Hello again and welcome to the third blog post. I hope that you have found the information on Meeting Journal Aims and Scope, and on Avoiding Plagiarism, informative. This post is to encourage you to consider using your time wisely for maintaining impetus in writing journal articles.
Write Regularly
A common comment from those trying to develop a publication schedule is that there isn’t enough time to write in the normal busyness of life and work. Most of us feel that we need a lengthy period of time to develop a good article. However, it has been shown that writing is possible in shorter bursts such as 15 or 30 minutes a day. It is the regularity of writing, rather than the length of time that is the most productive.
Having said that you can write for 15 minutes a day and be productive, I can also hear some of the comments: "how do I maintain my train of thought from day-to-day?"; "I have to re-read what I wrote yesterday and then correct it – the 15 minutes has gone"; "But I have a co-author and s/he doesn’t have the same gaps of time". Each of these can be overcome with good habits.
Some Useful Good Writing Habit
This blog is not going to give detailed advice on writing, but a few good habits that are worth mentioning include:
- Decide what aspect you are going to write about first and then choose a journal where the aims and scope are compatible with what you want to write. This lets you use that journal’s framework instead of writing and having to change your style, format, and/or referencing if you choose your journal later.
- Set yourself a deadline for submission, then plan backwards from that deadline.
- Develop an article outline before you start writing the paragraphs. If you have an outline this will keep you on track when you are writing.
- Keep a journal (in a notebook, on a paper pad, on your phone, on the computer) where at the end of each writing time you jot down what comes next so that you have a prompt the next day.
- If you have co-authors agree on sections you might write separately and then share for refining later. It is not common to sit with co-authors and mutually write
Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks
There is a book by Wendy Laura Belcher called Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. It is full of good ideas, and outlines a 12-week program to assist you to complete an article. It is well worth borrowing or buying.
Belcher, W. L. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. Sage Publications.
In Lock-Down?
Hopefully as you read this you are all healthy in these troubling times of coronavirus. Many are in lock-down (I am expecting the announcement as I sit here in Australia writing this). Perhaps this could be a time to kickstart your next article and practice regular writing each day for a short amount of time.
I hope that you have fun writing and maybe we will see your article come through the IAFOR Journal of Education. I wish you success whichever journal you choose to write for. I also hope that you stay healthy.
Yvonne
Dr Yvonne Masters
Editor-in-Chief
IAFOR Journal of Education
