I have had some success with academic writing. Yet, even after publishing in journals like the Teachers College Record, I still find myself running into moments of doubt about my voice, the purpose of my writing, and how to make my work have the impact it deserves. I offer this commentary to you - the academic writer (at any career stage) - and…

Writing and publishing are critical components of an academic career. For many years however, my idealized notions of scholarly writing were demolished by painful and traumatic attempts to publish. The significant time and effort poured into crafting an academic article yielded desk rejection after desk rejection, at times unkind and unhelpful…

The publish or perish aphorism declares publishing a condition for survival in academe. It resonates with the imperatives of neoliberalism that privilege individual success, entrepreneurship, prestige, promotion (self- and institutional) and monetary gain. In this article, I contribute to the vast debates about this aphorism by arguing that its…

Publication pressure has been touted to promote questionable research practices (QRP) and scientific or research misconduct (RM). However, logically attractively as it is, there is no unequivocal evidence for this notion, and empirical studies have produced conflicting results. Other than difficulties in obtaining unbiased empirical data, a direct…

After years of working in academia, publishing articles, and being disheartened, David Waller came up with ten ways to help boost one's research profile. These strategies for academics are divided into two groups: (1) making the right choices; and (2) making the right connections. Waller concludes that it is important to remember that an…

Academic writing is a critical activity through which scholars establish their stature in the field with ensuing academic successes. These "successes" rely on conventions that determine what questions are important to ask, what is the most rigorous methodology to employ, what constitutes "good" quality writing, and who is our…

My initial attempt at a first-authored paper was quite the adventure. I was in the midst of dissertation data collection and my early focus was on the intersection of secular spirituality and music. Someone I had met at a conference forwarded me a CFP for spirituality and music in a religious journal, and I thought it sounded like a good fit. I…

This article discusses the role of university academics as researchers. In present-day society which touts instant gratification, the primary role of a university is being undermined. In Malaysia, academics no longer teach and research as they please but are 'guided' by government agencies and influenced by the priorities of funding agencies. One…

The pressure to publish or perish or, more recently, to be visible or vanish, marginalises a culture of critical reading and reflection that has historically been the province of book reviews. Today, book reviews are roundly rejected by academic bureaucrats as unimportant, easy to write and hence, easy to get published, mere summaries, uncritical…

In recent times "publish or perish" has become the motto of academia. This paper provides some basic insights into the process of publishing, the view from the perspective of the editor of the journal and gives helpful hints to improve the odds of getting published in the right journal and communicating with the right audience. The need…

A major challenge for higher education academics is to research and publish when faced with substantial teaching responsibilities, higher student numbers, and higher output expectations. The focus of this piece is to encourage publication more generally by educators, and to build publication capacity, which academic developers can facilitate. The…

The social and economic inequities in America's K-12 education system are well known, what with a rapidly expanding system of expensive private schools and the striking contrasts between urban and suburban public schools. America's higher education system, on the other hand, is generally regarded as far more equitable, given that each of the fifty…

A very high proportion of librarians are neither required to publish nor rewarded if they do. The would-be librarian/writer would be well advised to take a brief self-examination before developing a research and publication plan. The author provides a list of questions to consider and also suggests consultation with a colleague with greater…

The expansion and transformation of Malaysian universities have generated major changes in the nature of academic employment and the structure of academic promotion in higher education institutions. These changes have considerable implications, in particular for the policy and practice of academic promotion in the public universities. We argue…

This autobiographical account relates the journey of becoming a critical teacher researcher.. Through critical refection and analysis, the cultural, historical, and social contexts of research, teaching, and technology use are described as lived experience. Rich narrative accounts exemplify personal and professional experiences before and during…