Step 6: Publication Strategy

A publication strategy is a necessary tool for research dissemination. For the strategy to work, it needs to be established as early as possible, and revisited throughout a research project’s life cycle. This part of the Research Support Handbook describes items to reflect on when developing and maintaining your strategy.

  • Authorship? If you collaborate with other researchers, decide early on who should be listed as authors or contributors to your work. Check the publication outlet’s guidelines for authorship. Some journals demand very detailed accounts on authors and contributors, make sure you can comply with them. For further guidance, see Karlstad University authorship guidelines.
  • Publication type? Should you opt for writing a book, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers, or a mix of these? The answer to this depends on the nature of your project, and funder requirements. It is easy to promise ‘too much’ to a funder when writing a grant application, remember that you have to deliver on your promises.
     
  • Aims and scopes of the journal/publisher? Can you deliver what the publisher wants? Do not hesitate to ask the publisher if your idea for a paper suits the journal. Do not waste time writing up research in a way that does not meet the requirements of the publication channel and the funder.
     
  • Complying with submission guidelines? Many articles are rejected because authors have not followed submission guidelines. Read them thoroughly, and double-check before submission.
     
  • Submission to publishing time? Publishing is often a slow process. Check with publisher the estimated publishing time.
     
  • Rejection rate? Many prestigious research outlets have long turn-around and high rejection rates. Account for this in your publication strategy. Also, rejection is normal, plan for it. It is a good idea to make a ranking list of publication outlets, so you have a Plan B.
     
  • Trustworthiness of publisher? Sadly, there are many publishers trying to profit on researchers by luring them with short publishing times and fast peer-review. As a general rule, serious publishers will not contact you by e-mail. Contact Publiceringsstöd for advice whether a publisher is reliable or not.
  • Language? While many disciplines disseminate research mainly in English, sometimes it can be a good idea to use other languages to communicate with the particular stakeholders you want to reach.
     
  • Indexing? Will your research be published in outlets indexed by major databases such as Web of Science or Scopus? Indexing can be of importance for funders, for bibliometric purposes, and for your possibility to gain visibility for your research.
     
  • Publication model? Open access or traditional journal? How important is it for you to keep your copyright and the ability to freely disseminate your research? Do your funders request open access? (Read more in the section Share your research).

Once the research has been published you can promote the publication in order to maximise the impact. There is no single right way to do this, here are a few tips:

  • Using social media of your choice to spread the news. Make use of the DOI (persistent link to your article, used by most major publishers).
  • Have a by-line in your emails that tells people about your latest article
  • Publish at least the metadata of your publication in DiVA
  • Keep your researcher page updated (www.kau.se/forskare)
  • Get ORCID, a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers and ensures that your work is recognized.