Orientation
The Scope and Purpose of this Tutorial
As a member of the academic community, you will be involved in research, teaching, clinical or professional practice (in some fields), and conference presentations. As you know, getting published in prestigious, scholarly journals may have the most direct bearing on your tenure and advancement within your institution.
If you have never before published in a scholarly journal, you may have some questions about the process. This tutorial addresses the following questions:
- What’s ‘open access,’ and why do I care?
- What kinds of articles should I try to publish?
- How do I find appropriate journals for submitting my work?
- Should I co-author articles with colleagues?
- Where do I get ideas for paper topics?
- How do I turn my idea(s) into a publishable article?
- How do I contact a journal?
- How do I format my paper properly?
- How do I accurately cite my sources?
- How long will it take to hear back about my submission?
- What happens in the peer review process?
- What happens if my paper is rejected?
By the time you complete this tutorial, you’ll have answers to these questions, as well as a collection of tools and worksheets that will help you continue your learning process throughout your academic career.

