can you get a phd just by publishing

A PhD by publication or how I got my doctorate and kept my sanity

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Doing a PhD is a difficult business. Long hours, personal stress, institutional pressure to complete on time – and all this for what?

Increasingly a PhD alone does not guarantee an academic career. We are expected to publish, teach and contribute to professional development. Oh and did I mention you have to publish, publish, publish?

However there is a way to publish and do a PhD - hopefully without perishing.

I recently completed my PhD by publication, which for me was a way of getting a doctorate while keeping my sanity.

What is a PhD by publication?

A PhD by Publication is just what it sounds like, instead of producing one large monograph, you produce a series of articles to be published in peer reviewed journals or as book chapters.

The normal format is four to five research papers bookended by a substantial introductory chapter and a concluding chapter. The thesis must still read as a cohesive whole and therefore despite the articles being stand alone pieces, they must also relate to each other.

The aim is that when they are read together they become more than just the sum of their parts.

It is a relatively new concept within the social sciences and humanities but has been around for a while in the hard sciences here in Australia. It is much more common in European Universities where it is often the standard approach for doctoral studies.

The advantages

There are many advantages to doing a PhD this way. One of the more self-evident ones is that it allows you to publish and finish a PhD – academically hitting two birds with one stone.

There are many pressures of doing a PhD that are taken away from publishing. PhD by publication focused my writing on achieving output and helped to avoid the trap of always pushing the publications to the side.

A PhD by publication also helps you to develop practical skills. Through my own process, I learnt how to write to journal editors, deal with rejection and pitch articles – all skills that are important for professional academic life.

This method also divides the PhD up into more manageable chunks – sometimes the hardest thing about a PhD is the enormity of the task it presents. But dividing it up into five discrete papers allowed me to see a way ahead making the PhD seem more achievable.

Last but not least, you can get both expert feedback and it can provide that “tick” factor. PhD students were usually high achieving undergraduate students used to receiving recognition and reward for their work. Entering the land of doctoral studies, you don’t get the pay off from your work until the end of many years and lack of recognition can be deeply un-motivating.

But each time something is published is a chance to celebrate and take a deep breath before moving on to the next portion.

The expert feedback you get during this process is also very helpful even it’s not always pleasant (see below). By the time your PhD goes to examiners it has already gone through a rigorous peer review process.

In times of PhD panic, it was comforting to think that my work can’t be that bad if someone had already agreed to publish it.

The disadvantages

Of course, though, there are some disadvantages to electing to do a PhD in this way.

Chief among them is the pressure to start publishing immediately. Publishing is hardly a quick process; it can sometimes take up to two years from submission to a journal long periods of fieldwork may not be compatible.

Therefore candidates taking this route need to start straight away. Aim to have your first paper finished within the first 6 months.

It’s also worth recognising that this is not a format for the faint hearted. Rejections from journals can be brutal. You need to be prepared to take this on the chin and send it out again.

That said, this is a skill you need to develop for academia. Being exposed to it early helped me develop a thick skin and be humble about my work.

With the benefit of feedback, there’s also the downside of extra work. You may often need to rewrite work for journal editors.

After all, editors have their own agenda and interests and in some respect you are writing for them and not for you. However this taught me to stand my ground with editors and defend things I wished to keep as well as framing things for different audiences.

Another thing to be wary of when considering a PhD by publication is that you need to understand that it’s not a professional Doctorate. A Professional Doctorate recognises contribution to a profession and usually doesn’t include the same level of original contribution or indeed a thesis.

PhD by publication is still examined to the same standards as a traditional PhD. However countering this assumption that it is not a “real” PhD is sometimes hard.

Finally, because you’re likely to be treading new ground in your institution, there’s not always a clear path before you.

I did my PhD in a department which was still sorting out its policy towards this format. As a consequence I needed the strong support of your supervisor and head of department to make this work (which I was lucky enough to have). You shouldn’t expect a clear set of instructions here; guidelines and policies seem to vary between departments, disciplines and universities.

The up shot

The biggest advantage is that I have come out of my doctoral studies not only with a PhD but with a healthy publication record. This I hope will assist me when taking the next step in my career.

For me, PhD with publication provided a framework, a way forward from which I could see the path to submission. It provided me with a way to get my doctorate without worrying about the process. It allowed me the opportunity to contribute to debates while developing my ideas.

If academia is to expect Australian candidates to now finish their PhD and publish, then it should promote and encourage alternative formats such as this. It can only be good for both PhD candidates and the profession at large.

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Do you need to have published papers to do a PhD?

• By Dr Harry Hothi
• March 20, 2021

It’s a natural question to ask when applying to a PhD program: “Do I need to already have publications before I apply?”. Simply put the answer is no, you do not need to have published papers to apply to a PhD. Having said that though, I do think there are clear advantages of having some publication experience in helping your application stand out from other candidates.

When entering into PhD research , you’re entering into an environment that’s built on a framework of disseminating new findings and making an original contribution to knowledge in your field. Key to this is the ability to write papers that stand up to peer-review and get published in the journals relevant to your research area. So, you can see why, as an applicant, being able to demonstrate real evidence of being able to do this through previously published papers is going to be a positive in your application and likely differentiate you from other candidates.

I want to be clear however that how often and how quickly an academic publishes can vary quite considerably depending on the particular research field in question. Generally speaking, STEM fields tend to publish more often than non-STEM areas. There’s variability within STEM too, with factors such as the time taken to complete experiments having an impact on the rate of output. Many PhD students do not publish at all while earning their degree (although I personally believe that at least going through the process of acquiring publications should be part of every PhD experience).

Being able to list publications on your CV and application to PhD programs is a good bonus to have as a student but few potential supervisors or universities would see this as an expectation, let alone a requirement of applying. What he or she will expect to see in you however is the ability to develop your skills to become a researcher who can publish. You should understand at least the broad concepts of what peer-review is and how one may approach the process of writing a paper for journal submission.

Beyond having published work, there are several other ways in which you could demonstrate your research acumen potential. These may include an examples of where you have presented the results of undergraduate or masters projects at internal or external conferences or gained direct experience of working within a research lab alongside PhD students.

If you are someone who’s be able to acquire several publications along a single research theme and are considering PhD programs, I’d recommend you also consider the option of a PhD by Publication , as well as the traditional degree route. Some universities offer this PhD by Publication option as a way of earning a PhD degree by combining your previous papers into a document that demonstrates how these have made a contribution to knowledge within a single research field. The potential drawbacks however compared to traditional PhD programs is that you’re likely to miss out on some of the PhD student experiences that come along with a traditional program.

To conclude, universities will not expect a potential PhD student to have published when they come to fill in the application to their program. You as the potential student should however make sure you emphasise in your application all the different times or ways in which you demonstrated your ability to think like a researcher. This may even include a letter of recommendation from your undergraduate or master’s project supervisor which may attest to your qualities as a suitable applicant.

Find out the differences between a Literature Review and an Annotated Bibliography, whey they should be used and how to write them.

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In the UK, a dissertation, usually around 20,000 words is written by undergraduate and Master’s students, whilst a thesis, around 80,000 words, is written as part of a PhD.

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Christine is entering the 4th year of her PhD Carleton University, researching worker’s experiences of the changing conditions in the Non Profit and Social Service sector, pre and during COVID-19.

Clara is in the first year of her PhD at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. Her research is based around understanding the reactivity of peroxynitrite with organic compounds such as commonly used drugs, food preservatives, or components of atmospheric aerosols.

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Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips)

Finding the ‘golden thread’ in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian

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Towards the end of my full-time academic career, during a 2020 Covid lockdown, I submitted my PhD by published work. In this article, I argue that this doctoral route offers academics – whether newbies or gnarled veterans – a precious chance to reflect, achieve and grow.

A doctorate by published work can be approached in two ways. If you don’t have a PhD, it can be researched and written as a prospective thesis, which can enable you to pursue research and journal-article production that map out a coherent path. Or, if you are like me, you can work on a retrospective doctorate, identifying a “golden thread” through which to look back and make sense of your academic career. The academic Susan Smith has written the gospel on this subject, entitled, would you believe, PhD by Published Work – which I heartily recommend.

• How can PhD researchers be supported to complete an alternative format thesis?
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As Smith suggests, my endeavour in this doctorate aligned with the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s 2011 requirement to present a “series of peer-reviewed academic papers, books, citations or other materials that have been published…accompanied by a substantial commentary linking the published work and outlining its coherence and significance”.

So I selected nine of my academic publications – a single-authored chapter in an edited book, single-authored journal articles, co-authored academic articles, co-authored project reports for the Higher Education Academy – plus 10 practitioner publications of mine that supported my case but were not formally included. I argued that together these made an original, significant contribution to scholarship and public knowledge equivalent in scope and esteem to work required for a traditional PhD. Furthermore, I demonstrated my unique input to scholarship in the fields of higher education pedagogy and community development, as well as the sufficiency and coherence of this work and accompanying publications.

The “golden thread” or commentary in my case reflected on a central theme from previous publications, namely to explore and determine the nature and degree of connectedness between HE teaching and learning, and community development theory and practice. Somewhat to my relief, I discovered that my 40-plus-year academic career did, indeed, have some coherence. And the process of looking back bore out Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s 1843 contention that life “can only be understood backwards; but must be lived forwards”.

Tried-and-tested advice for a successful academic career

Beyond the career-defining interrogation of a PhD through exploring your own published works, I offer four further career tips that have stood me in good stead.

1. Follow your interests

First, (as far as possible) be true to yourself and follow what interests you, whether in teaching, research, administration or consultancy (rather than where management might push you). An example of this for me was undertaking consultancy work reviewing community development projects and activities. These examples of action research then provided up-to-date case studies to feed into student contact sessions. Of course, there will be horse trading, whereby you might have to give ground to gain some. Such is life.

2. Get the balance right

This links to my second suggestion: try, for example via annual staff appraisals, to work towards your preferred balance of teaching-admin-research-consultancy. For example, I volunteered to look after work-based modules, such as internships, across my department because I came into academia from practice and believed in the value of work experience for undergraduates; and I researched and published on this topic in academic journals and books. To vary the metaphor, seek to steer the ship that is you and your career rather than be bounced by the strong tides of administrative urgency.

3. Be a good colleague

Third, make alliances and friendships with colleagues – seek those with humanity who are not just work dominated or totally driven. As Iain Hay comments in his 2017 book  How to Be an Academic Superhero , connect to “good colleagues; be a good colleague…to the best of your abilities, try to help out…The web of obligations is two-sided and you will receive reciprocal favours over time”. I deliberately worked with other national teaching fellows (NTF) at my higher education institution to seek to influence teaching policies and practices, similarly helping applicants to gain an NTF on the basis of climbing a mountain and helping colleagues to make the ascent. It helped others and I felt good in offering a hand.

4. Never stop learning

Finally, keep learning as you proceed (in your academic career); don’t assume you have “arrived” (down that road lie fossilisation and lack of currency). In this vein, I undertook a beginners’ Spanish module, joining in like any other student in the class. As well as giving me words of use when I visited the Alhambra in Granada, it taught me valuable lessons for teaching: how you need to be ever so careful and clear in what you say and how you say it, pause regularly to check that students understand what has just been covered and have time to ask questions.

Oh, and enjoy the ride! Yes, there are downsides to academic life, such as the administrative tail wagging the teaching dog, insecure short-term job contracts…but, equally, I maintain that an academic life can give you so much freedom as well as the ability to travel, write, teach, publicise research findings to improve life and the planet…

James Derounian lectures on community governance. He is a national teaching fellow and a visiting professor at the University of Bolton, UK.

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• Published: 10 October 2019

Publication should not be a prerequisite to obtaining a PhD

• Sharif Moradi 1  

Nature Human Behaviour volume  3 ,  page 1025 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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Mandating publications for graduation places a poor metric on PhD students’ skills and has detrimental effects on PhD training, argues Sharif Moradi, an Assistant Professor at the Royan Institute in Tehran; committees and future employers should focus on the many other skills that PhD students master.

Despite many differences, universities and research institutes appear to have one thing in common: publish or perish. Publishing has benefits for many, including PhD students, as it increases the likelihood of finding academic positions. However, problems arise when PhD students are required to publish papers as a prerequisite for graduation. PhD students constitute an integral part of academia and are often required to publish one or more articles before submitting their dissertation. This is particularly true in my country, Iran, where students need to have one to three journal articles published or accepted for publication (depending on the university) before graduation.

There are several arguments, including among PhD students themselves, both for and against the publishing requirement for doctoral students. Although the publication requirement ensures that PhD projects are externally peer-reviewed, it may not necessarily enhance the quality of the work due to potential reviewer bias or ineffective peer review. This requirement may also call into question the reliability of the thesis reviewing committee if their evaluation is considered valuable only when the work has already been peer-reviewed (and published).

Due to their massive workloads, PhD students are under considerable stress and mental pressure, and publishing requirements can worsen this situation. Some students may be under financial pressure if they are underpaid—or worse, not paid at all—especially when they have to delay receiving their doctorates because of delays in getting published. As something that I personally experienced and think is globally true, many doctoral students live on earnings from teaching courses, translating texts from one language to another, or other low-paying jobs. Supervisors may be opposed to this, since it distracts students from working on their thesis and increases the pressure they’re under. Students may end up publishing a low-quality paper in a low-profile journal, or even in fake and predatory journals which publish papers for a fee without rigorous peer review.

PhD mentors often have other priorities and concerns—such as finding funding, securing a permanent position, and coping with excessive administrative burdens—so often they cannot allocate enough time to their PhD students. Mentors may even engage PhD students in side projects to accelerate those projects, thereby delaying their graduation. Therefore, PhD students need to learn to say no to whatever distracts them from their thesis, although this might be sometimes difficult because PhD students are much more vulnerable than their supervisors to the consequences of potential conflicts. I believe PhD studentship is exactly the time during which people should learn how to maintain a healthy work–life balance, because this skill is more difficult to learn later.

PhD students should be encouraged to publish their PhD work after graduation (if it is not feasible to publish before graduation) because this indicates that they are able to take a project from beginning to completion and to advance their field of research. However, other criteria should be taken into consideration when assessing PhD students for their graduation, such as the ability to effectively defend their results before an unbiased, knowledgeable committee of referees or developing a product or service from their PhD project. There may be mitigating factors: for example, the PhD work needs more time to complete, is scooped by publications from other groups, turns out to be less relevant than initially thought or cannot be published due to intellectual property reasons. Therefore, it makes no sense to make graduation dependent on journal publication.

Both students wishing to remain in academia and students aiming for industrial careers need to learn many skills. Obviously, for students who want to work in industry, published papers are not crucial. But I think the same should be true for students who want to pursue academic careers. They, too, need to learn many skills, which they can demonstrate with or without publications to those in hiring positions. In assessing a postdoctoral applicant for a role in my lab, I would examine the tone and content of their application email, what achievements are listed on their CV (e.g., awards, grants and publications) and check in personally with their referees. Key questions to referees would be whether the applicant is passionate, detail-oriented, motivated, innovative, a team player and committed. What is the applicant’s personality and attitude? This is important as it is something that is hard to change. At interview, I would ask the applicant to give a chalk talk (or slide presentation) to analyse, in addition to their presentation skills, the strength of the applicant’s scientific reasoning and how he or she deals with criticism. The applicant should be familiar with management (time, budgets and projects) and communication skills (writing, speaking and networking). Applicants that have international experience and know how to organize meetings and symposia would be more interesting to me. Only after all these assessments would I question why an applicant has not yet published any papers from their thesis.

In situations where publishing a paper is still mandatory, I recommend that PhD projects be designed strongly, assigned to a team of researchers instead of a single person, quickly modified or changed if they appear not to be working, and effectively supervised by mentors. I would certainly encourage PhD students to get published, but think the disadvantages of a publication mandate for graduation of PhD students far outweigh its advantages. I would never assess a PhD student solely on the basis of their publications, or lack thereof.

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Moradi, S. Publication should not be a prerequisite to obtaining a PhD. Nat Hum Behav 3 , 1025 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0690-7

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August 20th, 2018

A phd by publication is a great way to build your academic profile, but be mindful of its challenges.

12 comments | 50 shares

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Peer-reviewed publications are the bread and butter of the academic world. The quantity and quality of papers a researcher publishes can influence job applications, grant applications, performance reviews, and promotions. Unfortunately, the craft of writing academic papers and facilitating their publication is not typically a focus of doctoral education.

To help better prepare candidates for the realities of academia, universities increasingly allow the option to complete a PhD by publication, a model which encourages candidates to publish during their candidature, and to include their publications as, or within, their final submission. Jørgen Carling has previously outlined the benefits of completing the PhD by publication. While we agree there are many advantages to adopting this model, there are also challenges that need to be considered to ensure success.

We understand many of these challenges, having both completed a PhD by publication in the past five years. In our field (education) and location (Australia), the traditional thesis dominates, and while that is slowly changing, we encountered a range of problems for which there was little advice or support available at the time. Here we anticipate some of the many questions candidates may ask, and offer possible answers based on our experiences and research.

How many papers should I publish?

There is no one correct answer! Regardless of the thesis mode, the goal of doctoral study is to make an original and significant contribution to a field. How many papers it will take to meet this goal will depend on many factors. We found that the average number of papers included in Australian theses was 4.5, but this ranged anywhere from one to 12 papers. Publishing in itself is not a guarantee of conferral of your degree, and quality may be more important than quantity.

Should I co-author with my supervisor?

Doctoral candidates often publish with their supervisors. Supervisors have always assisted their students in the development of their traditional thesis, to differing degrees, but in the past this has gone relatively unacknowledged. Most university guidelines will require candidates to declare each author’s contribution to a paper, and thus a higher level of authorial transparency is achieved. Co-authoring papers gives doctoral students an apprenticeship in writing journal articles, as well as experience in collaborative writing and working in research teams – a regular part of an academic’s job.

Early and frank communication is important. The three co-authored papers in Shannon’s thesis were written in the beginning stages of her candidature when more hands-on support in the process of writing and publishing was needed. She was then well-equipped to write the remaining four papers alone. Margaret’s thesis was unusual as all included papers were sole authored, which was only possible as she had already co-authored two peer-reviewed papers prior to candidature.

We strongly recommend establishing clear mutual expectations between candidate and supervisor as early as possible.

How can I publish everything in time?

The process of preparing a manuscript, submitting to a journal, waiting for reviews, attending to requests for revisions, copy editing, and final publication can be extensive in some fields. This can be very frustrating for candidates who are working to a doctoral submission deadline. It is important to check journal guidelines for their average turnaround times. Once a paper is under review, don’t be afraid to follow up politely once this time has passed.

It is also important to check your PhD-by-publication guidelines, because many universities allow the submission of papers at various stages of production, such as those still under review. This allowance is particularly helpful to ensure the inclusion of papers developed in the later stages of your candidature.

What if my paper gets rejected?

For doctoral candidates just developing their new identities as researchers, rejection can be difficult to take. The reality is that even experienced academics deal with rejection at some time, perhaps more often than they might like to admit! The important thing to remember is that rejection is a normal part of the process. The decision is not always about the quality of the paper, but its fit within that particular journal at that particular time. It is important to become familiar with any journal that you intend to submit to, including the theories and methods that are favoured, and the type of academic voice appropriate for that journal.

What if my papers don’t flow as a thesis?

There are particular difficulties in developing a single submission based on multiple publications, each with their own focus, style, and format, and, as we recently explored , there are a number of favoured options for structure. Nikander and Piattoeva offer useful advice on how to use the integrating chapter to connect papers together.

There are also other issues that might arise from the transformational nature of doctoral study, where students learn while doing. For example, Margaret began to question her use of one of the informing concepts she had used in her early papers. In her subsequent work, she challenged her own simplistic use of this concept. Rather than become discouraged by the discovery of earlier flaws in our work, we understand that as researchers, we will continue to grow and cast a critical gaze over our past knowledge base. We both used the integrative chapter of our theses to highlight these limitations, but also to make explicit the evolution in our understanding; as such, it was a very enjoyable chapter to write!

We found that completing our thesis by publication offered rewards and challenges that were in many cases unique to this thesis mode. That we both emerged as advocates for this thesis type would suggest it is well worth undertaking for those candidates who want their findings to translate quickly and disseminate widely.

To see the authors’ research in this area, please go to their project page on ResearchGate: “ Publishing during PhD candidature ”.

Featured image credit: John-Mark Smith , via Unsplash (licensed under a  CC0 1.0  license).

Note: This article gives the views of the authors, and not the position of the LSE Impact Blog, nor of the London School of Economics. Please review our  comments policy  if you have any concerns on posting a comment below.

About the authors

Shannon Mason is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Nagasaki University, Japan. Her research interests include teacher attrition and retention, and language education pedagogy and policy. Her experiences completing a PhD by publication in 2017 led to her recent interest in emerging approaches to doctoral education.

Margaret K. Merga currently works as a Senior Lecturer at Curtin University in Western Australia. Margaret primarily conducts literacy research that spans the early years to adulthood. She also explores issues on educational psychology, adult education, higher education and health workforce education. She is currently working on projects related to the role of teacher librarians in fostering literacy in primary and secondary schools.

About the author

12 Comments

Readers may also be interested in our most recent paper, “Early career experiences of navigating journal article publication: Lessons learned using an autoethnographic approach”.

It is available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leap.1192

IN VIEW OF COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION, IS ARTICLE COHERENCE THAT NECESSARY FOR PhD BY PUBLICATION?

I agree on practically all you had to say and I appreciate that you have not made emphasis on the need to develop a coherent narrative between the journal papers.

In my previous unanswered reply posts on three PhD blogs I wrote that with low coherence it might not be possible to develop an overarching hypothesis or a general research question covering a number of diverse studies. This however, does not mean that if you are presenting a list of widely varied articles (yet, with a common denominator eg. public health) you cannot show your assessors that you are capable of answering any research question through acceptance or rejection of the null hypothesis. On the contrary, you would probably have covered several hypotheses testing that you would not even know from where to start! After all, it still reflects great competency to be able to publish several loose papers.

I see no academic feat in having a strong element of connectedness between the papers especially if this comes to the detriment of:

(a) the quality or rate of journal submission acceptance in terms of originality. Candidates who successfully manage to achieve a PhD by publications in science normally present no more than three or four papers revolving on the same theme or repetitive methodology with one paper building on the other (there’s a limit on how much you can keep adding onto the previous study to produce a coherent narrative.

(b) the level of the student’s (author’s) widespread generation of new knowledge since the papers would be closely related to each other (strong coherent body).

and (c) the number of papers which can be kept being added (and repeated) onto previous studies.

I feel that the requirement for coherence is not the right way of defending the standards of a PhD by published works, whether retrospective (ie. by prior publications) or prospective (when you start publishing your studies with the university you have registered your application). One has to understand that the point of departure with a PhD by publications (sometimes called, article-based PhD) is totally different from when you decide to undertake a conventional or traditional PhD by monograph with only ideas or proposal in your hands.

So, whereas when you go for a monograph of a single specialised subject it is justified to have a coherent narrative, for a thesis by publication (involving a synthesis, commentary or integrative chapter), which is basically a form of compilation written independently by the student, it is a different story. To start with, you only need to prepare a 10-15,000 commentary constituting a summary of the appended papers, whereas with a one-topic monograph you can go up to 100,000 words and sometimes even more.

Needless to say, the PhD by publication student should clarify the actual contribution to knowledge, especially if the papers are written by several authors. What’s important is that the commentary should not provide new results, but should critique the papers and preferably offer new conclusions since the extent of the journal articles normally does not allow this kind of longer discussion.

In brief, I feel that coherence should not remain central and more weight should be directed on single-authorship, number of papers published, originality and widespread contribution to knowledge. In my opinion, these should be the distinct features of this relatively new type of PhD.

One may wish to contact me personally on [email protected]

Charles Micallef Author of: ‘Critical analysis: a vital element in healthcare research’.

Excellent Write up. I have throughly gone through the article and according to my personal observations, I think it is amazing.Being associated with writing profession, I must mention that https://academicwritingpro.com/research-paper-writing-services/ are quite helpful nowadays. Furthermore, quality is also an important aspect.

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Great write up! Here is one more tip regarding ‘How can I publish everything in time?’ If a PhD student has an R&R with minor revisions, it’s worth noting that in the thesis, especially if it is for a prestigious journal. So even if the student can’t publish in time, they can get credit for almost publishing in time.

Dear Mollie,

Thank you for your comment. Great point, totally agree.

I think it is good to remember that even though the TBP might be ‘packaged’ as a product, it really is more about the process of learning to be a researcher, and that really is never ending. Communicating the different phases at which a researcher is engaging is a great idea. Indeed, I included details of publication rejections that I experienced, and my different reactions to them (by way of emails to my supervisor) at different stages of the journey, an inclusion that my assessors commently highly on.

A PhD by publication is nonsense if the faculty prescribe the journals where your work must be published. who said every journal would like to publish every research? for the university with restricted academic freedom, they mistake some ridiculous rules for having higher bar of pursuing doctoral degrees when the Times Higher Education (THE) ranks far away from their pre-conceived opinions. I submit that PhD by publication is good where freedom to publish in alternative high quality journals exist. absence of that its a total mess!

Dear Peter,

Absolutely agree, and this is something that has been raised in an upcoming study. We absolutely advocate for doctoral researcher agency in selecting the outlets for their publications that are best suited to their study, field, and career stage.

Create an online publication or write a newspaper good writing skills is very important.

Dear All; Thank you very much for the quality article and feedback . It is very interesting topic. I think during Covid-19 the quarantine imposed on people including students, completing PhD using this approach can be very suitable. I have the following questions: – Has the PhD candidate to register in a University? and if so, can you please share the names of the Universities that can accept such type of PhD studies? Many thanks again and best regards Omar

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Dear Authors,

This is a great article. Is Phd by Publication equal merit to traditional route of Phd? What degree title a candidate will get in the route of Phd by Publication?

I think there is still discrimnation in academic field between one who hold phd by Publication and other Phd in Traditional route.

Regards, Yadam

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PhD by Papers

Rather than writing a single book-like thesis examining a single topic, a PhD by Papers gives you the choice of writing a thesis comprising of several separate (though thematically unified) papers, in the style of philosophy journal articles.

Birmingham is one of the first philosophy departments in the UK to offer a PhD by Papers option and, although this style of PhD thesis is very popular at top US departments and offers many advantages for students, it is rare in the UK. The advantages include:

• Ideas don’t always come in book-shaped packages. Our PhD by Papers format recognises that, allowing you greater scope to follow your interests
• If you would like to become an academic philosopher, you will need to publish in philosophical journals, preferably before finishing your PhD. Our PhD by Papers means your work towards publishable papers is always work towards the PhD thesis, improving your academic job prospects along the way

The Department of Philosophy was ranked 1st in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 based on Grade Point Average (Times Higher Education).

• Translation

Understanding and preparing a ‘PhD by Publication’

By charlesworth author services.

• Charlesworth Author Services
• 12 April, 2022

The importance of publication for the academic

The reality is that to “survive” academia, publications are a must . Employers and funding bodies will review your publication history to factor into their decision-making. To better prepare for this reality, an increasing number of institutions are beginning to allow PhD students to submit their body of published literature that they have created during their PhD programme as the thesis that they would need to produce for earning their degree.

‘PhD by publication’ explained

A PhD by publication (also known as a paper-based thesis ) does what it says on the tin: it’s a mode of submission that allows the candidate to submit their body of published work created during their PhD as a thesis. The idea is to help graduates hit the ground running with a publication history that will help them on their next steps as researchers. While not universally accepted at the time of writing/publishing this article, it is an emerging model that has become more popular in certain disciplines and institutions.

Note: PhDs don’t typically focus on publications

During your PhD, while you are encouraged to actively engage with the publication process, it isn’t usually the focus. There will be a long and arduous learning curve , most likely for the first half of your PhD, where you improve your skills to take on the bulk of the PhD work. In fact, many PhD students report that the bulk of the content for their thesis was created in the final year of their degree.

Getting started with a PhD by publication

That said, if you are considering or have been advised to do a PhD by publication, then the best time to translate this into action is as early as possible. Here’s what you’ll need to think about:

• Find out i f your institution allows PhD by publication (if it’s something you’ve thought of rather than something you were advised to do).
• Identify the stage a publication needs to be at to qualify as submission for examination for your doctoral qualification. For example, some institutions do not require that the PhD candidates have actually had their papers accepted and published, but just that the papers are prepared to a sufficient standard that is ready for submission .

Considerations and challenges in preparing a PhD by publication

A. deciding on the number of papers.

While there is no set number of publications you’ll need to publish, you’ll want to think about how many papers you’ll need to prepare to adequately communicate the full extent of your research to your examiners, and think about timing accordingly . If you are in a STEM discipline, you’ll also want to factor in time for extra experimentation, if required.

b. Considering co-authorship

Make sure you also consider co-authorship as a reflection of your contribution to the research. Don’t feel the need to publish by yourself and do all of the work alone. It is not uncommon to co-author papers, particularly if you are doing your PhD as part of a larger research project and group, and so these collaboratively written papers may still be accepted as part of your submission. However, consider the contribution you made to the piece, and consult with your institution to make sure that whatever you plan to produce would be acceptable.

c. Undergoing peer review

Finally, a common thought to this mode of submission will likely be:

What if I don’t pass peer review?

While a valid concern, it’s important to remember that rejection is a part of the publication process , and d oes not necessarily reflect the quality of your work . Also bear in mind that you don’t usually need to decide on whether you would prefer to opt for a ‘PhD by publication’ at the commencement of your PhD programme. So, you will still be able to submit a more traditional thesis should your publication plans not pan out.

A thesis by publication can be a worthy undertaking to add additional challenge to your PhD journey. It will teach you to go through the motions of what researchers rely on for their next project: publications. So, if you feel up for the challenge and your institution allows it, then go for it! Just remember the key points discussed in this article and ensure that you prepare your submission according to the specific requirements of your institution .

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Phd by publication.

Many universities have recently introduced the ‘PhD by Publication’ method of obtaining a PhD, instead of the more conventional thesis. The availability of this option will vary from place to place, some won’t offer it at all, whilst others may only offer it to staff who have yet to achieve a PhD.

So just how is a PhD by publication awarded? Well, it varies from country to country – for instance, Scandinavian students will more commonly obtain a PhD this way, so let’s look specifically at getting a PhD by publication in the UK.

PhD by Publication in the UK

This method of gaining a PhD is relatively new, (even though getting published is important) and hence, the requirements may vary from place to place. Generally, though, instead of submitting a thesis written specifically during three/four years study with the university, you are instead required to submit a number of published papers.

In general, this method of gaining a PhD is not offered as an alternative to the standard way – it is not aimed at those starting on an academic career. It is usually offered to academics already in their career who have not yet completed a PhD. This is usually confirmed by the fact that many universities require you either to be staff, or to have graduated at least seven years ago to be eligible.

So just what sort of publications can be considered?

#2 Book Chapters Chapters written for anthologies or collections of essays are suited to being used in your portfolio. However, they are often not sufficient to stand alone, so you would need other works too.

#3 Research Papers Research papers that have been published in journals or other peer-reviewed sources.

#4 Technical Reports More for the science side of things – published peer reviewed technical reports are eligible.

#5 Other Published Media Other published media can be included – things such as scholarly editions of books, or architectural plans – but this will be on a case-by-case basis.

Often, with shorter works, it is necessary to submit multiple pieces – often five to seven – to complete an entire portfolio. However, in some cases, less may be acceptable. Each of the works featured in the portfolio must be linked in some manner, and they must be consistent in theme. Unrelated works will not be allowed to count towards a PhD by publication.

In addition to the portfolio of published work, the candidate is expected to have a supporting statement. This statement must critically discuss the works featured in the portfolio – discussing how they fit together, discussing their methodologies and explaining why they chose these methods, and how they feel it worked. In addition, they must point out their original contribution to scholarship – this is one of the most vital parts of getting a PhD, regardless of method.

You may be asking yourself what role the university would play other than examining the portfolio. In this case, a supervisor will assist with the portfolio, assessing whether the works submitted are cohesive, consistent and most importantly, of a high enough standard to be entered. They will also help with the supporting statement – making sure all vital information is included.

After this stage, there will be an oral examination. This will be similar to a viva , and should be prepared for as such. You will have to be prepared to defend any points made in the supporting statement. Depending on how long ago works were published (there is a time limit on when they are eligible) you may want to re-read them and ensure you are familiar both with your own work and the source material it draws on. In one sense, this may be more difficult than getting a PhD in the conventional manner as the work is not as recent, but it may also be easier in that it has already been peer reviewed and you will be aware of many possible questions and arguments.

Getting a PhD in this manner is not without difficulty, no matter how good the publications - while the submission of the portfolio and the oral examination may seem alright, the problem arises with finding a suitable place to apply. Due to the restrictions – some universities only opening to staff or alumni – you will be limited in options, and from those options, it may be more difficult than normal to find a supervisor. That said, for those who have been in academia for a while without a PhD, it may be well worth your time – take a look at our blog on the pros and cons of a PhD .

Related articles

PhD Funding In The UK

Doing A PhD: Why It’s Important To Publish

The Alphabet Of PhD Study

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•       Resources       Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

In addition to endless piles of reading, demanding expectations in the classroom, student teaching responsibilities, and the always-looming awareness that they need to research, write, and edit a high-quality dissertation before graduating, today’s Ph.D. students also commonly feel stress about another topic: publishing. As more prospective employers expect degree seekers to get their names in academic journals and conferences while still in school, many learners feel overwhelmed by the prospects of making the grade. The following guide answers some of their most pressing questions, provides guidance on the ins and outs of publishing while still in school, and offers expert advice from a professor who knows better than most what it takes to publish rather than perish.

Understanding Publishing in Graduate School

Getting published as a grad student can feel overwhelming at first, because there’s so much to learn about the process and expectations surrounding it. With a bit of research, however, students can familiarize themselves with the specific language surrounding publishing and make in-roads towards getting their first paper published.

What Does it Mean to Get Published?

Within the context of graduate school, publishing refers to getting essays, papers, and research findings published in one of the academic journals or related forms seen as a leader in the field. As jobs in academia continue to become more competitive, it isn’t enough for learners to simply do well in their coursework. The degree seeker who hopes to land an important post-doctoral fellowship or find a teaching position at a college or university must make themselves stand out in other ways.

When Should a Ph.D. Candidate Get Published?

Getting a paper published takes a lot of time and effort, and those students who wait until the final year or two of a doctoral program may fail to actually have any published materials by the time they graduate. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Graduate Connections program , getting a paper published – especially if it’s your first – can take up to three years. In addition to the fact that most journals publish quarterly, the panel review process typically takes a significant amount of time and those submitting for the first or second time usually need to make a large number of edits and complete rewrites in order to reach a publishable standard.

How to Get Published

In order to get published, students submit their work to the journal or conference of their choosing. They frequently also provide a cover letter outlining their research interests. Most journals put out generic calls for submissions once or twice a year, while some may ask for papers addressing specific topics that have a much shorter turnaround time. Grad students may find it intimidating to go up against more seasoned academics, but another option revolves around partnering with their dissertation supervisor or another professor with whom they work closely with to co-author a paper. This not only helps ensure the validity of their findings, but alerts the academic world know that this other, more recognized faculty member believes in the research the student is doing.

Who Should Get Published?

Learners most anxious to get published are those who see their future careers in teaching and research. Because the world of academia is relatively small when divided into individual subjects, it’s important for students who want to break into these ambitious arenas to make a name for themselves early on and create a curriculum vitae that captures the attention of hiring committees.

Where Should Students Get Published?

When deciding which publications to pursue, students should consider the research aims of each and their likelihood of getting published. Newer journals tend to take more submissions as they are still working on building up their roster of contributors. While less venerated than other publications, getting printed in these can help build up name recognition and make it easier to break into the top-tier publications over time.

In terms of where work is published, the majority of students look to academic journals when sending out cover letters and examples of their work. But other options exist as well. Presenting papers at conferences is a popular avenue, as are chapters in books. The following sections takes a more in-depth look at how and where to publish.

Realities & Challenges of Getting Published

Getting published, especially while still in grad school, takes tenacity, focus, and a thick skin. Those who continue working on their craft, presenting at conferences, collaborating with others, and not taking no for an answer, however, frequently find success. Some of the challenges students may encounter include:

Lack of time

It’s no secret that doctoral students have busy schedules that seldom allow for outside – or sometimes, even related – interests to take up much of their days. Because publishing is not a degree requirement, carving out the time needed to research, write, and edit the type of paper required for publishing can feel impossible. With this in mind, student should look for ways to multitask. If presenting at a conference, think about how that paper could be transformed into a journal article.

Lack of confidence

Studies have shown that mental stress and illness frequently increase in grad school as students feel intense pressure to stand out from their peers. These feelings are often intensified when considering publishing, as learners are going up against academics and researchers who have been working in the field far longer than them. It’s important to remember that each of those renowned individuals had to start somewhere.

Lack of funding

Completing the research needed for a competitive paper doesn’t only take time – it requires money. Whether traveling to archives or printing all the necessary documentation, funding for outside research can be scarce while in school. Some programs provide competitive grants for research travel to help offset these costs.

Intense competition

As discussed earlier, competition for publishing is fierce. Academic journals and conferences only have space for so many authors and trying to get noticed can feel like a losing battle. In addition to seeking out newer publications and co-authoring with more notable figures, consider taking part in symposiums at the school you attend to get your foot in the door. While research on the average number of rejections is lacking, don’t feel discouraged if it takes a long time to be chosen for publication.

Finding the right publisher

While getting your name in print within an academic journal you greatly admire is the ultimate goal, it may take some years for it to come to fruition. One of the biggest mistakes students make is applying to ill-suited publications. Look for journals with editorial board members whose names you recognize. If a professor knows one of them, don’t be afraid to ask if they can help get your paper in front of them.

Adequately addressing feedback

Getting a paper published often requires intense editing and even completely restructuring and rewriting what you conceived in the initial abstract. If an academic journal shows interest in your essay but suggests rewrites, pay close attention to their requests and try to work with an advisor to ensure you meet all the stated requirements.

What do Graduate Students Publish?

Academic journals may receive the lion’s share of discussion in the publishing world, but graduate students can actually choose from numerous outlets and paths for getting their work to a larger audience. Students should review the options listed below and think about which format might showcase their work best.

Tips for Publishing

Despite the great amount of work required to publish, students who meet the challenges and persevere stand to position themselves favorably for future job opportunities. The following section addresses some of the most common questions about the process and alleviates general fears about how publishing (or not) reflects upon them.

How many papers should a Ph.D. student try to publish before graduating?

According to scholar-practitioner Dr. Deniece Dortch, no single answer exists. “There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of publications students should have prior to graduation,” she notes. “The reality is students in STEM disciplines and those who use quantitative methods are more likely to have publications prior to graduation because they often work in research teams and labs. This is not to say that qualitative scholars or those in other disciplines aren’t, but it’s a much more standardized practice in STEM for students to graduate with two or three publications. Personally, I had one sole-authored publication accepted prior to graduation, one first-authored piece, and one second-authored piece.”

How many journal articles is it possible to publish during a PhD?

“The answer varies and is determined by factors such as length of program, research team access, and faculty relationships,” says Dr. Dortch. “I’ve seen folks finish with as many as 10 publications, although this is extreme and doesn’t happen often.” She continues, “Imagine you are in a four-year program and you get your idea to write an article in year two. You submit that article in year three after getting approval, collecting data, analyzing it, and then writing your paper. Year three you submit that paper; it may be accepted in year four after months of revisions at the request of the editor. You finally have one published paper as you graduate.”

Are there PhD students who have no journal publications? Should they be worried about that?

“It depends on the type of employment the student is seeking upon graduation,” says Dr. Dortch, “Students applying to or wanting to work in institutions and organizations with the highest levels of research productivity who have no publications may want to consider post-doctoral positions so they have the time and space to work on increasing their publication record after graduation.” She continues, “Postdocs are a very common practice in many disciplines and are used as a way to gain additional training and expertise in research and teaching.”

Is it absolutely essential to have publications to apply for a PhD program?

In a word, no. Individuals working toward doctoral degrees have many reasons for doing so, not all of which require them to publish. Admissions panels also recognize that students focus their efforts on many different goals (e.g. jobs, internships, presenting at symposiums) throughout bachelor’s and master’s programs. As long as learners can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to scholarship, publishing is not an absolute requirement.

Does publish or perish begin before starting a PhD program?

It’s true that many students begin worrying about publishing before starting a Ph.D. program, but the reality is that they have ample time during and after completing a doctorate to make their mark on the world of scholarship. According to a recent article by Inside Higher Ed , some individuals in the academy now wonder if too much emphasis is being placed on grad students publishing. Learners unsure about this should speak to a trusted advisor or mentor to figure out when to focus on getting published.

What is the difference between a published article and a Ph.D. thesis?

While a Ph.D. thesis is required for satisfactory completion of a degree, a published article is not. A Ph.D. also takes a much longer form than a published article, averaging approximately 90,000 words. Academic journal entries, conversely, are usually between 4,000 and 7,000 words.

Should I first write my Ph.D. thesis or publish journal articles?

Though publishing at the doctoral level is increasingly seen as a requirement in the job market, it is not part of degree requirements. With this in mind, students should prioritize the research and writing of their thesis above all else. If they have the time and mental clarity needed to publish journal articles, this can be a secondary focus.

From the Expert

Dr. Deniece Dortch is a scholar-practitioner known for her commitment to diversity, social justice and activism. Dr. Dortch holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Intercultural Service, Diversity Leadership & Management from the School for International Training and a B.A. in Spanish from Eastern Michigan University. Hailed a graduate school expert by NPR, she has published numerous articles on the experiences of historically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students. She is the creator of the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative at the University of Utah and currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education at The George Washington University .

Publishing as a student can feel intimidating. Why is this process important for learners to go through?

Long gone are the days of getting a good job by just having a solid dissertation or an award-winning thesis. Publishing your work while in school demonstrates a commitment to answering and understanding our world’s most complex problems. Further, institutions want to know that you have the capacity to publish. Now, publishing doesn’t mean you have to be first author or that you must publish sole-authored pieces only. Collaboration is also sufficient and often encouraged. The publishing process is intimidating for folks because it involves critique and, most often, rejection.

Receiving and giving critical feedback is part of the learning process and students should not shy away from it because it will only serve them well in the end as they learn to cope with disappointment and reward. But more importantly, there is no point spending months and years conducting research if you are just going to keep your findings to yourself. What you learn is meant to be shared.

What are some common mistakes these learners make when preparing their first papers?

Common mistakes that individuals make include not adhering to the guidelines outlined in the submission process. Examples of this can include ignoring formatting requirements (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.), going over the stated word count, inadequately proofreading, and not submitting a cover letter. This is probably the most important one.

What specific advice do you have for them in terms of finding the right outlet, preparing their work, and submitting to journals?

Students should have multiple individuals read over their work before submission. Writing is a process and even after it is submitted, it will need to be revised many more times before you will read it in print. It is part of the process. To find a good outlet for your work, pay attention to where other scholars are submitting their work. If you’re subject is aligned with theirs, you have a shot. Make a list of at least three outlets that fit your article. Also look out for special calls. A special call for submissions usually goes a lot faster than the regular submission process, so if you’re a student who is about to go on the job market, submit to those first. Also, the more competitive the academic, the longer the process, so keep that in mind. If you are rejected, just re-submit to the the next journal on your list.

In addition to publishing in journals, how else might a student go about getting recognition in their field while still in school?

Apply for all fellowships, grants, and awards that are specific to you and what you do. People in the academy love an award winner and they especially love people whose work has been recognized and/or funded by outside groups. A great way to increase a student’s visibility is to publish outside academic journals and publish in other media outlets. Also attend conferences in your field. Try to get on the program as a presenter or facilitator so that people in your field will start to know who you are and your research interests.

• Publishing During a PhD

Written by Ben Taylor

Getting published during your PhD can be an extremely rewarding experience, allowing you to gain a wider audience for your research along with some valuable experience of the peer review process. While not usually a strict PhD requirement, successfully submitting your work to an academic journal could help prepare you for postdoctoral opportunities or other early career roles.

This page will give you an introduction to the options for publication during a PhD, explaining how it works differently in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and STEM subjects.

On this page

Why should you publish during a phd.

Publishing articles and papers during your doctorate can be a great way to boost your academic CV and increase your profile. If you plan on building a career in academia or applying for postdoc positions, publishing numerous articles during a PhD could well set you apart from the competition.

It can also be an incredibly rewarding experience, knowing that the academic community considers your research to be worthy of publication and consideration by other scholars. Finally, publication is a great opportunity to engage with the academic community in your discipline and connect your work with other research in your field.

How many papers should you publish during a PhD?

There isn’t necessarily an average number of publications that you should aim for as a PhD student. In the UK it’s not a requirement for research students to be published while completing their PhD. However, in some countries – particularly North America and Asia – publishing may be a condition for finishing a PhD.

In STEM subjects based around laboratory work it’s more common for PhD students to find their research published as part of a collaborative effort with their supervisor and / or other colleagues within their research group. In AHSS, most articles are written by a sole author and the competitiveness of journals can make it relatively unusual for someone to be published during a PhD.

Can you publish in academic journals without a PhD?

Yes, you can publish in an academic journal if you don’t have a PhD. Your work will be subject to the same rigorous peer review standards as someone with a doctorate.

Publishing during an Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences PhD

While the nature of STEM research means that PhD students are more likely to find publication as a co-author or part of a collaborative team, AHSS scholars usually publish articles as the sole author , which can make publications harder to come by.

However, there are still plenty of ways you can gain publications as a AHSS student, each with their own advantages for your academic career. We’ve listed the main publishing routes below.

Peer-reviewed publication in a journal

Getting an article accepted by an academic journal is one of the most prestigious kinds of publication you can gain as a PhD student. This is because of the rigorous peer-review process , which involves two or more specialists taking a close look at your work and deciding whether it’s worthy for publication. Peer review is usually carried out ‘blind’ which means that you won’t know who your appointed reviewers are, and nor will they know who the author of the piece is. This ensures that all articles – including those by PhD students – are judged entirely according to their academic merits, not the profile of their author. The process can be a lengthy one though, sometimes taking several months.

If you are published in a peer-reviewed journal, it’s a sign of the relevance, authority and quality of your work, and you should be rightfully proud of yourself. It’s also something that you’ll be able to refer to on your academic CV when applying for postdoc opportunities and job positions.

Your supervisor will usually be able to advise you on whether your work is suitable for submission to an academic journal. Papers are normally in the region of 5,000 words, so it might involve reworking the draft of a dissertation chapter or even part of your Masters thesis.

Book chapter

Another publication option is to write a chapter for an edited book on your research specialism. Book chapters don’t normally go through as rigorous a peer review process as a journal article would (instead, selection is usually down to the volume editors), but still make an impressive addition to your CV.

Having a good academic networking can come in handy when it comes to be invited to submit to edited volumes. For example, if your supervisor or one of their contacts / colleagues has been asked to edit a collection of articles on an area that has crossover with your research specialism, they may ask you to contribute a chapter to the book. In general, it’s useful to keep your ear to the ground for potential opportunities that might come about as a result of your department’s publishing schedule.

Book review

In addition to original research articles, most academic journals also carry reviews of recent work in their field (such as monographs, edited collections and so on). Writing these book reviews might be one of the simplest ways to get published as a PhD student. If you get in touch with the reviews editor of an academic journal and introduce yourself / your research specialism, they may ask you to write a short (normally 1,000 words or so) review of a book that they’ve been sent by a publisher.

You’ll then be sent a copy of the book in question, some review guidelines and a deadline. It’s a good idea to read previous reviews in the journal to get a feel for the tone of voice and style. Although book reviews aren’t necessarily subject to the same peer review standards as an article, they can be a great way to understand what’s happening in your field and begin to get your name about as an academic. You’ll (normally) get to keep the book/s too, which is nice.

PhD by publication

Not to be confused with publishing during your PhD, a PhD by publication allows people to be recognised for a portfolio of previously published work. This means that a PhD can awarded to well-published authors without them having to write a new thesis. You can find out more in our full guide to the PhD by publication .

Publishing during a STEM PhD

If you’re studying a PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM), it’s less likely that you’ll be published as a sole author of a paper.

Instead, you may be named as a co-author or multi-author of a publication, along with your supervisor or the laboratory team you’re working collaboratively within.

As is the case with AHSS academic journals, anything you submit to a STEM journal will be subject to a scrupulous peer review process in order to ensure its quality.

Publications depend on the nature of your research and whether you’re working with a new or existing dataset / methodology. If you’re devising something new, you can expect to take longer to get published. If you’re working within a larger laboratory, it’s more likely than you’ll be published as a multi-author on a particular research project. Working closely with your supervisor will often lead to a publication as a co-author .

Another publication route for STEM PhD students is via conference proceedings (AHSS students can also be published using this method). Conference proceedings form a record of what happened at an academic event, with details of the presented papers and research. If you present at an academic conference during your PhD, it’s worth bearing in mind that it can also present a great opportunity for publication in this way.

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Ben worked in the FindAPhD content team from 2017 to 2022, starting as an Assistant Content Writer and leaving as Student Content Manager. He focused on producing well-researched advice across a range of topics related to postgraduate study. Ben has a Bachelors degree in English Literature from the University of Sheffield and a Masters from the University of Amsterdam. Having also spent a semester at the University of Helsinki through the Erasmus programme, he’s no stranger to study abroad (or cold weather!).

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How to Get Research Published as a PhD Student

The old adage in academia is “publish or perish,” and this saying has some truth. Publishing research during your academic career is an important part of advancing your field. If you’re considering or in the process of getting a doctorate , getting your research published can be overwhelming, but it is crucial for gaining recognition in your field. 

This article will provide valuable insights and tips on successfully getting your research paper published, from selecting the right academic journal to crafting a compelling manuscript.

Understanding graduate student publications

Publishing during your PhD is integral to your academic experience. Depending on your chosen discipline, the expectation may vary — some disciplines expect multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals before graduation. In contrast, your dissertation might be your first published work in others. 

An essential step is understanding your field’s publishing culture. For fast-paced fields like biomedical sciences, it’s common to publish multiple papers throughout the program. But for other disciplines like humanities , the focus might be more on producing a comprehensive dissertation, which often forms the basis for a book or other publication. 

Evaluating these expectations early on helps you formulate a realistic and effective publishing strategy.

It has to be original.

Originality is crucial in publishing an academic paper, as it determines the impact of your research on the field and builds credibility. An original contribution provides fresh perspectives that invigorate intellectual discussions, promote further research and initiate groundbreaking discoveries. 

In the competitive landscape of academia, original work offers a considerable advantage by distinguishing your manuscript from countless others, increasing the likelihood of acceptance and recognition. Moreover, pursuing innovative and ground-breaking work attracts funding and career growth opportunities, as institutions prioritize research demonstrating the potential for significant contributions and future development in your field. 

When discussing originality in research, it’s important to note that original work doesn’t have to revolutionize your field or create something new. Originality in academia could, and most often does, mean contributing new perspectives, interpretations or insights into existing knowledge. 

It should speak to your target audience.

Understanding how to choose a journal is crucial, as it helps you connect with your ideal audience. When deciding where to submit your work, consider the journal’s scope and its readership demographics. By familiarizing yourself with the journals that resonate most with your research, you’ll learn the type and quality of the work they champion. 

You don't have to do it alone. 

Remember that PhD publications don’t happen in a vacuum. Your advisor, colleagues, and other faculty in the department can be invaluable resources as you work to find an interesting topic or viewpoint, submit drafts for review, and move towards the final finished product. Asking for advice and guidance, particularly from those who have been publishing recently, is a great way to ensure that you will reach your audience with what you are trying to do.

Get started on your research contribution! 

Publishing research is part of the challenging and exciting adventure of graduate school. Whether you're interested in history or statistics, psychology or physics, at some point, the rest of the academic community will want to hear about what you are working on. When you publish research, you are contributing to the great dialogue between scholars and thinkers stretching back for centuries.

If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to earn your PhD, we invite you to explore the many resources we have available at SMU: browse our resource library , Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies , or subscribe to our blog . We are excited to help you as you consider your next step in your graduate school journey! 

For a comprehensive overview of the PhD process — from consideration to application to graduation — explore our guide, Choosing, Applying for, and Thriving in a PhD Program.

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18 Questions About Getting Published During Grad School

Whether you’re already in graduate school or you’re an undergrad who will be joining a Ph.D. program soon, you probably have questions about publishing papers. One common saying in grad school is “publish or perish” but is that true? What all do you need to know to get your paper published while you are still a student? I have answered 18 of the most popular questions graduate students have about getting published.

What defines being published? Does a talk or poster count?

When can you say you’re really published? Is it only after your work shows up in a journal? What about your thesis—does the work you did for your senior thesis or poster project mean you’re published?

The answer is simple: Being published means your work was published in a peer-reviewed journal and you’re among the first two authors of the paper (certainly there are exceptions to that rule).

Does coauthoring or an acknowledgement count?

You generally won’t be considered “published” unless you’re one of the first two authors on the paper. Therefore, coauthoring definitely counts as long as you were one of the first two authors listed. This also means that acknowledgements don’t count. Acknowledgements are usually used for people who had minor contributions to the research being published.

Is publishing and being peer-reviewed the same thing?

In most cases—yes. With few exceptions, all scientific journals—open access and otherwise—are peer-reviewed. While most are peer-reviewed prior to being published, some journals use post-publication peer review. In this case, the paper may or may not have undergone peer-review prior to being published, but will be reviewed by invited reviewers or volunteer reviewers. The reviewed paper should be marked as peer-reviewed after this occurs. However, there are some open-access journals that claim to be peer-reviewed but don’t show evidence of it actually occurring. They are commonly called predatory journals and you want to be careful not to publish in a journal like this since it has little to no credibility once the scientific community begins to realize there is not actually a referee process in place.

When should I start?

When you should start publishing scientific papers really depends both on your experience and what field you are in. The obvious answer is to start publishing as soon as you have something to publish. You definitely don’t want to wait to publish something novel because it is possible that someone else could get to it before you. At the same time, you don’t want to publish too early and have a paper of lesser quality in a less respected journal. There is a sweet-spot somewhere in between that you and your mentor can work together to find.

Some students have their first papers published during undergrad , while others wait until graduate school. There is even variance among the year of your Ph.D. education in which you publish—some will be able to get their name on a paper during their first year, while others won’t publish until a few years down the road. It is important to note that quality is more important than quantity so take your time to produce your best work rather than rushing to get your name on the most papers.

What are the steps to getting published?

The first step to getting published is starting a project and getting results, which makes sense because without it, you’d have nothing to write about. Once you have results, you will need to analyze them and determine their significance in your field. If they are significant, you have something to publish! Now it’s time to work with your team to decide who will have which roles in the writing process and who will be authors of the paper so that this is not an issue down the line. The next step is to get all of your charts and graphics ready—often times these are the first or only parts of a paper a person looks over so they can be used to guide your writing. Develop your first draft and then create an abstract for your paper. Edit your paper and have others give you feedback. Once your paper is ready, you will want to adjust the formatting to fit the journal’s requirements before submitting.

What are publishers looking for?

A lot of what publishers are looking for will depend on the publisher, the field and who makes up a majority of their readers. Almost every journal has an online page with instructions for authors. This page will contain all of the necessary information you need to cater your paper to the particular journal you wish to submit it to. Not following these guidelines would be an easy way for your paper to be rejected without even being considered, so make sure to make adjustments for each journal to which you apply.

Can I submit my paper to multiple journals at one time?

Generally, the answer is no . Most peer-reviewed journals have terms and conditions which require that your paper is not being simultaneously submitted to another journal. This is done to respect the time and effort reviewers and editors put into accepting papers, and ensures that you will not rescind your submission after they have started looking at it. You should submit to your first choice journal first and then if it is not accepted, move to your second choice and so on. By doing so, you will not come to the difficult decision of deciding whether you should publish in one journal or wait to see if another journal will accept your work. Your first choice option will always come first. With that beings said, you should be reasonable about what journals may accept your paper or you will waste a lot of valuable time. Dream big, but stay reasonable.

What journals accept student work?

In theory, students are able to publish in any journal. However, it’s pretty rare for undergraduates to get published at all in highly recognized journals, especially in the first author position.

A lot of getting published as a student has to do with knowing where to submit your work. Try to submit to journals that publish research similar to yours because this will give you the best chance of getting published.

You can look into publishing in second-tier journals as well. These journals are the ones that are less well-known in the field, but are still peer-reviewed and publish quality work. Some students even start by publishing in journals that focus on student research. Look for student-run journals that are dedicated to publishing work of young scientists. Your university may even have a publication of its own that you can submit your work to.

What do I do after I’ve submitted my paper?

After you’ve submitted your paper, it’s time to play the waiting game. It can take months for reviewers to get to your manuscript, so in the meantime, you can begin to prepare to submit to another journal or get started on another project. Just remember, you usually can’t submit to another journal, unless your proposal is not accepted at the place you are waiting to hear back from. If your article is accepted for review, you will get feedback on your paper. You will then need to make revisions and resubmit the paper. If your paper is accepted for publication, you can make final edits before it is published.

What is the cost of publishing?

The cost of publishing varies depending on the journal you will be publishing in. Some journals have no cost at all, while others can cost up to $3,500. Other journals charge you per page, so the length of your publication can determine the cost. They may charge around $50 per page plus around $300 per color image. There may also be submission fees associated with publishing. While this seems very costly, the good news is your PI will generally take care of publishing costs.

Do I need to publish to graduate (is it really “publish or perish”)?

If you’re an undergrad, the answer is no. However, if you’re a grad student, the answer to this question depends on your institution’s graduation requirements. Some schools require at least one publication before you can graduate, but others have no requirement about this at all. The best thing you can do is become familiar with your institution’s requirements about publishing early on in your time there. If you are aware of all requirements, you can begin to work towards a publication from the beginning and have a plan to get your research published as soon as possible.

Regardless of whether or not there is a publishing requirement, you should make publishing during graduate school one of your top priorities. This will help open doors for your future career as a professional scientist.

Can I get a job without publishing?

This will depend on what type of job you plan to apply for. If you want to go into academia, the answer is no. You will need to start a postdoctoral fellowship and publish during this time. You may even need to complete more than one postdoc to become competitive with others who will be applying for academic positions.

However, if you are looking to get a job outside of academia, having a publication in your name is a lot less important. Most industry positions do not require you to have a publishing background and this holds true for other jobs. Check out my previous article on alternative careers for life scientists if you are looking to pursue a career outside of the academic world.

Can I just publish my thesis?

Technically speaking, your thesis will be published by your institution. However, this does not count as an official publication. Nevertheless, the best thing a life sciences graduate student can do is publish throughout his or her time as a graduate student. Once you have a few publications and are ready to work on your thesis, you can obtain permission from the journals you published in to compile all of your manuscripts into one document to serve as your thesis.

How does an impact factor work?

A journal’s impact factor is an average of the number of citations the journal receives in the previous year. It has been used to gauge how important a journal is in a certain scientific field, with higher impact scores being associated with more important journals. This can help you to gauge which journals you want to submit to first and which journals may be second-tier that you can try to submit to if your work is not accepted by journals of a higher impact factor. Remember that impact factor is not everything, however. Some journals even artificially elevate their own impact score by publishing a large percentage of review articles that are likely to be cited more often than primary research.

How many papers should I publish?

The number of papers you should aim to publish will depend on the field you are working in. For most life science fields, a good number to shoot for publishing during your Ph.D. program is two papers. Talk to your peers and advisors and find out what is typical of students at your institution and in your department. This will give you a good idea of what is expected of you.

If you’re an undergrad, getting your name on a single paper is a big accomplishment, especially if you go to a small school where less professors are working on research projects.

What are the most common publishing mistakes grad students make?

The most common mistake that we found through crowdsourcing is graduate students putting off writing their manuscripts until it is time for their dissertation. Instead of having published a little at a time along the way, which looks better on your CV, some people try to do it all at once and become overwhelmed. Work on writing throughout your time as a grad student.

What are the biggest challenges when publishing?

One of the biggest challenges you will face as a graduate student trying to publish is inexperience writing a manuscript. This type of writing is different than papers you have written in the past. The best things you can do are read literature from your field to get a feel for how it is written and spend time writing. Learning takes time and the best way you can learn is to start doing writing early on. Your writing will improve immensely by the time your write your thesis for graduation.

What if I’m still an undergrad student?

If you’re still an undergrad, don’t worry. Getting published now is not essential. However, if you are on a research team and have a project that you are interested in publishing, talk to your advisor about his or her recommendations. Where you submit your work will greatly depend on the quality and novelty of your project.

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Turning your PhD into a successful book

Requests regularly arrive in the Author Services inbox asking for advice about turning PhD research into journal articles or books. In this guide, first posted on the  LSE Impact Blog , Terry Clague, a Senior Publisher at Routledge gives his advice and insight into what publishers are looking for when they receive new book proposals.  

Research conducted as part of a PhD is valuable. It is valuable for the researcher, who has spent countless hours carrying out the work and it is valuable to those deciding whether the research should result in the award of a PhD qualification. But can the research be valuable to broader audiences? The simple answer is yes – at the heart of many successful academic books lies research conducted as part of a PhD. 

What options to consider when turning your PhD into a book

In the majority of cases, PhD research is published in the form of journal articles. In some cases, the research is published in a book. Between either end of that publishing spectrum there is an array of options to consider when it comes to disseminating PhD research: 

Converting the entire PhD thesis into a book  requires that your thesis covers a topic of interest to a large enough audience of scholars. Whereas a thesis starts with a question, a book begins with an answer and communicates its importance in the wider research landscape, tracing its evolution and impact. 

Using parts of a PhD thesis in a book  requires that ongoing and/or collaborative research is being conducted. A book (perhaps co-authored) should be greater than the sum of its constituent parts. 

Using an aspect of a PhD thesis in an edited book  on a broader topic ensures that the research fits with related research on a similar theme. A good edited book addresses the need to broaden the scope of PhD-based research via collaborating with a team of contributors. 

Splitting a PhD thesis into several articles  for journals hedges a PhD’s bets by staking smaller amounts of the work in different locations. What is gained by this hedging may be lost in the overall narrative of the PhD research as it is unbundled. 

What publishers look for when deciding whether to take you on

The role of the book publisher is to connect authors with readers. When it comes to disseminating research originating from a PhD, this relationship is essential. It is therefore useful to consider the perspective of the publisher when considering what publication route to take. In assessing a proposal for a research-level book, a good publisher will initially ask themselves three questions: 

Is the  scope  of the research broad enough to be of interest to our readers (scholars globally)? Example

Is the  quality  sufficiently high? 

Can the work be  developed  via feedback from experts as part of the book review process to address any weaknesses? 

Post information

Related posts, insights topics.

Beyond those core questions, potential authors should also consider significant and ongoing changes to the market for academic books, notably in reader behavior. Evolution in digital technology combined with a significant increase in the amounts of available research has led to changes in the way that books are produced, published and propagated. In this environment, the key word is “discoverability”. Connecting authors to readers requires that publishers facilitate discoverability of research via various routes to ensure that potential readers are able to find books with ease. Authors can aid this process by following a few basic rules of thumb: 

The main title of the book should position it clearly without reference to other bibliographic information, and should be as short as feasible 

Chapter titles should likewise, where possible, position themselves clearly 

Chapter synopses or abstracts can be used to enhance the metadata around books

Submitting a book proposal

It is useful to start a conversation with an acquisitions/commissioning editor at an early stage toward the end or shortly after the completion of a PhD. Discussions with supervisors and other colleagues are also very useful at this stage. The next natural step is to submit a book proposal which will be considered by the publisher, often involving a peer review process. Research-level books are often published as part of an established series – an awareness of existing books in such series can be useful when it comes to framing and developing a book proposal. 

Preparing your final manuscript for book publication 

Following a review process, the publisher’s editorial board would give final approval to proceed, following which a book contract would be issued. Armed with publisher and review feedback, the author can then proceed to produce a full manuscript based on their PhD research. Each book is different, but there are numerous key aspects to consider when preparing a final manuscript for book publication. Above all, never lose sight of the audience:

A thesis is written for examiners, a book for scholars in general . Anything that is useful only for examiners (e.g. literature review, methodology discussion) should be cut or heavily amended/digested. 

Examiners will work through text regardless of the writing style, book readers will not . Therefore, it is likely that extensive re-writing will be required to retain and engage readers. 

Take a step back . Think about the overall narrative of the book and be prepared to rethink the structure – this can be liberating! 

Value the reader’s time . Streamline where possible – theses by their nature contain much repetition. Keep in mind the agreed length of the book. 

Contextualize . If research is of a narrow scope, add international or inter-disciplinary context, particularly within the introductory and concluding chapters.

Sharing your research  

Finally, talking about your research and the process of working it into a book can be an essential ingredient to its success. This can be done with your immediate colleagues, at conferences and with a publisher. It can also be done online – with  social media a useful tool  to tap into wider networks as well as to test ideas out. 

Further Reading

European University Institute (Undated) –  From PhD to Book   Germano, W. (2005) –  From Dissertation to Book   Thomson, P. (2011) –  Can I Get a Book From My Thesis   Thomson, P. (2013) –  Turning Your PhD Into a Book   Veletsianos, G. (2016) –  Social Media in Academia , Routledge 

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Is it possible to submit a paper to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal without a PhD and get it accepted?

Is it possible to submit a paper to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal while not holding a PhD? More specifically, what would be the bare minimum qualifications that would grant one the possibility of a paper being published in a peer-reviewed academic medium?

• peer-review
• paper-submission

• 47 Yes; I have done this four times. –  Wrzlprmft ♦ Commented May 10, 2015 at 19:53
• 14 Many PhD students (at least in Europe) publish a few first-author papers before graduation. Granted, there's almost always at least the student's professor on the paper as a co-author, often more collaborators. –  Moriarty Commented May 10, 2015 at 19:56
• 4 Does it count if one is on one's way to a PhD? A fellow graduate student and I co-published a number of papers, including some in the very highest tier journals, prior to being awarded our degrees. I never felt that there was any bias against us for not having PhDs, and very little if any for being unknown in the field. (What we did have was a university affiliation--perhaps the response would have been different if we had submitted as independent researchers from our home addresses--but if so, I think an unknown PhD recipient would fare no better.) –  Corvus Commented May 11, 2015 at 2:12
• 9 holding any degree is not a formal requirement. blind peer-review is even designed precisely do exclude any factors other than the quality of the paper from consideration. however, holding a PhD is probably a good predictor of your success rate, because PhDs should have learned how to produce a publishable paper that the reviewers like. –  henning no longer feeds AI Commented May 11, 2015 at 6:56
• 3 @henning You mean that double-blind is. Just blind usually refers to the author not knowing the reviewers, rather than the other way around. –  Tobias Kildetoft Commented May 11, 2015 at 9:27

12 Answers 12

Submitting an academic paper for publication (and potentially getting it accepted) does not require any qualifications whatsoever. You don't need a PhD; you don't even need to have gone to college. There are no educational, employment, or membership requirements at all.

That's not to say it's easy to get a paper accepted with no formal training in the field. Learning how to write a compelling paper is much easier if you have a mentor to offer guidance. However, if you can figure out how to do it without a PhD, then your lack of a PhD will not be held against you.

• 11 Disregarding knowledge, the main obstacles for people who do not work at a university are a lack of facilities (i.e. labs, library access, funding for conferences), and the lack of an academic environment (department talks, collaborators, students). It's a lot easier to succeed without these things in some fields than in others! –  Moriarty Commented May 10, 2015 at 19:54
• 12 @Thorsten: The arxiv is not any kind of journal. Do you know of any electronic journals which require academic qualifications in order for the submission to be considered? –  Pete L. Clark Commented May 10, 2015 at 23:59
• 2 @PeteL.Clark While arxiv is technically only a preprint server, it had the function to publish own papers and was essential if you wanted to publish something in electronic format (There were electronic journals, but they were quite uninfluential). "Was" because now the field has changed and there are now influential open-access electronic journals like PLOS ONE. Was not aware of the change, my error, mea culpa. –  Thorsten S. Commented May 11, 2015 at 0:17
• 1 I've heard a different opinion. Theoretically you can publish, but in fact, without leading professor (usually last author), without lab, or university, just by your own, you most probably will get rejected even without reading the contents of the paper. Am I right? Also I know how reviewers respond with reject-resubmit with such a mean comments/questions, just because they seem to be rivals (working at same field / work), or just rejecting the paper, but waiting for lets say 2 weeks to do reject it. –  maximus Commented Aug 8, 2017 at 18:16
• 1 Of course, this is true in an ideal world; if you don't have a PhD, or you are not in the track of obtaining one, revivers and editors will have a negative bias, hence it will be very difficult to publish (this is true at least in STEM fields). –  Our Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 19:45

Yes, it's possible to get a paper published without having a PhD: PhD students do it all the time. Submitted papers are supposed to be evaluated according to what they say, not who said it.

As an extreme example, here are some groundbreaking pre- or no-PhD discoveries:

Henri Lebesgue developed his famous integration theory as a young high school teacher in 1902.

Space–time block coding , a theoretical concept that is now essential to wireless communications, was invented in 1997 by Siavash Alamouti as a practicing engineer with a master's degree.

The AKS primality test was the result of 2002 undergraduate research at the Indian Institute of Technology.

It's clear that such contributions warrant a publication irrespective of the author's status.

• 1 +1 For the examples you gave. They are certainly encouraging. –  Nobody Commented May 11, 2015 at 12:33
• I think the recent examples are particularly important, as they show that this is still true, despite the degree to which the world has changed in the last hundred years and the increasing professionalization of science. –  jakebeal Commented May 11, 2015 at 12:34
• 1 Emily Rosa was published in JAMA at age 9. –  Lee Daniel Crocker Commented May 11, 2015 at 19:19
• 8 I don't at all disagree with the thesis that you can have a publication in a top journal without a terminal (or even any) academic degree. I think though that examples are a little less convincing when the paper is coauthored with someone else that does have these credentials, as is the case in your last example and in the example of the previous comment. –  Pete L. Clark Commented May 11, 2015 at 21:30

Yes. In practice, graduate study is one of the main ways people attain the skills to write such a paper, but a Ph.D. is not a requirement. Qualifications would be a choice of the individual journal, but I don't know of any that have a policy of requiring degree credentials from submitters. For example, quite often graduate or undergraduate students write such papers.

It's not only possible but it is a requirement at many universities that your Ph.D thesis be completely based on peer reviewed papers.

Another issue here is the fact that in science only the research results should matter, not who is presenting those results. If Prof. Dr. X has submitted a paper that is found to be wanting, then it should be rejected. if John Doe Y who dropped out of primary school, submits a paper containing ground breaking results, then that paper should be accepted. If this were not (in principle) true, then that would mean that science is not conducted in an independent way. Arguments from authority, rather than those based on the merits would to some degree corrupt the scientific process.

• Even when this is not a formal requirement, from my perspective, a PhD student has to publish to get any decent funding (like a travel award or a scholarship), just like any other (academic) scientist. –  tomasz Commented May 12, 2015 at 19:14

I am a bit more skeptical than the majority of the answers.

The first reason is more profane: There are journals with more reputation and some with less reputation. The journals with more reputation have more readers and if you are published in this paper, it will foster your reputation. The direct effect is that everyone tries to get published in the most prestigous journals. So the editors get swamped with papers and must choose by priority. If two results are equally impressive, the probability that the more experienced and reputable scientist will be published is very high.

So the standard approach is to contact the journals in descending order of reputation and ask for publication. So, yes, you can be published, but it is likely that you must choose a journal with less reputation and that means that your results are likely to be ignored.

That get us to the second problem: If you have an impressive result, then the editors will scan your paper more closely. Unusual language (there is a specific lingo you use in papers), strange format (Word instead Latex) and an impressive result from someone who is not known before raises a red alarm. If Anonymous Mathematica claims that "your lack of a PhD will not be held against you", then I say, nope, this is not remotely true. It is very likely that you and your paper are not scrutinized anymore and rejected. If you try to battle the decision, the label crackpot is attached to you faster than you can breathe. So you must be extremely careful to publish a paper as amateur. Especially because there are journals which are so...problematic that publishing there will harm your reputation.

The arXiv uses an endorsement system to guarantee that only people from universities and research centers can submit papers; other people are locked out.

If you really have an impressive result: In both cases, arXiv and respectable journal it is unfortunately necessary to contact someone from a university etc. which helps you to get through the barrier.

So, principially yes, but there are barriers. Do not underestimate the problem.

UPDATE: Some information beforehand. The reputation of a journal is measured by the impact factor and since 2005 also by the h-index . For 2013 Nature has rank 7 in the impact factor with 38.6 and leads the h-index with 829. Science has rank 20 (but is preceded by 9 (!) Nature specializations) and is second on the h-index with 801. So pretty important journals. Nature offers an overview over the publication process and in fact the rejection rate steadily increased from 89% to 92% which I would call "swamping".

Corvus now claims that my analysis is glaringly wrong and gives the explanation that other journals except Nature and Science do not have the need to pick between papers, if I have understood him right. Corvus, it is your claim that other high-reputable journals both by h-index and impact factor do not have the problem with picking a paper and therefore high rejection rates ? Do you stand by your claim ? If my information is outdated or simply wrong, then I will retract it, but I will research it. Glaringly wrong, yes or no ?

JeffE, do you agree that being of member of the Computer Science Department in Illinois (which incidentally built the ORDVAC and ILLIAC and are currently responsible for the LLVM Compiler Infrastructure) with a very long tradition and an own ACM chapter might give a paper some recommendation ?

• 10 I'm not the original down-voter, but I can tell you one thing that is glaringly wrong with your analysis: " So the editors get swamped with papers and must choose by priority. If two results are equally impressive, the probability that the more experienced and reputable scientist will be published is very high. " Having to pick one or the other of two manuscripts essentially never happens except at Nature and Science, and even there in moderation. Anywhere else, the handling editors make a decision to accept or reject independently of any other manuscripts they may be handling. –  Corvus Commented May 11, 2015 at 1:57
• 7 At least in my field, there is a strong trend toward completely blinded submission review (neither reviewers nor editors get to see authors' identities until after deciding what to accept) precisely to prevent author reputation from being a factor in acceptance decisions. It's not a perfect system -- if I know enough about a subfield to review papers, I can probably recognize the big names in that subfield by writing style and particular interests -- but it helps. –  zwol Commented May 11, 2015 at 2:36
• 13 It is very common for students in my field (theoretical computer science) to publish in the very best journals in the field. I did. My advisor did. My grand-advisor did. My great-grand-advisor did. His advisor never even had a PhD, and he did. Many of my students did. Most of my colleagues did. Many of my colleagues had to publish in top journals to get their PhDs. On all cases, our lack of PhD was not held against us. On the other hand, even people with PhDs who don't follow the cultural norms of the field find it hard to publish in the field. –  JeffE Commented May 11, 2015 at 4:56
• 3 I think JeffE points out the crucial factor: it's about following cultural norms. I'd add that it's also important to appear to be part of the culture, which is what ultimately I think the OP was asking. While JeffE and his colleagues were able to publish as students without PhDs, I wonder if it would have been harder were they unable to list academic affiliations or thank recognized authorities in their acknowledgments. –  Chan-Ho Suh Commented May 11, 2015 at 5:56
• 3 I don´t agree with the amount of criticism this answer receives. Reputation matters everywhere on this planet, and it would be plainly naive to think that the people who do peer review do not look at someone´s credentials and previous work. –  dreamer Commented May 11, 2015 at 9:15

Yes you can. I still was a MA's student when my paper draft was first accepted. I even attended conferences. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise

As others have said: no, a PhD is not required. Remember that Einstein didn't have a PhD when he published his paper on the photo-electric effect, yet it would win him a Nobel Prize.

A requirement for getting a PhD degree is often to publish a paper where you are the first author. So then you don't have a PhD (yet) either.

What's more important is references . Even if you have a PhD, but your list of references only is two items, chances are it will be rejected, unless of course you made a Really Great Discovery. References are important because they show that you studied and are familiar with the work of your peers in the field.

• @downvoter - Please, when you downvote, tell me why, so that I can improve my answer. If you think it's wrong, tell us what's wrong with it. –  stevenvh Commented May 18, 2015 at 13:06
• 3 The downvote was probably because you missed that the papers are listed not in order to show what you have read, but to justify ideas in the paper/field and/or to show the place for the work done in the paper. –  Nikey Mike Commented Apr 10, 2016 at 15:51

Another example... found in the Chronicle of Higher Education (July 19 issue)

Nora Keegan, age 13: Her paper was just published in the journal Pediatrics & Child Health

It was her 6th grade Science Fair project. The judges suggested she write it up for publication. She did. It was rejected by one journal, but accepted by the second one she tried.

If a peer-reviewed journal published a paper on the basis of the letters after the authors' names, then the journal would undermine its own credibility. When you drive across a bridge, or undergo open heart surgery, the engineers' or surgeon's professional registration is your assurance that they know what they're doing; but scholarly publications are supposed to be written in a way that makes them self-evidently good — they shouldn't need propping up with letters after the authors' names. Look at a few reputable journals and you'll see that they just print the authors' names (no letters after!) at the top of each article.

• Could you please make things a little clearer ? –  Tejas Shetty Commented Jul 11, 2020 at 9:50

Here are two examples in my field, mathematics:

Vladimir Drilfeld has published 9 papers prior to 1978, the year he obtained his PhD. His first published paper, "A certain cyclic inequality," was written when he was still in high school. All but one of his pre-PhD papers are single-authored.

John Pardon has published 8 papers prior to his PhD (2015). His first published paper, "On the unfolding of simple closed curves," was written when he was still in high school. (Incidentally, the bibliography list of his first paper consists of 4 references.) Two of his pre-PhD papers were published in journals which are among top-5 in mathematics (Annals of Mathematics and Journal of AMS). All but one of his pre-PhD papers are single-authored.

For both, most likely, more of their published papers were accepted before PhD since publications take time.

• Off the top of my head I can think of Theodore [Ted] John Kaczynski (unabomber; published 3 of his 7 papers, all single-authored, before completing his Ph.D.), Jacob Lurie (submitted this single-authored paper before the start of his last year of high school), and Arthur Leonard Rubin (submitted this paper at age 12.5 -- born Feb 1956, paper submitted Nov 1968). –  Dave L Renfro Commented Sep 19, 2023 at 8:54

Of course publications want to be read. There is no doubt that anyone who can submit work that is clear, concise, innovative and readable will be considered. But no matter what an individual's personal experience has been, or even the official policy, it comes down to the work, how it is expressed, and the integrity and professionalism of the scientist author. Somehow, nitpicking others' comments seems to be related more to the desire an individual may harbor to be published- even if it's in an online forum!

• 3 Can you please try to clarify your answer a bit? I'm having a hard time understanding how "publications want to be read," online forums, and contradiction of official policy fit together here. –  jakebeal Commented May 11, 2015 at 15:06

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How to turn your PhD into a book

Turning your PhD into a book is a mark of success in many disciplines, especially the humanities. Many people pursue this goal immediately upon finishing their PhD as part of an overall academic career strategy. I didn’t have to, because I already had a job and I wanted to start building a research reputation in another discipline (and I started blogging).

I feel like a bit of a fraud because I am sort of writing about something I have never done… However, Thong, (the husband of one of my PhD students, Nguyen) pointed out that I have been involved with five published books, with two more in the pipeline. You can thank Thong for convincing me I am experienced enough to give you a useful outline of the academic publishing process, so here we go.

As it turned out, I knew much more than I thought. I couldn’t cover everything about academic book publishing in one blog post, so this is part one of three I plan on the topic. I encourage you to write in with more questions. I know many established academics read the blog and I hope some of you will write in with further advice in the comments!

Step one: consider carefully… is it a book, or something else?

First of all, just because doing a book is prestigious CV addition, do you really need to write one? Doing a book is a HUGE time commitment, even if you start with a copy-edited dissertation manuscript. And don’t expect to make any money from all this effort; it’s a bonus if you do, but if you expect nothing, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t expect much measurable research impact either. You’re likely to end up with an expensive book with a small print run, that won’t result in piles of citations.

If you want to get your research out there for people to use, it might make more sense to write a series of blog posts, do a self-published ebook, a documentary film or exhibition. Or just leave the manuscript in your university library where it can be downloaded for free. PhD dissertations are the most downloaded type of document in many university research repositories so … do nothing. Your work will still have the potential to reach people who are interested.

It’s a different matter if you see a non-academic audience for your book. Some disciplines, like history, produce research with commercial potential. I’d encourage anyone who sees this potential to follow it up. A mass market publication has less academic snob value, but trust me: having a book that actually sells enough to give you a hefty royalty cheque is super satisfying!

Step Two: make contact with a potential publisher

Locating an academic publisher is actually a lot simpler than most people think: just look at the spines of the books on yourself and do some Googling. Unlike mass market publishing, where people rely on agents, academic publishing is still a ‘cold call’ proposition. Have a look on the website for instructions to authors about how to get in touch – and just… do it.

There are ‘slightly less cold’ approaches, which, I think, increase your chances. One simple (but maybe not obvious) technique is to visit the publishing stand at the next conference you attend and engage the people in the booth in a bit of a chat (it’s a good idea to skip a session for this purpose – they will be more willing to talk to you if it’s quiet). Don’t be shy, they are used to being approached. Generally the person selling books will either have a role as a scout, or be able to call in the person who is there for that purpose. Once they seem willing to talk, ask what kind of works they are interested in publishing. If their general interest seems to align with the work you have in mind, try out a short (I mean two sentence) pitch for your book idea and ask if it sounds interesting. Last year I did this at a conference and got a business card, which I then followed up with an email, very successfully.

Smart publishers are always on the look out for new work, so you might find they approach you. Great! Just make sure it’s a real publisher, not a dodgy thesis publishing mill. You can tell if it’s a real publisher because they will ask you to write a proper proposal. Anyone who promises to publish your PhD without changes is highly suspect. While some advisors will still tell you not to put your dissertation in the insitution repository, some publishers use this as a place to identify potential books and will approach you. Or, you could start a blog – if you manage to generate enough of a readership to be noticed, they will find you, trust me.

Step Three: sell the idea

The next bit – getting them interested in actually buying your idea- is tricky.

Book publishing, especially academic publishing, is a marginal business. Even boutique academic publishing outfits, who employ three people, are not charities. Publishers are interested in one thing above all others: selling books. It’s easy to lose sight of the profit motive when you work in an academic environment, which is essentially a not-for-profit enterprise.

Your mileage may vary, but I always prefer to get the publisher invested in the idea before I go to the trouble of writing a whole proposal. You might get a few knock backs before someone is interested. Doing heaps of work in a proposal template you’ll have to change anyway is a waste of time. Write a cover letter to your contact, or the email listed on the site for this purpose, with a short pitch for the book, clearly signalling the intended audience and why you are the best person to write it. If you have already published papers or, better still, blog posts, you can include some circulation numbers to demonstrate people might buy it. For example, here is a short excerpt from the pitch letter I recently wrote to a small, but well known academic publisher:

We cannot keep up with the requests for talks about our research and there is particularly intense interest from the community in the methods. A lot of people are fearful that ‘the robots are coming for our social science jobs’, but we have a totally different take, which is a ‘human in the loop’ approach (I wrote about this on the blog a couple of weeks ago: Are the robots coming for our (research) jobs?). I think now would be an ideal time to get something to market and your methods series format is perfect.

My approach here was to leverage the existing interest in our research work to demonstrate there was already a market. Note I use explicit commercial language ‘get something to market’ to show them I understand the profit motive. I didn’t try to tell them the work is intrinsically interesting or important, even though this is my primary motive in writing it. Being an important book doesn’t matter if there are not enough people willing to buy it. Of course, academics should publish non-commercial work, but that’s why we have journals and conferences.

I now need to convince the publisher that I am the one to get it to market. Having a successful blog is a huge advantage here, but this is a co-authored book. I know the publisher is keen the writing team doesn’t fall apart during the writing process. As I understand it, this happens often enough for publishers to be understandably skittish. The best way to prove you can write together is… to already have written together. So I followed with this paragraph to soothe their fears:

… What makes me really confident about the project is it builds on the strengths of our existing collaboration. Hanna could bring her 15 years of experience as a computer scientist working. Will works in science communications and, in addition to being a good writer, is used to working across disciplinary boundaries….

This letter got me an (almost) immediate request to submit a full proposal. The ‘almost’ is important, which leads me to step four… which will be in part two of this series because I have already reached my (self imposed) word count. Now I’m wondering: are you thinking about publishing your dissertation as a book? What questions are in your mind? Or do you have any experience of the publishing process you would like to share? Love to hear from you in the comments.

Related posts

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The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

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