Published: October 14, 2018 by Dr. Michele A.L. Villagran

photo credit: Søren Mørk Petersen)

Over the summer before officially beginning as a new faculty, I had to prepare myself for the research and writing expectations of a tenure-track position. I spent at least one to two months seeking out resources beyond those I was aware of years ago when I was a doctoral student.

Below is a summary of resources that I have shared with the incoming fall new faculty at SJSU and on several community sites I engage with online to help new tenure-track faculty. While I have conducted research prior, I was never in a tenure-track position so I needed to learn more about the process and how to tackle RSCA in order to be prepared for the start of the fall. These resources may be helpful to doctoral students and tenured faculty.

I. Books and Articles

• Baackmann, S. (2017). Academic Publishing Tips and Strategies. Retrieved from https://mmuf.unm.edu/resources/academic-publication.pdf
• Belcher, W. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.
• Boice, R. (1990). Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing. Stillwater: New Forums.
• Bucholtz, M. (2010). In the Profession: Peer Review in Academic Publishing. Journal of English Linguistics, 38(1), 88-93. doi: 10.1177/0075424209356851
• Cantor, J. A. (1993). A Guide to Academic Writing. Westport: Greenwood.
• Carter, K., & Aulette, J. (2016). Publish, Don’t Perish: Ten Tips. English Teaching Forum, 54(1), 20-28.
• Liebowitz, J. (2015). A Guide to Publishing for Academics: Inside the Publish or Perish Phenomenon. CRC Press: Boca Raton.
• Mallette, L. & Berger, C. (2011). Writing for Conferences: A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty. Santa Barbara: Greenwood.
• Silvia, P. J. (2007). How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. American Psychological Association: Washington DC.

II. Research and writing support groups

While seeking local face-to-face support groups, I was unable find any that fit my scope and beyond creative writing. I continued my research by venturing to social media. Below are suggested ones to join or follow:

Facebook
• New Tenure Track WOC & Nonbinary Binders Faculty
• Pomodoro Writin’

Instagram & LinkedIn
#tenuretrack, #tenure #academiclife #professorlife #academicmama #scholarlywriting

Twitter
@llmunro, @professional_writers, @TenureSheWrote

III. Tools to help with the writing process

• Project management
  • Gantt chart: There are many gantt chart software available (i.e., Ganttpro, ProjectLibre) to help keep track of your writing and research projects.
• Writing progress
  • This spreadsheet is adapted from a spreadsheet suggested in Silvia’s text above. Feel free to download it and use. It has certainly helped me track my writing progress, and served as a motivator!
• Here are some best practices from my experience that have been useful to date:
  • Set aside non-negotiable time to devote to research and writing.
  • Start early. Start small (15 minute blocks of time).
  • Set goals for writing.
  • Have a vision for your career. As new opportunities or requests to serve arise, assess whether doing so is in line with your vision.
  • Build a support network.
  • Look beyond your own practice for resources.