DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2010.00918.x
Editorial Writing for publication: ensuring you find the right audience for your paper Abstract Often overlooked by prospective authors, one of the keys to successful writing projects is to find the right audience for your writing. Early in the writing process you should identify where you wish to publish. Publications have preferred styles of presentation and, crucially, defined remits so once you’ve identified the place of publication, it should determine how to write and structure your piece. Selecting the right place for your writing can also save you from wasting valuable time in submitting and then having your writing rejected because it didn’t meet a publication’s requirements. The revised and updated aims and scope of the Health Information and Libraries Journal are presented. In 2008, Bradley published an exploration of the early career writing and presenting experiences of delegates attending the 2006 Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) New Librarians’ Symposium. She reported that ninety-seven percent of respondents indicated that they would like to develop research, writing and presenting skills and had an intention to write for journals, newsletters and peer-review publications.1 Factors motivating individuals to write were difficult to define though barriers such as lack of time, skills and responsibilities outside work were identified. Elsewhere, a lack of confidence, momentum and motivation and the absence of a support system to encourage, develop and support writing activity have also been reported as barriers to publication.2 When setting out to write for publication, whether newly qualified or simply new to writing for publication, there are many things to consider and, increasingly, many writing interventions to assist you in this process, be it in the form of writing courses,2,3 writing retreats and groups,2,4,5
‘‘how to write’’ books6,7 or newsletters about writing.8 Notwithstanding, the key to all successful writing projects is to find and take account of the audience for your writing. Whilst this may sound apparent, when first embarking on a writing project this essential element is often overlooked in the author ⁄ s enthusiasm about their project rather than a consideration of where the project could be published or what message a reader could potentially take away. When writing for publication, whether it is a peer-reviewed journal paper or a meeting report in a newsletter, identifying the place you wish to publish should occur relatively early in the writing process. Why decide so early? Despite first appearance, publications have preferred styles of presentation and, crucially, defined remits so, once you’ve identified the place of publication, it should determine how to write and structure your piece. Selecting the right place for your writing can also save you from wasting valuable time in submitting and then having your writing rejected because it didn’t meet a publication’s requirements. At the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ)9 we have been working with HILJ editorial advisory board10 and the Health Libraries Group (HLG),11 for whom HILJ is the official journal, to refine and update the journal’s aims and scope. Rest assured it is not a radical departure from previous statements of intent, but hopefully will assist prospective authors in being confident that they have found the right place for their writing. The new aims and scope are published on the HILJ web site,12 on the back inside cover of every issue of HILJ and, for your convenience, here: Health Information and Libraries Journal is a European journal of international and interdisciplinary interest to practitioners, researchers and students in the information, library and healthcare sectors.
ª 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal ª 2010 Health Libraries Group Health Information and Libraries Journal, 27, pp.259–261
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Its objectives include promoting debate about new health information developments with an emphasis on communicating evidence-based information both in the management and support of healthcare services. The Editor welcomes original health information articles on current practice, research projects or the development of new resources or services. Review articles are also welcome. Health Information and Libraries Journal is the official journal of the Health Libraries Group of the UK Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The scope of the journal encompasses (but is not restricted to): d
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Educating and training health library and information workers Identifying health information needs and use Information technology and its applications in healthcare settings Managing health information programmes and services in the changing environment Outreach to healthcare providers as users of health information services
If you are still in any doubt about whether your writing fits within the scope of HILJ you are welcome to contact either myself as Editor,13 or Anthea Sutton as Review Editor,14 to discuss the possible submission of an article. If you can send a structured abstract to enable us to make a more informed decision of it’s likely fit so much the better. Alternatively, for something less formal, contact Elise Collins, HLG Newsletter Editor.15 Papers that have fallen within the HILJ remit are published in this issue. They include a case study of an impact assessment of a health promotion and commissioning service;16 an information needs analysis of staff within a gerontological care centre in mid-west Ireland;17 the development of information retrieval and application by students in China;18 Internet health literacy of HIV-positive people;19 a questionnaire survey of health care librarians in the facilitation of critical appraisal skills development;20 the utility of question-answering systems for terminological information;21 and the potential benefit of including the German database ‘‘Current
Contents Medizin’’ (CCMed) when producing systematic reviews.22 Having updated the aims and scope of HILJ our attention now turns to the author guidelines. If you have any constructive comments on the guidelines, particularly if you’ve used them recently to guide a submission to HILJ, I’d be interested in hearing from you. Please mark your email ‘‘HILJ: Author Guidelines’’. Thank you. Maria J. Grant Editor Health Information and Libraries Journal E-mail:
[email protected] References 1 Bradley, F. Writing for the profession: the experience of new professionals. Library Management 2008, 29, 729–745. 2 McGrail, M. R., Rickard, C. M. & Jones, R. Publish or perish: a systematic review of interventions to increase academic publication rates. Higher Education Research & Development 2006, 25, 19–35. 3 Murray, R. & Newton, M. Facilitating writing for publication. Physiotherapy 2008, 94, 29–34. 4 Murray, R. & Moore, S. The handbook of academic writing: a fresh approach. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2006. 5 Grant, M. J., Munro, W., McIsaac, J. & Hill, S. Crossdisciplinary writers’ group stimulates fresh approaches to scholarly communication: a reflective case study within a higher education institution in the north west of England. New Review of Academic Librarianship 2010, 16, 1–21. 6 Singer Gordon, R. The librarian’s guide to writing for publication. Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2004. 7 Belcher, W. L. Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: a guide to academic publishing success. London: Sage Publications Ltd, 2009. 8 Belcher, W. (2010, September 13th) Flourish: a free electronic newsletter for scholarly writers. URL: http:// www.wendybelcher.com/pages/FlourishNewsletter.html 9 Health Information and Libraries Journal (2010, September 13th) Health Information and Libraries Journal. URL: HILJ http://bit.ly/9RMH6S 10 Health Information and Libraries Journal (2010, September 13th) Editorial Advisory Board. URL: http://bit.ly/b0ZUiO 11 Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (2010, September 13th) Health Libraries. URL: http://bit.ly/ 91zzzj 12 Health Information and Libraries Journal (2010, September 13th) Aims and scope. URL: http://bit.ly/9X5Up5 13 Maria J. Grant. Editor, Health Information and Libraies Journal. Email:
[email protected] 14 Anthea Sutton. Review Editor, Health Information and Libraries Journal. Email: a.sutton@sheffield.ac.uk
ª 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal ª 2010 Health Libraries Group Health Information and Libraries Journal, 27, pp.259–261
Editorial 15 Elise Collins. Editor, Health Libraries Group Newsletter. Email:
[email protected] 16 Urquhart, C., Thomas, R., Ovens, J., Lucking, W. & Villa, J. Planning changes to health library services on the basis of impact assessment. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 277–285. 17 Callinan, J., McLoughlin, K. & McCarthy, P. Analysis of Library-associated information needs of staff in a specialist palliative and gerontological care centre in Mid-West Ireland. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 286–294. 18 Clark, A. & Li, H. Teaching medical information retrieval and application courses in Chinese universities: a case study. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 316–322. 19 Robinson, C. & Graham, J. Perceived Internet health literacy of HIV-positive people through the provision of a
computer and Internet health education intervention. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 295–303. 20 Maden-Jenkins, M. Healthcare librarians and the delivery of critical appraisal training: attitudes, level of involvement and support. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 304–315. 21 Gutierrez-Artacho, J. & Olvera-Lobo, M. Questionanswering systems as efficient sources of terminological information. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 268–276. 22 Waffenschmidt, S., Hausner, E. & Kaiser, T. An evaluation of searching the German CCMed database for the production of systematic reviews. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2010, 27, 262–267.
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