4th Year Workshop

Publishing

Ian McCarthy, Emory University

Economics PhD Professionalism Workshop

Publishing

The publication process, particularly in economics, is crazy. We’ll go over some basics in these slides.

The Steps

A successful publication journey looks something like…

  1. Do all the work.
  2. Submit
  3. Editor review
  4. Referee review
  5. Comments to author for revise and resubmit
  6. Review again
  7. Conditionally accept (minor typos etc.)
  8. Accept

If only life were this simple!

Step 2: Submit

  • Formatting: Look at the journal’s formatting guidelines
  • Adopt where it is easy to do so
  • Pay attention to page/word limits
  • Don’t worry about very specific formatting (save it for publication)
  • Include all required elements (disclosure statements, etc.)

Step 3: Editor review

  • After quick review for basics, paper goes to an editor
  • May sit at editor’s desk for several weeks
  • Be patient and vow to not do that once you are an editor!
  • Editor can reject unilaterally without reviews (desk rejection)

Step 4: Referee review

If you “made it past the desk”, then it goes to peer review

  • May sit at reviewers’ desks for many months
  • Remember this feeling and vow to not do that once you are a reviewer!
  • Do not check the status of your paper constantly

Nothing good can come from this.