Tag Archives: citations

Saving words – check your citations

It’s amazing how much citations can add to your word count. Before you know it, you’ve amassed a few hundred words just filling in brackets. Of course you need citations. You can’t just leave them out. You can’t just assert. … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

finding debates and discussions in the literature

Working with literatures? One of the things you’re advised to do by people like me is to identify debates and discussions. That’s because you are very likely to want to contribute to a discussion. And to do this you will … Continue reading

Posted in citations, debates in the field, literature mapping, literature review, literature reviews, literature themes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

citation blues #1-#4

Blues  – African-American musical form dealing with sorrows, trials and tribulations Blue –  Australian slang for making a mistake. As in “I made a blue”  So its possible, (particularly if you are Australian), to have the blues about making a blue. A … Continue reading

Posted in citations, reference | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

making your writing authoritative – a citation revision strategy

Readers expect academic writers to know what they are talking about. We meet that expectation by grounding our writing in good scholarship – and making it sound authoritative. Authoritative. You can see the words author and authority contained within authoritative … Continue reading

Posted in authority in writing, citation, citations, laundry list, revision, revision strategy | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

editing your writing – lessons from chefs?

You can pick up helpful ideas from the most unlikely places. Like cooking shows. Yes I watch cooking shows, it’s one of my guilty pleasures. I’m sure I’m not the only one, given their popularity. Sometimes they offer more than … Continue reading

Posted in citations, editing, revision, revision strategy | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

writing a journal article – how many references?

I’ve been asked about how many references go in the literature section of a journal article. A supervisor had offered a view – one reference per sentence is best, perhaps two. But, the person asking me said, they had seen papers … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, citation, citations, journal article, literature review | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

for the reader – citations, reference lists, tables of contents and indexes

Most of us understand that citation is about locating our work in the field. We cite to show that we understand the field, that we know who counts and we understand what previous studies are important. We cite to show … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, citation, footnote, index, reference, reference list | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

bibliography v. reference list … just semantics?

So here’s the thing. What’s the difference between a bibliography and a reference list? I was always taught there was an important difference between a bibliography and a reference list. The reference list is the stuff you actually cite in … Continue reading

Posted in bibliography, citations, reference list | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

writing a highly cited paper – a sceptical view

I’ve been somewhat irritated recently, as I’m sure most academics have been, by the increasing interest that our universities have in citations. Citations count in league tables.  We – academics – are increasingly told that we must focus more on … Continue reading

Posted in citation, metrics, Stephen Ball | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

what’s at stake for an early career researcher in going for publication in a top ranked journal ?

I often get asked in workshops whether early career researchers should aim to get into a top journal. I want to give the first two parts of my answer in this post. My first response – WHO IS SAYING THIS … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, emotional labour, journal, online publishing, peer review, publishing, rejection, scholarly identity, top ranked journal | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments