 7.2. The Article-based Dissertation ...... 93 Chapter 8 Online Publishing, Conference Reports & Book Re- views------99 Chapter 9 A Few Final Words------106 Literature Cited & ------108 Additional Reading------108 Appendix------110 Acknowledgements This book emerged during the preparatory process for a seminar at Kobe University, Japan, entitled ‘The Art of Academic Publishing?,’ in June 2017 at the Polar Cooperation Research Centre, Graduate School of In- ternational Cooperation Studies (GSICS). While pre- paring the seminar, it occurred to me that I would be unable to convey all information that I deem import- ant in just a few hours. I therefore decided to put everything on paper and make this little guidebook part of my talk. What I am trying to say is that without the seminar, this book would not have been written. And without the support and encouragement of Prof Akiho Shibata and the administrative staff of GSICS, the seminar would not have been held. But it is truly the contributions of Dr Ian Stone that indirectly contributed to me writing this book. For it was he who, as former Editor of Polar Record, in- troduced me to the world of being an Editor of an academic journal and to become part of a machinery which is so crucial for the production and dissemina- tion of academic knowledge. And along the same lines I wish to thank the incredibly helpful folks at Cam- bridge University Press, first and foremost Stephanie Curnow and Emma Pearce, for making me understand