Turning a Paper into an Article
Many of your courses in graduate school will require you to write a paper. Some (even many) of these papers may be good candidates for further development, with the eventual goal of submitting them to an academic journal. How do you embark on this journey from paper to article?
First, buy or borrow a copy of Wendy Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. It’s a great book that provides a sensible structure for turning an existing paper into a journal article.
Second, consult this checklist—based in part on Belcher’s work and on my own experience as a political theorist—that covers the various stages and outcomes of the journal submission process. Note: these are only guidelines. Everybody’s experience is different.
Prior to submission
Sharing: share your paper with others by circulating it to trusted colleagues, presenting it at conferences and workshops, etc.
Revision: revise your paper in response to this feedback
Scouting: determine which journals might be good “fits” for your paper by doing some research yourself and asking colleagues and mentors
Targeting: choose which journal among the good “fits” to target first (absent major constraints, target the best journal in this list)
Models: find some successful papers in your area that the journal has published and consider how they frame their question/puzzle, how their argument unfolds, how they deal with objections, etc.
Style: review the journal’s formatting, style guidelines, and word limits
Revision: revise your paper again in response to what you’ve gleaned from both the model articles and the journal’s guidelines
Abstract: write an abstract for your paper, keeping in mind the journal’s word limits
Submission and After
Submit: submit your paper via the journal’s submission system and wait for a response
If you get an unconditional acceptance
Celebrate: this is extremely rare!
Revise: make any changes that are important to you, make changes in response to copyeditor suggestions
Resubmit: send the revised version to the journal
Copyediting: respond promptly to any queries and suggested edits from the copyeditor
Note: your article will generally not be returned to reviewers.
If you get a conditional acceptance
Celebrate: this is also rare!
Revise: make changes in response to reviewer feedback, along with any changes you want to make
Write revision memo: write a revision memo, outlining the changes you’ve made and/or offering good reasons for resisting suggested changes
Resubmit: send the revised version to the journal
Copyediting: respond promptly to any queries and suggested edits from the copyeditor
Note: your article will generally not be returned to reviewers
If you get a revise and resubmit with minor changes
Review: review the reader’s reports and the editor’s letter; determine which changes you should make and which you want to resist
Revise: make changes in response to reviewer feedback, along with any changes you want to make
Write revision memo: write a revision memo, outlining the changes you’ve made and/or offering good reasons for resisting suggested changes
Resubmit: send the revised version to the journal
Revise again: revise again in response to any remaining comments from the editor and/or reviewers
Copyediting: respond promptly to any queries and suggested edits from the copyeditor
Note: your article will likely be returned to at least some of the reviewers (generally the ones who raised the most challenging concerns and questions)
If you get a revise and resubmit with major changes
Review: review the reader’s reports and the editor’s letter; determine which changes you should make and which you want to resist
Strategize: determine whether the major changes required are ones you want to make or whether you think it is better to submit the paper to another journal
If you decide to revise…
Revise: make changes in response to reviewer feedback, along with any changes you want to make
Write revision memo: write a revision memo, outlining the changes you’ve made and/or offering good reasons for resisting suggested changes
Resubmit: send the revised version to the journal
If the journal is happy with the revised version…
Revise again: revise again in response to any remaining comments from the editor and/or reviewers
Copyediting: respond promptly to any queries and suggested edits from the copyeditor
Note: your article will likely be returned to at least some (if not all) of the reviewers, especially the ones with serious concerns and questions. It may also go to a new reviewer or two.
If you get a reject and resubmit
Review: review the reader’s reports and the editor’s letter; determine which changes you should make and which you want to resist
Strategize: determine whether the major changes required are ones you want to make (especially knowing that the paper would be considered as a new submission and might go to different reviewers) or whether you think it is better to submit the paper to another journal
If you decide to revise…
Revise: make changes in response to reviewer feedback, along with any changes you want to make
Write revision memo: write a revision memo, outlining the changes you’ve made and/or offering good reasons for resisting suggested changes
Resubmit: send the revised version to the journal
If the journal is happy with the revised version…
Revise again: revise again in response to any remaining comments from the editor and/or reviewers
Copyediting: respond promptly to any queries and suggested edits from the copyeditor
Note: your paper will likely be sent to different reviewers
If you get a rejection
Review: review any feedback from the editor and/or reviewers (if it went out for review)
Consult: reach out to mentors, committee members, and trusted friends. See what they think about the feedback you received and the changes you ought to make.
Revise: make changes in response to feedback
Submit: send the paper to another journal