[Closed] Is there an academic in the house?!

[Lili]

I've submitted my first article to the peer-review process and got the manuscript back from the critic.


[Closed- Thanks all, have a nice day! ]

[jimipresley]

Where's the manuscript, Lili? I did my MA in Pol Sci. Link it and I'll help you if I can. PM?

[Lili]

YAY!!!!

I'll PM you.

[asiaeast]

I run a small publishing company, mostly with text books here in Taiwan and in Korea. I've also attempted to publish my own fiction in the US through other publishers, but without any good results.

My advice is, if it's your first time out, do whatever is asked of you, as long as it is within reason. Many new authors are too defensive to let anyone change anything they've written. Usually, however, with any kind of academic writing, although one or two names may appear on the work, it's actually the result of a group effort. You could give credit to all those who advised you in some blurb somewhere, which is polite but not necessary.

As an editor, I try not to rewrite someone else's work in my own words. I just make changes to the content to improve on clarity. Clarity, to me, is more important than trying to impress someone with lots of bull. However, I've worked under editors who think they are invincible and will actually want you to rewrite what you wrote in their own words, without telling you how they write. Simply insane. In fact, I have my name on a book that I probably only wrote 30% of, when you consider all the things the editor wanted in there! Feels a bit weird. When I joked about co-authoring the book, he shrugged and asked if I was just hoping to sell more copies.

Once you're gotten more established, then you'll get the chances to write with more freedom. It's just all part of paying your dues.

[Lili]

Yea, I have no problem addressing the concerns. Its more how to do so?
But it seems the guy completely didnt get the point of "focused article".


And the editor sent me this email: "I am pleased to attach a report from an academic specialist on your paper - it is supportive but urges some significant revisions. If you can get these completed we can reconsider the paper for possible publication in SWI. I urge you in particular to eliminate the "literature review" which is out of place in a mainstream academic journal article." My reaction --->

I replied with: "You mention eliminating the "literature review". Do you mean the actual Lit Review section?"

He replies: "[Yes] the literature review section of your paper which might suit a term paper or thesis but does not normally sit well in an article in an academic journal"
Do you know how many scholarly articles have Lit Reviews?!?! And mine is only like 2 pages like all the others I've seen.

[Chris]

Hhhhhuh???

I always thought that literature reviews were standard fare in academic papers...

[Lili]

Hhhhhuh???

I always thought that literature reviews were standard fare in academic papers...

I. don't. understand.

[Mucha Man]

I'm not sure what the problem is. You have been asked to remove a section of an article that is not integral to the piece. So do that. If you are confused the best advise I can give, as a professional writer myself, is never get frustrated with editors, but always approach them with kindness and patience. Simply lay out your concerns/questions in a polite manner. He may be simply confused in thinking that his journal's policy is industry standard.

"Dear...

Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry that I still have a couple questions for you, but I am uncertain why you have suggested that I remove the literature reviews. It's my understanding, which may be completely off or out-of-date, that these are standard in most academic papers of the kind I am proposing.

etc etc"

[Lili]

I'm not sure what the problem is. You have been asked to remove a section of an article that is not integral to the piece. So do that. If you are confused the best advise I can give, as a professional writer myself, is never get frustrated with editors, but always approach them with kindness and patience. Simply lay out your concerns/questions in a polite manner. He may be simply confused in thinking that his journal's policy is industry standard.

"Dear...

Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry that I still have a couple questions for you, but I am uncertain why you have suggested that I remove the literature reviews. It's my understanding, which may be completely off or out-of-date, that these are standard in most academic papers of the kind I am proposing.

etc etc"

You're right. I can't get frustrated.
I'm actually very very open to changing whatever needs to be. If that will get it into their journal, then by all means: change away.

The problems I'm facing are more due to the fact that this is my first time and I'm ingrained with ideas that my professors pounded into my head over the years: Cite Everything, you have no new ideas at this stage of the game, and to use the lit review to set your article into the scope of the literature.

This editor and reviewer are challenging basically everything I was taught as "good academic writing".

I think I might've figured out why he doesn't want the lit review. The journal I'm writing to is very niched and the people who read it are well aware of the existing literature I mentioned. It is probably redundant in their eyes. Not mine, cause this basically still new, but to seasoned military people and whatnot, I'm probably pulling a 101-level course on them.

[SFOD-D]

I'm not sure what the problem is. You have been asked to remove a section of an article that is not integral to the piece. So do that. If you are confused the best advise I can give, as a professional writer myself, is never get frustrated with editors, but always approach them with kindness and patience. Simply lay out your concerns/questions in a polite manner. He may be simply confused in thinking that his journal's policy is industry standard.

"Dear...

Thank you for your feedback. I'm sorry that I still have a couple questions for you, but I am uncertain why you have suggested that I remove the literature reviews. It's my understanding, which may be completely off or out-of-date, that these are standard in most academic papers of the kind I am proposing.

etc etc"

You're right. I can't get frustrated.
I'm actually very very open to changing whatever needs to be. If that will get it into their journal, then by all means: change away.

The problems I'm facing are more due to the fact that this is my first time and I'm ingrained with ideas that my professors pounded into my head over the years: Cite Everything, you have no new ideas at this stage of the game, and to use the lit review to set your article into the scope of the literature.

This editor and reviewer are challenging basically everything I was taught as "good academic writing".

I think I might've figured out why he doesn't want the lit review. The journal I'm writing to is very niched and the people who read it are well aware of the existing literature I mentioned. It is probably redundant in their eyes. Not mine, cause this basically still new, but to seasoned military people and whatnot, I'm probably pulling a 101-level course on them.

having not seen your work, watching your posts seems as though your living the wake up call most collage grads realize once they get a job in the real world and find most of what they learned in collage was out of date, inappropriate or just not done like that. this is referred to as PCST post collage stress trauma. don't spend a lot of time contemplating this, as it will go away in a few years...