Libraries pilots academic publishing workshop series

In April 2023, the Libraries piloted a new workshop series on topics related to academic publishing. Over 200 students, faculty, and staff registered for the workshops and there was broad participation across campus with more than fifty different departments represented.

Each workshop focused on a different aspect of scholarly publishing. The first two workshops, taught by NC State librarians, covered an introduction to open access publishing and how to detect deceptive and fraudulent publishers. The series concluded with a special workshop presented by experts from Elsevier, discussing what journal editors look for when reviewing scientific articles. 

In the Introduction to Open Access Publishing workshop taught by Shaun Bennett and Emily Cox, participants learned about the current models of open access publishing in the academic journal world, along with the publisher agreements that the Libraries has in place to assist NC State authors. Participants also had a chance to practice locating open access journals and open access book publishing options in their fields. 

Credit: Emily Cox and Shaun Bennett

In the What You Need to Know About Deceptive Publishers workshop taught by Kristy Borda and Hillary Fox, participants learned about the deceptive and exploitative tactics employed by predatory publishers. Participants learned how to detect and avoid predatory publishers and conferences when conducting information research and how the academic and research communities are addressing this issue. 

Credit: Hillary Fox and Kristy Borda

The final workshop was Fundamentals of Crafting a Scientific Article + What Journal Editors are Looking For, taught by Meghan Jendrysik and Adam Fraser and facilitated by Shannon Gordon. Participants gained practical knowledge on organizing a manuscript, preparing figures and tables, and writing a compelling discussion and clear conclusion. The presenters also shared guidance on common pitfalls to avoid. 

Credit: Meghan Jendrysik and Adam Fraser (Elsevier)

Participants shared both positive and constructive feedback. After the Introduction to Open Access workshop, one participant shared: “Today's presentation was great! I found it very useful and informative. Thank you.” Participants also commented that it was helpful to learn about “the red flags to look for" and "tips for recognizing deceptive publishers/journals.” And in response to the popular workshop taught by Elsevier experts, one commented “Loved it!! Excellent guidelines for beginner and expert authors. Thank you.”

These workshops are organized and facilitated by Bertha Chang, Hilary Davis, and Silvia Sheffield, with logistical support provided by Cole Richard. Learn more about open access publishing and open research and please reach out with any questions or feedback.

Look for more workshops in the publishing workshops series in Fall 2023. If you would like to be notified when the new set of workshops are open for registration, please fill out this form.