Managing Opportunities and Challenges of Co-Authorship

Research with the largest impact on practice and science is often conducted by teams with diverse substantive, clinical, and methodological expertise. Team and interdisciplinary research has created authorship groups with varied expertise and expectations. Co-authorship among team members presents many opportunities and challenges. Intentional planning, clear expectations, sensitivity to differing disciplinary perspectives, attention to power differentials, effective communication, timelines, attention to published guidelines, and documentation of progress will contribute to successful co-authorship. Both novice and seasoned authors will find the strategies identified by the Western Journal of Nursing Research Editorial Board useful for building positive co-authorship experiences

Forum : Welcome to the Machine: Thoughts on Writing for Scholarly Publication

The expression ‘publish or perish’ has probably never been as cruelly applicable as it is today. Universities in many countries now require their staff to publish in major, high-impact, peer-reviewed Anglophone journals as a pre-requisite for tenure, promotion and career advancement, making participation in this global web of scholarship an obligation for academics all over the world. Junior scholars therefore suddenly find themselves having to navigate the unfamiliar and dangerous waters of the international publication process. But while this all looks rather daunting, it serves important learning purposes for novice authors and with some planning and care, the process need not be as traumatic as it first seems. In this short forum piece I want to support the editors of this new journal in encouraging aspiring scholarly writers in their efforts to share their research as broadly as possible, thus bringing work that would otherwise remain local to the attention of international audiences

Publishing undergraduate research: linking teaching and research through a dedicated peer reviewed open access journal

In 2015, the University of Huddersfield Press launched Fields: the journal of Huddersfield student research. The journal was developed with two key purposes: ensuring that high quality student research was made available to a broader audience and inspiring students to work to the highest standards by considering the potential of their work for impact in the wider world. The existing literature is reviewed regarding the growth of student research journals, as well as some of the benefits these journals can offer to students. The institutional rationale for Fields is outlined and the process of setting up a multidisciplinary open access student research journal is discussed. The outcomes of an evaluation are presented with particular focus to lessons learned and future developments to improve support for authors. The experience of the project team will be useful to universities and university presses considering strategies for supporting students to develop research for publication/dissemination

Operational research in low-income countries: what, why, and how?

Operational research is increasingly being discussed at institutional meetings, donor forums, and scientific conferences, but limited published information exists on its role from a disease-control and programme perspective. We suggest a definition of operational research, clarify its relevance to infectious-disease control programmes, and describe some of the enabling factors and challenges for its integration into programme settings. Particularly in areas where the disease burden is high and resources and time are limited, investment in operational research and promotion of a culture of inquiry are needed so that health care can become more efficient. Thus, research capacity needs to be developed, specific resources allocated, and different stakeholders (academic institutions, national programme managers, and non-governmental organisations) brought together in promoting operational research

The National Strategies’ Raising Attainment Plan (RAP) management guide. Supplement: essential features of an effective RAP (National Strategies: secondary)

"The aim of this document is to show how RAPS should be written to meet the Quality Standards. Most sections have an example which does not meet the standards, followed by a revision which conforms to the standards." - Page 2

Nominee handbook for schools and PRUs, from September 2010

"This handbook is designed for nominees who will be the school representative on the inspection team during their school's inspection. The handbook has primarily been developed with the needs of school headteachers, deputy headteachers and senior managers in mind and has a strong emphasis on practical application responding to the key question - 'What do I have to know to be an effective nominee?'." - introduction