No supercilious titles here. .......And what you see is what you get.
In a field weighed down by academic snobbery and antiquated "rites of passage", Day's contribution is like a breath of fresh air. These "unwritten" rules are one of the reasons why Asian researchers and authors find the publishing experience so frustrating in an industry almost completely dominated by the Western media and "old boys" network. The feedback from Western editors is often unhelpful and discourages the widespread publication of indigenous research. But by cutting through the pretence and explaining the way these "gatekeepers" work, the publishing experience may become a little easier.
In essence, some researchers publish, and some don’t. Western publishers are often the only choice, as, despite a few successful exceptions, Asian publishing outlets generally do not have the prestige or "clout" of Western publishers, especially as perceived among the Asian research and library profession themselves. Given that this road is still often the only way forward as surely a key factor in research success is letting others know about it, Day outlines a clear road forward to successful publishing in the Western academic and management press.
Based on a wealth of experience as a publisher and consultant to management and academic publishers, as well as her own research (which she published, of course!), Day seems to be talking from her own hard-won experience. This comes through in every chapter because the advice is so deceptively simple yet so true and practical.
For example:
"Most papers fail because the writer has not considered the needs of the journal and its readers".
"A sense of purpose is crucial and fundamental. Editors reject papers that are vague and directionless"”
To guard against these basic sins, in one section she poses the two questions you need to ask before embarking on writing a paper - namely:
- What do you what to say? and
- Why should anyone care?
She then goes on to advise - "The first step is to write in 20 words or less your purpose in writing the paper", and then goes on to describe exactly how this can be achieved.
Towards the end of the book, a chapter simply titled "Seven days to a finished paper" outlines a checklist plan for a paper, with the main headings -
- Purpose
- Implications
- Target audience
- Benefits being sought by target audience
- Quality criteria
Informative sections on what editors and reviewers look for, and also how to select and target journals continue this style.
So how is this useful in Asia?
First of all, our geographic distance from the leading publishers and editors makes communication more difficult. Secondly, English is often our second language, and from my own experience, even though the research and ideas may be first class, an editor or reviewer will rather reject an article with even minimal grammatical errors than read the whole thing. Unless there is a commitment to International publishing, it is just less work for an editor to review manuscript from within their own culture and country than from without. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we rely on research about us, written by European or North American researchers rather than research written here, on the ground. Day’s contribution is to remove some of the mystique from the publishing process and prove that it really comes down to hard work and a clear direction. ...and a clear knowledge of the thought and decision processes of editors who often have little understanding of Asian issues.
Even though the Asian scene is not specifically mentioned, nor the difficulties of cross-cultural or remote publishing, Day's book may well prove a significant facilitator in encouraging research and publishing from Asia. Highly Recommended, especially for academics who need to know "How to get Published".
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