Research

I thought I would move this part of another thread and let people react to the thoughts.

Strange how few in this (degreeinfo) forum, working in graduate studies actually write about their research and publications. I should have thought that there is where the real ojective rests. Instead, it seems that most everyone is simply interested in getting a PhD at the cheapest and quickest means possible, through an RA institution in the USA if possible.

It is good that people are attempting to work in graduate studies, but there is more than just the piece of paper on the wall and being called Dr. If the student has not produced a single article for publication by the time the PhD thesis is nearly complete then there is a problem I think.

The research undertaken will be worthless if it remains in a hardbound document of 300-500 pages sitting in dust on a library shelf. The research should be turned into articles which can be accessed and used on a broader scale by other researchers. It is the academic community's use of the research that validates it. At a minimum, the PhD thesis should be made available in PDF format and distributed as widely as possible for use elsewhere.

Brad

 

Hi Brad,

Thanks for starting this thread.

There was a time when we heard, "Publish or Perish." Now with the competition in the academic fields, more and more Ph.D. holders seem to be using their degrees in business or self-employment. Could this be the reason that there's less talk about "publishing"?

I once heard Dr. Phil say that he deliberately set out to use his doctorate in a non-traditional way. No one can deny that it has worked for him. Of course, he's writing, but he's doing it for the masses. Not sure how this is viewed by his peers in the academic field.

In light of this, it appears, from my vantage point, that many today are thinking outside the box: They view their doctorate as a marketing tool and not merely a title for teaching and publishing in an academic setting. Some may argue that the current job market has prompted this change.


BTW, can you recommend some books or websites on academic publishing?

Thanks.

Roscoe

 

What to do...

It would depend on where you live and what your target market is I think. If you know of some journals already that are related then go with them, if not, have a look in the local university library or do an on-line search for journals in your field.

Often teh journal will have a standard for writing and formatting so be sure to follow their directions. It may mean spending some time re-working your text to conform with their expectations. But if you do, then it will have a better chance at being looked at.

The paper will go to several people in a juducial committee to review the text before it could be accepted for publication and it could be that revisions are expected before a second review is given leading to publication.

Don't expect a great renumeration. I have had several copies of the journal sent as payment. The idea really is just to get the article published because it means it has been accepted and can be used within the academic community related to your research.

The final seal of approval will be if you notice other researchers have used you in their own work. You should keep track of that as much as possible. It can be difficult unless you really know who is writing in your field. But that is often why the graduate programmes require a course that allows you to review as much of the written material as possible in the researcher's field of study.

If an article is not accepted the first time, the journal involved with the review should give reasons why and it will allow you to either re-work the paper, or give you ideas for writing the next one.

I agree that there are people graduating with PhD's that are getting the degree for work related reasons and to advance careers, but there must be at least a few in this forum who are looking at the pure academic side of the degree as well. Or at least I hope.

Brad

 

Brad, I am one of those that is planning on using their Ph.D. in a non-traditional fashion. I hope to write for the masses and am planning to connect with media sources for further marketing myself to those masses.

I may use my dissertation (over 500 pages long) for journal articles but I dislike that endeavor and think it is so linear and limited in scope. Just my take. I really don't get my jollies from getting my articles into journal publications that few read. I may do so but minimally. I get pumped up thinking about how to get my message to thousands of individuals, if not millions. I'm not trying to put down those who love academia and that box. I just simply like to explore other boxes or live with a view!

 

I am doing my Doctorate by way of published articles. I also have to complete a 30,000 word exegesis on the topic area as a finishing work for the articles.

I have had three articles published in peer reviewed journals (this seems to be about the norm) and I have begun work on the exegesis.

The articles have be published in established peer reviewed journals for them to be accepted for the Doctorate. Having a journal accept an article is a feat in itself. One must learn to live with rewrites and disappointment. It usually takes between three - six months for feedback from the journal on whether your article has been accepted or not. Waiting a lengthy period and getting a refusal is very difficult since the work cannot be used for the Doctorate.

It also means that you are being examined on multiple levels. Each article is subjected to peer review and then the total work is examined when you present your final works for assessment or defence. Because the journal published your work, it does not mean that the examiners will necessarily accept its worthiness.

On the up side, if you don't finish your doctorate for some reason, at least you have the published articles to show for your pains. Universities still seem to like the publications. The acceptance of the work does afford some validation of their educational base.

It is still nice to have somebody outside your supervisor acknowledge that your work is worthwhile being in print.

 

Hi ebbwvale,

Not sure if I mis-read your post... but are you saying that you will be awarded an accredited doctorate with only three published articles and a paper?

I've read that the "doctorates by published works" are usually given by schools to their own faculty members. This is the school's way of recognizing a lifetime of work by the faculty member. Does this describe your situation?

BTW, would you care to share the topic of your research?

Since questions about this type of degree has been asked here before, others may want to know the name of the school.

Thanks for sharing...and congratulations!

Roscoe

 

Re: What to do...

Thanks, Brad.

This is very useful!

Roscoe

 

My Doctorate is in Public Policy area. I am undertaking the study with Charles Sturt University. The university is an "accredited " in that it is a State University and run on federal govt. money. It is also constiuted by an act of Parliament. Different system here to the US. It is based on the UK model. The degree by way of publication exists at a number of other Australian Universities as well.

I commenced the route by publication but I am not sure that I would do it this way again, even though there are some advantages. It is very difficult getting articles published in good journals, not to mention "nerve wracking" waiting for their decision. Each article tends to be between 5000 - 10,000 words. I still have two others under review at this time. Writing is not a natural gift for me. I am in awe of well published academics.

Three articles tends to be the accepted amount of articles at other Australian Universities, however, in my proposal I have listed five, so I am still out there. I hope that ,should I be unable to get the five published, the three will get me there.

I am looking at policing philosophy in multi-cultural environments. I am using the publication route to test a conceptual viewpoint by peer review and debate.

 

I did my PhD at a European university. There was no length limit so my thesis was 230,000 words. The catch was that although tuition was free (and you could write everything in English) you had to give 100 copies of your thesis to the university for distribution. I printed 700 copies. In Thailand there are cheap printers and shippers so each copy cost me (including laminated cover) $5.00 including shipping. I sent 550 copies to a bookshop in the area I had done my research and they sold out.

 

What universities in Europe offer a 'free' PhD ?

 

I've heard universities in Germany and Norway are free, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

Perhaps a discussion of the :LPU" Least Publishable Unit is in order?

 

Thanks, ebbwvale.

I once considered this route and contacted a few schools in the UK. A few of them said they did not have faculty with expertise in my field; others said the degrees were only granted to faculty members.

BTW, do schools ever grant MA degrees for published work?


Roscoe

 

Re: Ebb W. Vale Memorial Journal, part II

You focus on journals that pertain to your topic.

If you HAVE your PhD - you can volunteer to serve on a peer-review panel - build your network.

 

Here's an article I found entitled, "How to Publish Your Journal Paper":

http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep02/publish.html


Another good resource is Robert A. Day's "How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper."


Roscoe

 

The University has sent out a list of suitable journals. My initial technique was to look at what journals academics at major universities, including mine published in. My assessment was that they could not refuse to accept a journal that they had published in as not reputable or scholarly. Online resumes of academics are useful for that.

In terms as to why I picked five articles, I was somewhat brash and wanted to fully explore all areas of the topic through publication. Great in theory, another thing in practice. I like my topic area, but my viewpoint tends to be a bit controversial. This, however, is sometimes useful for publication, in others crushingly not.

I have also presented at two conferences. I have a third that I will submit an abstract to and see if I get a start in the presenter's lineup. This is also a useful route because a conference can have a peer review process. Often papers can either be submitted at the conference by either a peer reviewed process or a non reviewed process. If you are accepted under the former that your paper will be published in a conference proceedings. This is acceptable academic publication methodology according to my supervisor.
The conference standing obviously is the salient issue here. My two previous presentations were not peer reviewed and don't count as publications.

One of the things that distance learning students often have difficulty getting is exposure to peer review of your work.in the same way that bricks and mortar approaches do. I have gained confidence from my presentations, albeit the first two were not peer reviewed for later publication as conference proceedings. It may be harder to criticise a distance learning Doctorate if the person has exposed themselves to peer review by publication and conference presentations. It extends beyond university status to the broader world. Worth a thought anyway for networking.