You will experience an exciting sense of accomplishment as you progress within your discipline’s scholarship when you publish your work. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals not only increases your reputation within your field but also helps disseminate new and sometimes groundbreaking scholarly and technological developments. Your advisor may act as a sponsor for an article you wish to publish, depending on the discipline. There is also the potential to co-author or co-publish research with other graduate students. In other scenarios, you may be submitting solo on behalf of your own research.

Note: Most academic journals ask that you only submit your work to one journal at a time. Submitting to more than one may create a conflict if both journals were to accept your paper.

The world of academic publishing is rapidly changing. Today, an ever-growing number of journals are being published, as are many Open Access publishers. As a graduate student, where you decide to publish is an important consideration. To choose the right publication outlet for your article, and increase the likelihood of your article being published, take the time to research. Here are a few quick tips:

• Keep up with the most recent academic research in your field
• Consult a professor or your advisor for advice on publishing
• Read previous issues of the journal you want to publish your work in to become familiar with its goals and scope
• Familiarize yourself with the journal’s submission guidelines as well as formatting specifications

Frequently, organizations or publishers will issue “Calls for Papers” or “Calls for Proposals” on a given topic for an upcoming conference or for a special issue of a journal publication.

For graduate students, participating in conferences can be beneficial in a number of ways, including networking opportunities, presenting research, and learning about exciting new ideas as they pertain to your field. While you may be nervous to present at your first conference, it could lead to the publication of your work.

The following video [55:19] from UNLV Graduate College provides an overview of publishing for graduate students: