Want to Publish? Annual Meeting Workshop Will Show You How

Do you want to publish something in the psychiatric literature, but don’t know exactly how to do it?

A workshop at this year’s Annual Meeting in New York led by the editors and editorial board members of Psychiatric Services can help break down what to some may seem a mysterious and daunting process. It will be held Wednesday, May 9.

Writing for professional journals and other outlets can increase a physician’s professional impact and reputation and be a source of personal and professional satisfaction. For those who have formal research training or work in academic centers where there are colleagues with whom one can collaborate, preparing a manuscript for publication may be a routine part of one’s job. For others, the process of translating one’s ideas into a publishable submission may seem like a puzzle set in code.

The workshop will provide hands-on, personalized guidance for aspiring authors. Lisa Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., editor of Psychiatric Services, and members of the Psychiatric Services editorial board will offer general ideas and tips as well as individualized feedback to attendees.

“We will closely work with attendees on their manuscripts,” Dixon told Psychiatric News. “Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas or, preferably, a 750-word draft of their submission to the workshop.”

The workshop will begin with the selection of one of two manuscripts brought by attendees that will then undergo the kind of review conducted by journals to determine whether a paper should be accepted for publication. “After laying the foundation of the sorts of issues we as editors routinely engage in, the group will break up into smaller work groups,” Dixon said.

Attendees will be able to work directly with the editors and receive feedback and guidance on the papers they brought with them. Mentoring will continue after the workshop to help authors polish their work and submit it for publication.

“I am very interested in having more voices from the front lines of practice in the journal,” Dixon said. “It has been my experience that there are valuable experiences, observations, and efforts to improve practice that don’t make it into our literature.” ■

“From Concept to Publication: A Hands-On Workshop With Psychiatric Services Journal Editors” will be held on Wednesday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. For location, check the APA Meetings App or program guide distributed on site at the meeting.