Open handbook for new scholars now available

A new open access handbook focused on scholarly research and publishing is now available. Surviving Research Publication: A guide for new scholars was developed by the University Library (Megan O’Donnell, Abbey Elder, Kate Garretson) and Graduate College (Lily Compton and Kristin Terrill) to help graduate students and early career researchers navigate the systems, policies, and social norms  of scholarly publishing. 

Authors in all stages of their publishing journey can make use of the handbook. Part I: Basics introduces students to essential skills and information needed to succeed as they start their scholarly publishing journey. Part II: Ethics, answers tricky questions related to research integrity, copyright, authorship, and plagiarism. Part III: Technology covers word processing applications and how to format text, figures, and tables to meet publishing and digital accessibility requirements. Topics are covered in a practical manner, and each chapter includes learning objectives and a focused resource list for further exploration.

Instructors and major professors are encouraged to review the handbook and incorporate it into courses or research mentoring conversations on topics such as authorship, literature reviews, research metrics, manuscript formatting, and scholarly publishing. Academic advisors and faculty will find the handbook a convenient and comprehensive resource for supporting student success.

Production of the handbook was funded by Iowa State University’s Jumpstart Initiative Part II and was published by the Iowa State Digital Press.

Questions can be directed to the editors: Megan O’Donnell (mno@iastate.edu), Lily Compton (lcompton@iastate.edu), and Kristin Terrill (kterrill@iastate.edu).