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Scholarly Communications Guide

All things related to publishing your research at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

Scholarly Publishing

What Is The Process of Publishing My Work?

Researchers collect and evaluate data and ideas to distribute to others in the scholarly community. As a researcher, publishing your work includes evaluating journals or publishers, submitting your work, undergoing peer review and editing your work, and then sharing your published work through institutional repositories, social media, or links and DOIs. 

 

On This Page:

The Research Lifecycle

 

The Research Lifecycle is the process of discovering, sharing, and preserving research.

4 Steps of the Research Lifecycle:

1. Plan

Ask questions and develop your research topic. Read, understand, and synthesize the existing literature. Find data, seek funding, and begin organizing your work. Submit plans and materials to the IRB if needed.

2. Develop

Conduct analyses, collect and clean data, and engage in active research.

3. Disseminate

Choose a method for sharing your work. Review your publishing options, such as open access, and your copyright options. Evaluate academic journals and submit your work for publication. 

4. Preserve

Allow your work to be viewed, cited, and shared for the long term through self-archiving in an institutional repository. Discuss your data management options with your team, department, and librarians.

Resources for Understanding the Research Lifecycle

Where to Publish?

Many publishers are members of trade groups or publishing organizations. Some of the best known of these groups are listed below. Use these resources to help you identify where to publish:

UTK Libraries strive to support our researchers and the open access landscape through a number of investments. Visit our Open Publishing Discounts webpage to view the current list of publishers who offer different discounts to UT researchers.

  • Cabells

    • A curated list of scholarly journals with information to help researchers decide where to publish their manuscripts. Includes acceptance rates, submission guidelines, and time to review.

    • UTK Libraries only has access to Cabells Journalytics.

  • Journal Citation Reports 

    • Using data from Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports (JCR) provides measures for ranking, evaluating, and comparing scholarly journals in science, technology, and social sciences. Includes journal impact factors.

    • Please see this FAQ for accessibility workarounds for accessing Journal Citation Reports. 

For further assistance, talk to your subject librarian.  Subject librarians can suggest references that will help you identify and evaluate publishing opportunities, such as The Directory of Small Press & Magazine Editors & Publishers and other publishing directories.

Tools for Literature Reviews

Literature Review Guides

Literature reviews involve collecting and analyzing existing literature on a topic. Review the guides and resources below for help with understanding and creating literature reviews.

Other Literature Review Resources

Genres

25 Genres for Your Scholarly Communication

  1. Blogs: Entries in an online platform where individuals or organizations regularly publish written content, typically in the form of short, informal posts
  2. Editorials: Short pieces written by experts or editors, often providing commentary on current issues or trends in a particular field.
  3. Opinion Pieces: Articles presenting personal viewpoints or interpretations on current research, trends, or controversies in a field from non-experts or experts who are not affiliated with the publication.
  4. Letters to the Editor: Brief communications published in academic journals, typically addressing or commenting on previously published research.
  5. Book Reviews: Critical evaluations of recently published books, assessing their contributions to a field and their scholarly merit.
  6. Scholarly Magazine Articles: Shorter academic or professional pieces published in scholarly or professional magazines, which are periodicals aimed at a specialized audience in a particular field of study or profession
  7. Academic Encyclopedia Articles: Comprehensive, authoritative entries written by experts on specific topics, published within academic encyclopedias. 
  8. Conference Papers: Short papers presented at academic conferences, often representing preliminary findings or work-in-progress.
  9. Research Articles: Detailed reports of original research findings, often published in academic journals. 
  10. Review Articles: Comprehensive summaries and evaluations of research on a specific topic, synthesizing findings from multiple studies.
  11. Meta-Analyses: Statistical analyses that combine results from multiple studies on a particular topic to draw broader conclusions.
  12. Systematic Reviews: Comprehensive reviews of research studies, following a systematic methodology to evaluate and summarize evidence on a specific question.
  13. Preprints: Early versions of research papers made publicly available before peer review, allowing for preliminary dissemination and feedback. E.g., Draft papers submitted to the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) site. 
  14. Data Papers: Publications focused on describing datasets, including how they were collected, processed, and their potential uses. These are sometimes published or described in peer-reviewed journals.
  15. Protocols: Detailed descriptions of research methods and procedures, often published to share methodologies with the academic community and ensure transparency. These are sometimes published in peer-reviewed journals. 
  16. Case Studies: In-depth analyses of a single case or a small number of cases, often used in fields like medicine, psychology, and business. These are sometimes published in peer-reviewed journals. 
  17. Curriculum: Lesson plans, worksheets, assignment concepts, and other material meant for presentation to students. 
  18. Book Chapters: Sections of edited volumes, where different scholars contribute chapters on various aspects of a central themes.
  19. Technical Reports: Detailed documents that report on technical or scientific research, often produced by research institutions or government agencies.
  20. White Papers: Authoritative reports that inform readers about complex issues and present an organization’s stance or recommendations.
  21. Monographs: Scholarly works focused on a single topic or a specific aspect of a topic, usually authored by a single scholar or a small group.
  22. Theses: Extensive research papers written as part of completing a master's or doctoral degree, presenting original research and findings.
  23. Dissertations: Detailed research projects written as part of a doctoral program, contributing new knowledge to a field.
  24. Books: Comprehensive works that present a thorough analysis of a subject, often including extensive research and multiple perspectives.

Attribution: This list is adapted from the course "Research Will Save Us" by Dr. Sarah E. Ryan