Writing Scholarly Papers: A Window from my Experiences
Keywords:
scholarly writing; peer review; mentorship; professional training; volunteering
Abstract
This article discusses time-tested strategies for scholarly writing to assist early career researchers. It highlights the experiences of the author on how to become a successful scholarly writer. It discusses the need to follow research integrity and excellence required in scholarly writing as well as the essence of conciseness and clarity in research communication as key ingredients of scholarly writing. It examines the significant roles played by professional training, mentorship, and volunteering in giving researchers the skills and knowledge required for scholarly writing. The article assures that though scholarly writing may be seen as an intimidating activity wrought with a lot of challenges, it is an achievable goal for not only seasoned researchers but also early career researchers who are determined to share their novel research outputs with the global academic community.
References
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Germano, W. (2005). From dissertation to book. University of Chicago Press.
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League of European Research Universities (2020). Towards a research integrity culture at universities: From recommendations to implementation. LERU Publications.
Lee, M. (2011). Finding voice: Appreciating the audience. In: T. Rocco, T. Hatcher, & Associates (eds.). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing. Jossey-Bass.
Lott, B. (2005). Before we get started: A practical memoir of the writer’s life. Ballantine Books.
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Shannon, S. L. (2011). A guide to academic and scholarly writing. Oveido.
Smith, K., Holmes, K., Haski-Leventhal, D., Cnaan, R. A., Handy, F., & Brudney, J. L. (2010). Motivations and benefits of student volunteering: Comparing regular, occasional, and non-volunteers in five countries. Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, vol. 1, no. 1 pp. 65-81.
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_szentgyorgyi_389956
Antley, T. (July 16, 2020). What is professional development and why is it important? Retrieved on March 19, 2021, from https://www.webce.com/news/2020/07/16/professional-development
Bailey, S. (2011). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Brockway, L. H. (May 7, 2014). 15 Tips to make writing less hellish. Retrieved on March 24, 2021, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.entrepreneur.com/amphtml/233600
Clark, K. P. (2006). Writing tools: 50 essential strategies for every writer. Little Brown and Co.
Cox, R. J. (2015). Professional and scholarly writing: Advice for information professionals and academics. Journal of Information Science, Theory and Practice, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 6-16.
Dean, C. (2009). Am I making myself clear? A scientist’s guide to talking to the public. Harvard University Press.
Driscoll, D. L. & Brizee, A. (2011). Levels of formality. Retrieved on March 14, 2021, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/02
Edward, P. N. (2008). How to read a book. Retrieved on March 22, 2021, from https://pne.people.si.umich.edu/PDF/howtoread.pdf
Edmunds, M. W. & Waldrop, J. (2018). What is scholarly writing? Editorial. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. A11-A12.
Easy reading is damn hard writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Wikiquote (May 22, 2020). https://quotepark.com/quotes/1186783-nathaniel-hawthorne-easy-reading-is-damn-hard-writing
Fish, S. (2011). How to write a sentence and how to read one. Harper.
Forgasz, H. J. (2019). Scholarly writing. In: G. Kaiser & N. Presmeg, N. (eds.). Compendium for early career researchers in mathematics education. ICME-13 Monographs, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15636-7-17.
Friedman, B. (1993). Writing past dark: Envy, fear, distraction, and other dilemmas in the writer’s life. Harper Perennial.
Germano, W. (2005). From dissertation to book. University of Chicago Press.
Holdsworth, C., & Quinn, J. (2010). Student volunteering in English higher education. Studies in Higher Education, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 113-127.
League of European Research Universities (2020). Towards a research integrity culture at universities: From recommendations to implementation. LERU Publications.
Lee, M. (2011). Finding voice: Appreciating the audience. In: T. Rocco, T. Hatcher, & Associates (eds.). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing. Jossey-Bass.
Lott, B. (2005). Before we get started: A practical memoir of the writer’s life. Ballantine Books.
Low, N., Butt, S., Ellis Paine, A., & Davis Smith, J. (2007). Helping out: A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving. Cabinet Office.
Mulvanney, M. K. & Joliffe, D. A. (2005). Academic writing: Genres, samples, and resources. Pearson Longman.
National Academy of Sciences (2002). Integrity in Scientific Research. National Academies Press.
National Academy of Sciences (2009). On being scientist: A guide to responsible conduct in research (3rd ed.). National Academies Press.
Pagliawan, D. L. (2017). Feature style for academic and scholarly writing. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(2): 35-41.
Shannon, S. L. (2011). A guide to academic and scholarly writing. Oveido.
Smith, K., Holmes, K., Haski-Leventhal, D., Cnaan, R. A., Handy, F., & Brudney, J. L. (2010). Motivations and benefits of student volunteering: Comparing regular, occasional, and non-volunteers in five countries. Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, vol. 1, no. 1 pp. 65-81.
