Writing and Publishing a Qualitative Journal Article

Overview
Knowing where to start in planning and writing your first journal article can be a daunting and confusing process. Publishing qualitative research in the academic journal format can often seem daunting as we are faced with copious amounts of rich data, which needs to be conveyed in a short and succinct format. It can also be difficult to determine which journal you should target. Questions we might ask ourselves include: Which journal should I target? How do I turn a PhD chapter into a journal article? How do I publish rich and lengthy qualitative data in a journal article format? What is the focus of my article? How can I find the time to even write an article?! How do I publish in the context of REF and open access requirements?

This course demystifies the journal article and provides expert guidance on how to publish your qualitative research in a journal article format.

We cover the process of preparation, planning, structuring and writing your journal article. This includes how to target a journal and what editors and reviewers are looking for. The course then provides an overview of the purpose of each section of a journal article and why we are normally expected to follow a typical format: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Literature, Methods, Findings, Discussion, Conclusion, References. We discuss the importance of crafting the focus of your paper and planning and structuring your own journal article. The course is specifically targeted to qualitative research therefore we also discuss how to present examples of qualitative data in a journal article format. Finally, we discuss strategies for writing the article and how to address feedback from reviewer and editors. This is a hands-on course. In addition to the presentations from the trainer, you will read examples of published articles and begin to consider a focus and structure for your own work.

The course is suitable for PhD students and early career researchers conducting qualitative studies who are looking to publish their work as journal articles, and those academics and practitioners who might be new to the academic publishing process, or wish to refresh their knowledge on writing qualitative journal papers.

Course Content
The course covers:

  • Targeting: how to select an appropriate journal for your work
  • What are journal editors and reviewers looking for?
  • The purpose of each component section of a journal article
  • From the notion of ‘big’ grand claims, to ‘bite-size’ publishing strategies
  • Examples of best practice
  • Crafting the focus and ‘so what’ message of your argument
  • Planning and structuring your journal article
  • How to present different forms of qualitative data in a journal article format
  • Strategies for writing the journal article
  • Dealing with feedback: responding to reviewer comments / and or resubmitting to another journal

This is a one-day interactive course (from 10am – 4pm) which is currently delivered online via Zoom but can also be delivered for organizations face-to-face.