Whether you’re writing an article for a scholarly journal or are in the midst of finishing up a term paper, LibGuides are a great way to familiarize yourself with a topic. For those who don’t know, LibGuides are subject guides, created by librarians, that compile a variety of resources on a specific topic (anything from […]
Writer’s resource: The Researching Librarian
The Researching Librarian is a great website for librarians conducting “research for purposes of publication, promotion, tenure, or other reasons.”1 Created by Kerry Smith, an independent indexer, editor, and writer,2 and maintained by Beth Ashmore, a librarian, editor, and manuscript reviewer,3 The Researching Librarian is an independent volunteer project which is clearly organized by type […]
Wiki feature: Tag cloud
One of my favorite wiki features is the tag cloud that Maria, one of our wiki editors, recently implemented. You’ll see this cloud of popular tags in the right-hand column of every wiki page. As you probably know, tagging is an information retrieval system used to group webpages with content on similar topics. Just as […]
Open access journal publishing
Open access journals are an option to consider when looking to publish your research. They provide free access to articles by eliminating traditional financial barriers to readers, and generally fall into four categories: Green/Self-archiving In these publication instances, work is published by a peer reviewed journal (often not open access) but then archived and made […]
Publication spotlight: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy
The Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy is a recent and timely journal established in 2016 that provides both scholarly research and other forms of commentary on intellectual freedom and privacy matters. It is the official journal of the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom and is a broader continuation of their former Newsletter of Intellectual […]
Why your manuscript was rejected
Picture this scenario: you’ve submitted a manuscript to your favorite LIS publication and are eagerly awaiting their response. But weeks after submitting it, you receive the following reply: Thank you very much for your submission. Our editorial team has reviewed your manuscript and decided that it does not meet our publication’s needs. We wish you […]
Avoiding logical fallacies: “Appeal to authority” and “either/or”
Since my discussion on the “argument to logic” fallacy wound up being more detailed than I’d anticipated, I decided to write another post on other fallacies, specifically the “appeal to authority” and the “either/or” fallacies. Hopefully, these blog posts will get you thinking about how you can avoid fallacious thinking in your own writing. Appeal […]
Avoiding logical fallacies in your writing: “Argument to logic”
One of the best ways to ensure your manuscript stands out from the competition is to verify that your arguments are free of logical fallacies. What are logical fallacies, you ask? According to Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL), “Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can […]
Writing begins with searching: Finding a venue for your work
Searching is at the heart of what we do in the library and information sciences, and in this spirit, the LIS Publications Wiki presents its new search options! The LIS Publications Wiki helps writers find appropriate venues for their work. Out of the 300+ wiki profiles, which publications are best suited to your particular article? […]
Writing tips: The difference between “that” and “which”
My time with the wiki has taught me many valuable things, including the fact that I—as an American writer—have been using “that” and “which” erroneously. If you—like me—are in the habit of using the word that “sounds right,” rather than referring to your style guide, read on! This post may just have a tidbit or two […]