Academic publishing tips

Advice on academic publishing to help academics understand and navigate this complicated but vital instrument of scholarly work. You will find guidance on how to pitch to academic publishers, write book proposals, work with editors, understand peer review and get to grips with open access and copyright. Ultimately, these resources aim to help you get your research and insights published, as books or journal articles.

A padlock secured to a lightbulb

Subtle steps that protect your authorship

Many early career researchers working with code, data and analysis assume goodwill is enough to secure authorship – it isn’t. Here’s how to protect your contributions and build fair, transparent collaborations

Hari Ram C. R. Nair

Chalmers University of Technology

Stairway of books leading to open door

When open data meets publish-or-perish

At every stage of the research process, critical thinking acts as a compass – it urges caution against overconfident claims and reminds us that the goal is understanding, not mere output, writes Timo Lorenz

Timo Lorenz

MSB Medical School Berlin

Dive into a book illustration

How to figure out your book

Want to use summer’s student-free time to work on that academic manuscript? Dive into these tips and exercises to craft a more engaging next draft

K. Anne Amienne, Daniela Blei

Scholars & Writers

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard

The unexpected benefits of academic blogging

Academic blogging can open doors to collaboration and career growth. Discover its benefits, and learn how to build a culture that supports it.

Jenny Scoles

The University of Edinburgh

News cycle concept

Keeping your research relevant in an accelerating news cycle

When publishing is slow but world events move quickly, how can scholars ensure their work will be read and cited and contribute to academic discussion?

Yasmin Y. Ortiga, Jenny Gavacs

Singapore Management University, Whetstone Editing

Detail statue in Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy

How to write even when the words won’t come

Books, articles and grant proposals do not arrive in a single stroke. They are created, like sculptures, through a thousand small movements. Here, Catherine De Vries explains how to develop ‘skill power’

Catherine De Vries

Bocconi University

Captian Knowledge comic image

Using comic format to make research more accessible

Comic literature can make research more inclusive and engaging for those outside academic circles. Learn how to plan and create your own

Chris Johnson

University of Chester

An author looks at a delivery of books

How to promote your book with confidence

Promoting your book or research paper requires different skills from those needed to produce it. Here’s everything you need to know

Elinor Potts

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Academic publishing illustration

Academic publishing today: what you need to know

A guide to the complex and changing world of academic publishing and how to work with it to get your research out there

Campus contributors

Campus

A burning book.

Protecting your work – and your values – in US higher education

With US higher education under attack from the federal government, what can scholars do to ensure their research is preserved and to stand up for academic freedom? Lisa Schiff, a co-author of the Declaration to Defend Research Against US Government Censorship, explains

Lisa Schiff

Independent academic

A close up of a hand working on a document

Seven steps to dual publication

The dual publication model for research involves creating two versions of a research paper: one for fellow academics, and one for practitioners. Juggle the two with these seven steps

Şerife Eyüpoğlu

Near East University

An illustration of people working with a giant book

Six reasons why open institutional publishing matters

A new wave of institutional publishers is changing the way we think about academic publishing. Here’s why they’re worth watching

Philippa Grand, Suzanne Tatham

The London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Southampton

Newborn baby holding mother's hand

Scholarly publishers’ role in fostering collaboration in academia

With the infrastructure in place to exchange ideas and information, journals can enable scholars to build on their research and accelerate discovery and quality of innovation, as Antonia Pop explains

Antonia Pop

University of Toronto Press

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Campus talks: a brighter future for academic publishing

Hear from two academics who are developing publishing solutions that encourage and underpin quality research practices and improve access to scholarly work

Paul Ayris, Philipp Koellinger

UCL, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Man sitting among piles of papers

‘Academic writing equals chaos’

If you are stalled in your latest writing project, Glenn Fosbraey shares three tips for breaking through blocks, getting organised and finishing the final draft

Glenn Fosbraey

University of Winchester

Hands type on a laptop

Anatomy of an academic book proposal

Pitch your book to publishers with an irresistible proposal. Here are all the elements you’ll need

Richard Baggaley

University of Westminster

An academic edits a research paper with a red pen

The pros and cons of peer reviewing

Weighing up whether to take on the role of peer reviewer? Arina Ziganshina draws on her own experience to outline the upsides and downsides

Arina Ziganshina

Dubai Medical University

Two young people high five over a boardroom table

Eight steps to launch a student-led peer-review journal

To help PhD students gain the skills required for publication and improve research literacy, consider an in-house academic journal

Andrew Drybrough, Philip Montgomery

Nazarbayev University

Pile of journals

‘Researchers have a responsibility to publish’

Without publication, advancements in knowledge will be stifled or even halted altogether, writes Walid Saad. Here he explains the many benefits to publishing for established scholars and students alike

Walid Saad

Virginia Tech

Traffic light sequence from green to red

Trying to decide what, where and when to publish research?

It’s a strategic balancing act, writes Walid Saad. While academic researchers often know why it’s important to publish their work, the timing, location and medium can be less evident. These tips are geared to sharing research for maximum effectiveness

Walid Saad

Virginia Tech

Middle Eastern male millennial researcher

A practical guide to writing a literature review

From organising key search terms to checking citations, this video offers simple, practical tips to crafting a literature review that will lay a sound foundation for your academic paper

Bareq Ali Abdulhadi

Al-Mustaqbal University

An illustration of a fedora-wearing robot working on a computer

We’re living in a world of artificial intelligence – it’s academic publishing that needs to change

Scholars are using generative AI to assist them with writing articles, but should they be punished for it? The academic publishing community may need to change its mindset, writes Benjamin Luke Moorhouse

Benjamin Luke Moorhouse

Hong Kong Baptist University

Hands of black woman typing on laptop

Time to write is a necessity, not a nice-to-have

How a project for academics to carve out writing time has grown from ‘power hours’ to writing retreats, community, increased well-being and higher-quality papers

Rosie Wadman, Jess Macpherson

University of Southampton

Students laugh together while working on a whiteboard

Set your PhD students up with opportunities to debate and share

Creating alternative publishing opportunities and space for peer-led conversation are a vital part of the PhD research student journey. Teal Triggs launched two initiatives to do so

Teal Triggs

Royal College of Art

A pair of surgical scissors are passed from one member of the surgical team to another

Making educational content open access can save lives

By making training resources for surgical professions available on an open access platform, RCSI and its partners are helping to address a huge number of preventable deaths each year. Find out how you can do something similar

Eric O'Flynn, Ines Perić

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Selecting language on a screen

Embracing linguistic diversity and equity in global academic publishing

English operates as a gatekeeper in academia, determining who can access and contribute to the most prestigious platforms of knowledge production. We must create spaces where other languages can thrive, write three European academics

Javier Husillos, Carlos Larrinaga, Daniel Martinez

UPNA, Universidad de Burgos, HEC Paris

Trust concept

Building trust to support researchers’ mental health

Principal investigators should know what challenges to trust their research team may face at each stage of a project – from team building to post-project collaboration – so they can focus support effectively

Alex Zarifis

University of Southampton

Concensus concept

Can academic prenups help overcome barriers to interdisciplinary research?

A bottom-up approach could establish shared values, objectives, risk appetites and publication strategies as ways to mitigate challenges that hinder effective progress of interdisciplinary teams

Himanshu Kaul

University of Leicester

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Research shouldn’t cause trauma – let’s find a better way

How can we conduct research and share results without affecting the well-being of those around us? Eileen Harkess-Murphy advocates for a trauma-informed approach

Eileen Harkess-Murphy

University of the West of Scotland

Female hands with a pen and a blank page

Strategies for writing a PhD dissertation: write before you’re ‘ready’

Reading isn’t writing, and knowing about your topic isn’t writing. So, what should graduate students do to get started and make steady progress? Monique Dufour suggests practising well before it’s time to write the thesis or dissertation

Monique Dufour

Virginia Tech

A video camera is used to film a scene

The making of: turning a research project into a documentary

To get your research findings into as many hands as possible, consider filming a documentary. James Layton, Paul Tucker and Bettina Talbot offer their advice

James Layton, Paul Tucker, Bettina Talbot

University of the West of Scotland

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Campus talks: bringing an outsider’s eye to primary sources

What happens when a literary scholar turns her attention to local archives such as inventories and court records? English professor Alexandra Harris talks about writing history, uncovering centuries of silent lives for her new book, and the interdisciplinary power of the humanities

Alexandra Harris

University of Birmingham

An engineer controls the quality using a tablet device to inspect the drilling machine in the factory

The key to collaboration between HE and industry? Analytical testing services explained

Analytical testing can provide valuable insights to drive forward university-industry collaborations. Imtias Amir Bahauddin explains how to enhance these services for maximum benefit

Imtias Amir Bahauddin

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Two medical researchers looking at data on a screen

Evidence synthesis: what every student (and researcher) should know

The ability to collect, summarise and analyse data is especially vital for students and researchers in medical and healthcare-related fields, writes Alessio Bellato. Here, he explains what it is and how to access training

Alessio Bellato

University of Southampton

A bird's eye view of a table with reports and laptops

Researchers need support to change the world – here’s how to provide it

To generate world-changing research, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research and Innovation Office took on the role of fostering collaboration and allocation of resources to allow their academics to focus completely on their work. Lixin Situ outlines how to provide support.

Lixin Situ

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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Campus talks: what is open access?

Experts demystify what open access and open research are, tips for best practice, and where the movement and research culture are heading

Heather Joseph, Steven U. Vidovic

Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, University of Southampton

Asian scholar working at laptop, PhD by publication

Publication-based doctorate: is it for me?

Potential research higher degree candidates from academia or industry will need to decide between a doctorate by thesis or by publication. Here are key questions to ask before embarking on the doctoral journey

Riad Shams

Northumbria University

Man in light from lightbulb-shaped hole in the wall, open research

Open research: what is it, really?

Open research principles aim to foster openness, transparency, replicability and accountability, writes Steven Vidovic. Here, he offers a fresh perspective along with practices to establish trust in research and foster collaborations and future opportunities

Steven U. Vidovic

University of Southampton

Illustration of woman looking at city through keyhole-shaped door

Democratising research through open access journals

The rise of open access publishing has democratised knowledge dissemination, allowing researchers to share their findings with a global audience. Here, Corinne Guimont offers insights on running OA journals at a higher education institution

Corinne Guimont

Virginia Tech

Data mountain illustration

Opening doors to knowledge: making data open access

Making data open access has become a cornerstone of transparent and collaborative research practices. Here, Jon Petters provides a brief guide on how to do it, emphasising accessibility, reproducibility and interoperability

Jonathan Petters

Virginia Tech

Asian academic at laptop in library

Unwrapping discovery: the importance of institutional repositories

Self-archiving in university repositories is an alternative academic publishing route to gold open access that can boost citations and diversify users accessing scholarly content, writes Nicki Clarkson

Nicki Clarkson

University of Southampton

A librarian in a striped dress stacks books on a shelf

As university librarians, we should embrace open research

Open access represents a new opportunity, and librarians are ideally placed to implement it. Nazarbayev University’s library team offers their advice

Jerald Cavanagh, Darya Zvonareva, Monika Bukowska, April Manabat, Yelizaveta Kamilova

Nazarbayev University

Woman signing document

Pledges and charters in medical schools: catalysts for change or performative promises?

Pledges demonstrating support in addressing issues such as racism and misogyny will often garner interest and may even attract pockets of funding. But they also risk oversimplifying complex problems, writes Lois Haruna-Cooper

Lois Haruna-Cooper

UCL

hands typing on a laptop, open research concept

Sharing qualitative research through open access

Traditional open access repositories are designed for sharing quantitative data. But what about qualitative data – non-numeric information and concepts such as case studies or interview transcripts? That’s where the Qualitative Data Repository comes in

Nathaniel D. Porter

Virginia Tech

Female scholar in library

Three ways libraries are championing the open access movement

Scholars and researchers should take advantage of libraries’ support of and expertise around open access publishing. Asking a librarian for help could protect your work and save you money

Karen Glover

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Healthcare researcher with patient

What underpins effective patient and public involvement in health and social care research?

Is it rules or values? The two key ways to approach the art of PPI in healthcare research should come together in process, procedures and culture, writes Gary Hickey

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A man with a backpack wanders along a jungle path

Researchers should harness the explorer’s spirit to find their career path

Lee Chien Ching shares advice to her younger self and other early career academics on forging your own path through the sometimes forbidding jungle of academia

Lee Chien Ching

Singapore Institute of Technology

Open door concept

The double-edged sword of open access publishing

Inclusivity is seen as a benefit of open access publishing, but is this an illusion? Here, William E. Donald asks questions about who pays and what counts, and offers scenarios for a fairer journal model

William E. Donald

University of Southampton

A young scientist uses a laptop and mobile phone in the lab

Science communication tips for university marketing teams

When research reaches a broader audience, it improves the society we live in and inspires the next generation of scientists. Iris Lai offers her advice on engaging the public with your institution's work

Iris Lai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dial high for impact

Show your research impact: a guide for academics and researchers

In academia, effectively demonstrating and communicating the real-world impact of research is increasingly vital for scholars, driven by demands from funding bodies and academic institutions

Mohammed Al-Bahrani

Al-Mustaqbal University