Writing Your Journal Article

Converting your thesis to a journal article

Publishing papers from your PhD thesis is a common starting point for academics looking to build their publication career. What is the best way to do it? Below, I describe the steps you should consider when you convert your PhD thesis into a journal article.

To begin, each journal has its own set of selection criteria. This refers to the range of works appropriate for that journal. Similarly, each journal has its own set of submission guidelines and requirements.

1. 1. Decide on your target journal/s. This will narrow down your scope and will help you craft your papers in a way that suits each journal. This step is critical in identifying the journals that will make the most sense for you either as an academic or a practitioner or both. Writing a paper first and then finding a journal may be counterproductive. Also, check which journals the “who-is-who” in your field have published in. Some authors select a high-impact journal and others select a journal depending on their field of study, readership and the journal’s orientation.
   2. Review articles/papers in your targeted journals. Read a few of the papers. Be keen on the abstract as most submissions begin with you sending an abstract. Additionally, check the framing of the title, the structure, and the tone of the writing of the papers.
   3. Study the targeted journals’ guidelines and instructions. You can create a word document with a simplified summary of the guidelines. This will also help you quickly counter-check whether your document meets all the requirements when you’re done writing.
   4. Select which content to use from your thesis. Will you focus on your objectives, theories, methodology, or findings?
   5. Categorize your papers. You will be able to decide which one will be a literature review, a technical paper, a conceptual paper, a think piece, etc. Have an idea of how many papers you can possibly adapt from your thesis. The word possible here is intentional. Many authors are sometimes misled to think they can extract so many papers from their thesis. While this may be possible, it increases the risk of losing originality and getting into self-plagiarism.
   6. Once your outlines are complete, you can embark on the first paper, targeting a particular journal.
   7. An editorial calendar will give you a sense of organization as well as help your mind remain focused and motivated.
   8. When you have finished writing the paper, it can proceed to the editorial stage. The editor will edit your paper with the targeted journal
3.  Important points to remember

• Think of this process as more of an adaptation rather than a copy-paste exercise. Remember, a journal article should be an “original” work and not a document written as a result of self-plagiarism.
  It is advisable to submit your article to only one journal at a time.