The Journal Editor's Perspective - JOLIS

Guest post by 

@AnneGoulding

Anne Goulding editor  Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (JOLIS)

Previous Editors have provided some sound advice in the Top Tips from journal editors section, so I’ll just pick up on a few points in the context of submitting to JOLIS. 

1.    Guidelines:  Firstly, reading the Guidelines for Authors carefully is a must.  Not only will this help you prepare your manuscript in the correct format but the Guidelines also indicate the scope of the journal and whether your paper will be a good fit.  Take a look at previous issues and the “About” page on the journal homepage to check this out, too.  Two basic items you should look out for when formatting are anonymity – ensure there’s no identifying information including self-citations; and referencing – please use the house style.

2.    Implications of the research: For JOLIS, the practical implications of any research for library and information services is very important. These should be highlighted in the Introduction, with an explanation of the practical problem or issues the research is investigating, and the Discussion/Conclusion which should draw out lessons to be learnt and how the research contributes to practice.  Case studies from one country or even one institution are acceptable but you need to spend some time in your paper discussing the relevance of your findings for a wider, international audience and for library or information service practice more generally.

3.    Literature review: We also expect a thorough and critical literature review so that we can see that authors have engaged with relevant theory and the body of knowledge in our discipline and often beyond.  The literature review should be a thematic synthesis of previous work, not just a listing of previous studies and their findings one by one.  Again, the Conclusion should indicate how the work adds to our knowledge and understanding of the topic and, if appropriate, how it builds on or contributes to relevant theory.  It’s also a good idea to cite relevant work from the journal to which you are submitting!  It shows that you are familiar with the journal and have thought about the best outlet for your paper.

4.    Communication: We welcome submissions from around the globe. JOLIS is committed to publishing the best international research but please ensure that if you are not writing in your own language that your work is thoroughly proofread and copyedited before submission.  We can’t do this for you and if the quality of communication is poor, you run the risk of your paper being a desk-reject, i.e. rejected before peer review.  Most journal publishers offer editing services, although you generally have to pay for these.

5.    Reviewers’ Comments: Finally, I echo the thoughts of previous posts; please don’t feel affronted by the comments of reviewers.  I know (as an author myself) that it’s difficult not to be dismayed at negative comments on your carefully crafted piece.  But remember, incredibly few papers are accepted without some kind of revision and reviewers are genuinely trying to offer you constructive guidance so you can make your paper even better!