Building the next generation of researchers
Now in its fourth year, the 12 Weeks to Publication program has gone from strength to strength.
Preparing and writing for publication in a high-ranking peer-reviewed journal can be overwhelming and daunting.
For early career researchers and higher degree research students, the stress of academic publishing can be exacerbated by a lack of experience, a lack of confidence… as well as a lack of time!
However, the 12 Weeks to Publication program is building the next generation of researchers, with impressive results.
Facilitated by the Faculty of Health, participants learn to formulate strong arguments, to structure their research and to emphasise the impact of their work.
Plus, the increased motivation, productivity and writing efficiency promoted through the program builds researcher capabilities, and helps participants build their research publication track record, which ultimately improves their research exposure and citation counts.
Since the program’s inception in 2017, over sixty articles have been submitted to journals.
The 2019 program saw two PhD students, Pauline Murray-Parahi and Lin Zhu, complete articles that have since been published in Top 25% journals in their respective fields of Nursing and Public Health.
Similarly, researchers in the Faculty of Health, Dr Carolyne Njue, Dr Sabera Turkmani, and Dr Sacha Kendall also had articles published in high-ranking journals upon completion of the 2019 program.
Adapted from Wendy Laura Belcher’s best-selling Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success, the program sees researchers come together to share strategies for success in writing and publishing in academia.
Participants come from all faculties around the university, including Faculty of Health, Faculty of Engineering and IT, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation.
Through face-to-face sessions (currently delivered online), researchers in the program are able to connect with colleagues and dedicate time for their own writing.
And once the program is complete, participants automatically become part of a broader researcher network of 12 Weeks to Publication Alumni from across UTS.
These alumni form peer-support groups, have access to exclusive special editions of the program (such as Journal Editor Q&A sessions) and have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and contribute to researcher development by becoming a co-facilitator for a future round of the program.
Now, the 12 Weeks to Publication program is being offered through the Research Excellence and Support Hub (RES Hub), UTS’ integrated research support platform.
If you are interested in participating in future rounds, please contact the Health Research Office to express your interest.
