Since 1987, when Robert Christopherson signed the contract for the first edition of his now best-selling textbook, Geosystems, his textbooks have gone through five different owners, and he has had 14 different editors and hundreds of editorial assistants. “Such dynamics in the publishing landscape is quite typical of the industry,” said Christopherson, who textbooks are now published with Pearson.
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: May 21, 2015
Undoubtedly your semester has either ended or is very rapidly coming to an end. Will you take a small break from your writing? Time to unwind and focus on something else like family or vacation? This week I came to a revelation about writing and how much writing is like this favorite quote of mine, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.” Now replace the word ‘fitness’ with ‘writing’.
5 Strategies to move your writing forward after rejection
Rejection can be devastating and even crippling for a writer after pouring hours, months, or even years into a manuscript. Having strategies in place to help you cope with the sting of rejection will help move your writing forward. Here are five such strategies to use:
3 Steps to consider when crafting an article introduction
The introduction is perhaps the most important section of an article, but unfortunately it can be notoriously difficult to write. To help make the process less painful and more productive, Meagan Kittle Autry, the Director of Thesis and Dissertation Support Services at NC State University, shared advice for writing exceptional introductions in a recent TAA podcast entitled How to Write an Introduction That Will Get Your Article Accepted.
Top 11 Reasons to attend TAA’s 28th Annual Textbook & Academic Authoring Conference
Have you registered yet? Here are the top 11 reasons why you need to attend TAA’s 28th Annual Textbook &…
How to publish an article in an academic journal: Avoid rookie mistakes
My article is based on ethnography and interviews, so the methods section is pretty straightforward. I discuss how long the ethnographic research lasted (9 months); how many interviews (83); and the case selection – why I interviewed deportees in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, and why most of my interviewees are men.
Data and Analysis
This is the meat of your paper – where your original contribution lies. The main trick here is to make sure that you deploy your data to answer your research questions.
Many qualitative papers fail to analyze their data. You not only need to tell us what you learned from your interviews and ethnography; you also need to analyze each piece of data you provide. Tell the reader what it means and why it’s important.
Conclusion
I have not thus far rejected an article for not having a good conclusion – although I did receive one that completely lacked a conclusion. And, that did not look good.
In any event, a good conclusion can only strengthen your article and make it more likely that your findings will be understood and disseminated.
In my conclusion, I reiterate my findings, mention any possible limitations, and explore directions for future research.