Writing for Academic Journals

[Sophia2]

Anyone had any experience with writing papers for academic journals?

A university professor asked me to write a paper in response to his paper that was published in an academic journal. He passed me on to the editor and the editor said he would get back to me and never did.

What's the form?

Sophia2

[Medievalist]

It depends on the journal; usually the submission requirements are in the very front or very back of the journal. In the better scholarly journals submissions are peer reviewed by a panel of very respected scholars in the field. It's not something to undertake lightly, nor is one paid.

[Sophia2]

Thank you it was due to my response to the professors paper that he sent by email, that he requested I provide a paper in response for the journal. I have informed the professor that following first contact I have heard no more from the journal. The ball is their court as I have enough to do right now.

Sophia2

[Sophia2]

Ok, finally I received a copy of the journal from the editor. All the papers published are unique and not in response to another paper. Can anyone give me any guidance on the form for a paper in response to another?

Many thanks

Sophia

[dawinsor]

Sophia--

I used to edit an academic tech writing journal (JBTC). Assuming the journal you wrote for is respectable, if the editor told you s/he would get back to you, s/he probably will, although it can take a while. As Medievalist says, your paper would have been sent to reviewers who go over it and give feedback for free in their spare time. Sometimes reviewers are very slow getting back to the editor. I used to tell authors I'd get back to them within three months, but sometimes reviewers didn't get back to me in that time and I was slower.

The reviewers and editor should tell you about the form. Either they'll say "we never do this" or they'll say "we don't usually do this but this is interesting--please do it the following way." Articles are almost never accepted on the first round. You either get rejected or asked to revise and resubmit. JBTC has an acceptance rate of under 10%, so being rejected was the norm.