4. Colleagues' writing journeys

TWO THINGS I STRUGGLE WITH IN MY ACADEMIC WRITING

Getting enough, most relevant peer-reviewed journals online to read and review for the topic one is writing on.

Although, this issue might be particular to academics in developing countries like Nigeria. This is due to the fact that many of us do not have easy access to the sources (websites) of such journals and other related materials needed for our writing.

Most times, like many other academics in the developing African countries such as Nigeria, I make use of Google Scholar as the search engine used to source for journals needed. This is because most of the Institutions of Higher Learning where we work are not subscribing to the needed repositories of such materials. We also look for free websites and Open Access to some of such journals and other literature.

Getting necessary academic support and mentoring especially for up-coming Academics.

Sometimes, academic support such as getting someone to help in reading your draft, offering some observations and corrections are not easy to come by, as many academics are either very busy or not interested in your topic or title. This challenge makes it difficult for many in getting their academic writings e.g. Journal Articles, up to the required standard for acceptance. Related to this point is the cost of getting such academic write-ups published in reputable journals.

One of the ways we get around this difficulty is by looking for other interested academics to work with so that when more than one good head come together, a better result is often achieved, and cost of publishing are also usually shared among the authors.

MY TWO TOP TIPS FOR WRITING FOR PUBLICATION

Personally, I have positive experience writing in a team, and I prefer doing that because of the often richer outcome. However, in view of the numerous challenges confronting academics from my side of the globe, getting such opportunity is sometimes difficult. My two top tips are:

Reading widely on the chosen title and from the available materials on the Website or from the journal one intends to publish in.

With this approach, one would have already been familiar with some of the writing styles and rules of the website or journal. Besides that, one might also be able to figure out the gap in the Literature on the title /topic being written on. However, the decision to read from where one intends to publish does not and, of course, should not foreclose reading and gathering materials from other sources.

Having enough rest, preparation, determination and writing under a very conducive atmosphere.

These tips are some of my personal ways of handling my academic writing responsibilities. I have been applying these tips for many years, and they have been working for me. Having enough rest while I take time to ruminate over my topic/title, helps to prepare my cognitive factor, my mind and myself in readiness for the writing task. In terms of preparation, I also ensure as much as possible, I read wide enough and gather enough materials for the task before commencing writing. Conducive atmosphere may be relative to individual writer. For me, I prefer to write in any atmosphere that is very quiet and comfortable. Most times I write in my personal library, my personal office in my School, or in the private section of the School library.

MY EXPERIENCES OF OTHER FORMS OF WRITING THAT BENEFIT YOUR ACADEMIC WRITING

I am really not a social media person, although, I signed in on some of the social media platforms and I do go on them sometimes. However, in terms of how the social media or other forms of writing have benefited my academic writing, I can say that, I read a lot of related Blogs from Bloggers who write on my area of interest and such readings have help at one time or the other. I also do a lot of diary writing. Most times, Ideas are even jotted in diaries so as to keep them in mind till when they will be used.

Struggles in academic witing

In general I have no problems in academic writing, but:

1. To start (the first lines) and finish (conclusions) is always hard;
2. Organise the text based on journal standards/guidelines, once each journal has its own rules. To handle the first struggle I try to use a definition or a citation to start the writing, and for conclusions I summarize the whole text (although my unhappiness with the task). Regarding the standards/guidelines, there's nothing that helps me to overcome this assignment, I just do it.

Top tips for writing for publication

1. I think is important to have someone that can read what you are writing. It can be a colleague, or an academic friend, even someone from another field, it doesn't matter.
2. It is crucial to get organised before you start writing. Read what must be read to start, sources must be systematized and no matter what, make a text skeleton before beginning. It's normal to change something, discover books or articles that need to be read but it is fundamental to know the path.

Other forms of writing

My research group has an Instagram page where I and my students try to write about women's history to the general public. To write outside academia rules helps me to be more objective and clear. In my opinion it's mandatory that my academic writing can be understood by all people, no matter who.

Struggles

Time is one struggle. My job has many teaching, laboratory and supervisory duties therefore i have to squeeze in writing after hours, during vacations or lockdowns like now. I noticed my highest output has been during the 2 lockdown periods. This validates to me the time issue.

The second struggle would be access to all or most publications. Even though our university subscribes to many journals there are always problems accessing papers. Problems such as server problems, off campus access to the library, the university website is often down, electricity or internet cuts. To get around this i email my international colleagues/contacts specific paper titles and they download for me using the university accounts. Hope its legal :-)

Top Tip

Find a hardworking multidisciplinary team. The members of this team must have good track records of obtaining grants. The more the experience the better. For writing manuscripts again it is useful to be in a multidisciplinary team. Long back i used to do my own data analysis for example. But i noticed that if you can find a good statistician they can really strengthen the analysis. You can still check the analysis but largely you will interpret and fill the content of the paper.

Other Writing

For contemporary writing: I have briefly written for newsletters for our profession and for the faculty namely The Nutritionist' and 'The Scientist' respectively. The skills are totally different from writing for journals. I’m still learning and would appreciate more guidance but i noticed you have to use less technical and less scientific language. More illustrations and shorter communications captivate the audience more.

Struggles

One of the most difficult aspects of writing is to get started. I always have the ideas but when I sit down to write I am always overwhelmed by the journey ahead, thinking of that 'perfect' product I have to produce. I invariably become stressed and then don't write anything down at all. The one way I overcome this is trying to write down my idea as if I am having a normal conversation. I imagine I am simply telling my colleague/friend/family member about the paper (in 'normal' English, not academic and sans all references) and I then record that 'conversation'. The academic writing style is applied later, but this way I at least get the core of the content down.

I struggle with the expectation that I must write and publish. Because I must publish I put so much pressure on myself to find topics, get data, etc., that I end up not writing anything. Nowadays I have a folder where I jot down any idea that springs to mind. Within that folder I have sub-folders for each article idea. When I read an interesting article that could be useful I drop it into that folder. When I come across any data that would be of help I do the same. When I have a good thought on a particular topic I write it down on a rough article outline that I place within each subfolder. Not every idea becomes an article but this way I already have a good start when I eventually sit down to write the final articles. And if a topic does not become a peer reviewed article I at least always have great topics to give to my students for when they are starting out to learn how to research!

Top Tips

We have all been rejected at some point or other, but often the rejection is accompanied by reasons as to why your application was not successful. I find that this feedback is so important! I always use it to improve what I have written and try to apply this feedback to all my writing (and applications), not only the application that was rejected.

I like to write in a team. It depends on the topic but some topics lend themselves well to collaboration. Every person contributes something to the article, meaning that ultimately I don't have to write the whole thing. It is important, however, to still read the entire article. You don't want to put your name down on something that you have not read in its entirety.

Other Writing

I manage the website for the project I started under as a student, as well as two websites of associations I am a member of. Through this role I often write blog posts for those websites, most with a research topic. The more informal style, and the fact that the audience is mostly non-academic, has helped me in formulating my research in a more approachable and general-audience manner.

Struggles

1. English is not my first language and I am often struggling to find the right words and I think I need to explain more than perhaps necessary because of that. Having a colleague proofreading my work and making suggestions on how to rephrase and bring content more to the point is often very beneficial.
2. I am often struggling with time management. Like many of us, I have a busy and demanding academic job juggling teaching, administration and research and there are always urgent issues that need immediate attention. That deadline for an article often seems far away and I do not prioritise writing – until the deadline is looming, and then it gets stressful. In addition, my academic writing is often undertaken at home where I am distracted by the demands of a busy family life, in particular my duties as a carer. I feel this is perhaps something women struggle more with than men? I am trying to change my habits, prioritising time for writing in a quiet ‘room of my own’.

Top Tips

• keep on top of references and notes so that you have data and citations at hand when you want to integrate them into your text.
• write collaboratively. I came relatively late to this but found co-authorship highly beneficial and successful

Other Writing

During the Covid-pandemic I got into using Twitter as a professional social media platform and it has dramatically broadened my academic and professional network. The writing has to be short and succinct and you can incorporate images, links and other media. You can tweet about things you are working on, comment on conferences and work you are reading and ask for feedback and views. I often found the replies (e.g. further reading, projects, introductions to other people) very helpful and made instant contact with experts who I had been trying to reach through other channels for a long time.

Introduction

Like the stage fright in drama and public speaking, the huge mountain posed by the blank page and pen makes the art of writing a tedious task and frustrating for the beginners. Nevertheless, once the blank page is surmounted, writing becomes a walk in the park. Writing has become a hobby for some of us whose paths were discovered through self-discovery. Writing makes the world an interesting place to be, a funny world to describe, and an odd world imagery gives the privilege to mirror. Writing offers innuendoes to say many things in few words. Writing manifests in form of satires and deployes satiric barbs to those whose pangs are meant for. Writing is way of life. Writing is a career in many climes. Writing is confronted with many obstacles. The psychological disposition is one of the serious factors that impedes the art of writing in Nigeria – many issues of life contend with many writers. The socio-economic conditions make things worse, if not absolutely frustrating, because many writers are not rewarded for their delivered intellectual property. No thanks to the acvtivities of book pirates. Nevertheless, writing is a gift that must be bequeathed to generation next. Writing cannot be killed by human afflictions. Writing is a key that opens many doors!

WRITING WITHIN THE ACADEMIA: OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WRITING IN THE CONTEMPORARY ACADEMIC SPACE

Without mincing words, writing within the academia is a different ball game compared to writing fictions and other non-fictions. This can be attributed to factors that militate against exceptional academic writing that lasts longer on the shelf, rather than the once read and thrashed. Significantly, the following are among the culprits that hinder effective and efficient academic writings. These are:

• academic demands: There are many academics that are saddled with responsibility of delivering their jobs descriptions, especially lecturing of courses and related roles within and beyond their academic arena. Yet, the onus is on them to write papers for promotion or other similar usefulness. Most academic will definitely write based on conditions attached rather than write based on interest. Writing flourishes mostly when one writes based on personal interest and passion for writing, regardless of the purpose that demands it. Writing should not be forced, nor a compulsion. It does not taste sweet.
• stress Management and Inadequate Facilities in Developing Nations: The stress-level of many academics in developing nations like ours calls for a total rethink on the approach of the academics to writing for publication. Most things taken for granted in advanced nations are luxury in developing nations, especially the facilities and conducive environment for writing. Sadly, in this part of the world, human and technical noise are daily bedmates and hinder reflective, sober mood and regurgitation of ideas that could shape the outline of a given writing task.
• deadlines: Like the unwanted guest, deadline is one of the obstacles that lives in the consciousness of the writers, regardless of being academic or not. Deadlines do come like a breaking news – unannounced, until its arrival with the new writing topic(s). Had it been there are stable and consistent academic writing calendars, little could deadlines pose a fearful factor and ugly countenance in the mind of the writers.

Top Tips

[…]

• WHERE I WRITE: I write mostly in my living room with television on or the radio blazing at its lowest volume. The lyrics of music provides insights on similar or related topic. Besides, I write in the draft of my email before I put finishing touches to it later. Where I write does not determine my level of inspiration.
• HOW I WRITE: I write in a way that is appealing and attractive. It is not enough to focus on an an interesting topic to write on. The readers must have value for their time and be rewarded with writing style that makes use of literary terms and figures of speech that paint and create mental picture in the reader. I hate boring stories too. Everybody deserves respect. I respect the readers in my writing. Their encouragement keeps me going.
• WHEN I WRITE: I write mostly in the night. The night is the most appealing to me because of the calmness and serenity that follows the busy nature of the day. It is the most suitable time for me to write because it affords me the opportunity to be fresh when I wake up. It is the ideal moment for me to write. Most of the time, what moves me to write is provoked by myriads of unpleasant development in the society: human angle stories, obnoxious government policies, avoidable situations that become inevitable, etc.

*MAKE TIME FOR WRITING: To create time for writing entails the following:

• know your work schedules
• know your self
• create a mental picture around the topic or issue to write about
• make sure you complete the writing in your mind before you start
• be conscious of the deadline
• beat the deadline by adjusting the deadline closer than the given deadline
• begin to write
• avoid the following errors:
1. error of Grammar (subjects and verb agreement)
2. error of Logic (Poor generalisation)
3. error of Rhetorics (Avoid repetitions, it wastes space)
4. error of Facts (this could lead to defamation and related offences)
• avoid plagiarism like a plague
• check your choice of words/dictions/tones/mood; they could be poison or catalyst
• give credits to the various authors cited
• proof read again and again. No one is perfect
• give your stories/writing to a colleague to proof-read. You can’t see all your errors
• listen to your heart when it is time to stop on a striking note
• submit in good faith

*I WRITE COMPLETELY ALONE: Because I got inspired alone. Besides being alone, radio or television is the next partner I love to have around me when it comes to writng. Human presence is a distraction. Sometimes, I surf the net by checking my social media platform to distract myself. The mind needs to wander sometimes.

*STRATEGIES TO GET GOING AND KEEP GOING: Plato once said that the beginning of every thing is the most important, for that is where the CHARACTER is formed. Thus,

• ensure you pick a topic that interests you, even for journal publications
• understand why you pick interest in the topic: what you have to say
• sustain interest in the topic by researching it to come up with the unique selling proposition on it. That’s, what is new about it
• relax when your body calls for a break. Take a walk
• return to the writing with different perspectives or approach
• start a discussion on the topic/share on social media through a question approach
• plan the total number of pages to write on or required
• arrange your points in an anti-climax (from the strongest to lowest)
• know the meaning and importance of transition verbs/adverbial linkers
• write to communicate, not to impress
• never forget: each writing is a learning on its own).

*GENERIC ADVICE ON STRUCTURING CONTENT: The art of structuring in the context of writing cannot go out of fashion. It is like a compass and guide for writers. Without proper structuring, writing is likely to fail even before it takes-off. As a result, it is important to say that it is ideal for young and professional writers to learn and re-learn the art of structuring. It is advisable that it is a must to:

• check the key words in the topic or subject to write on. Know their meanings first
• focus on the key words as premise(s) for the stories or publication for academics
• know your page limitation as required
• chapterise your book publication
• do you think preface/prologue/epilogue, etc are ideal for your writing?
• know the elements that could aid the sub-topics of your journal article
• understand the place of photographs or images in writing
• determine if comparative approach or analytical context will add value to your writing
• consider the type of audience you are writing for
• you can start from historical to contemporary and future projection in the structuring
• can quotation usage precede each of the chapter or sub-topics in your writing?
• never forget to acknowledge authors cited in your story or book publication

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