Early Career Research & Publication (ECRP) Workshops

Publish or perish – that’s the popular saying to describe how to forge a career in academia. But what to publish, where and when? In what language? In what format and how often? These are some of the key questions that many early career researchers struggle with. 

In 2022-2023 Turun Historiallinen Yhdistys provides, in collaboration with the department of history at the University of Helsinki, a workshop series that is dedicated to providing support to early career researchers (ECRs) in finding answers to these questions. The series consists of six discussion and practical skills workshops designed to help ECRs in the humanities, particularly within the field of history, to navigate the world of publications, while gaining knowledge and developing strategies to strengthen their academic profiles and/or CV for roles beyond academia.

Each monthly workshop will focus on a particular aspect of academic publishing and feature experienced national and international academics and publishing experts. These presenters will share tips, best practices, and insights on how to successfully navigate the world of academic publishing in Finland and abroad. 

The series is organised by Dr Johanna Skurnik (Turku Historical Society/University of Helsinki) and Dr Dustin M. Neighbors (University of Helsinki/Aalto University) with generous support from Suomen tiedekustantajien liitto (Finnish Association for Scholarly Publishing).

The series will be held in a hybrid format, with the workshops taking place in-person with the options for virtual participations. The workshops will be in English and Finnish. Note: Where possible, English and Finnish translations will be provided (i.e., English/Finnish captioning, or provision of English/Finnish materials). While the workshops will focus on academic publishing, the series will be open to everyone regardless of disciplinary background, as well as within Finland and abroad. 

To take part in the series, all participants must register. Registration will open 1 September 2022 via Eventbrite. If the hyperlink does not work, please copy the following link to your browser:

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/early-career-research-publication-workshop-series-907629

Please direct all queries to the Coordinator, Dr Dustin M. Neighbors via email (dustin.neighbors (a) helsinki.fi).

It is possible to obtain ECTS credits by participating the workshop series. The workshop series has been accredited by the Department of History at the University of Helsinki. Participants who attend all workshops in the series and complete the activities will receive 2 ECTS credit points. For participants who are not with the University of Helsinki can still be eligible for the credits. You will have to contact your supervisor to obtain approval and work out the details with your own universities regarding the recording these credits. We will provide all participants who attend all workshops with a certificate of completion that can also be used to certify ECTS credits.

Series programme & timetable

Workshop 1: ECRs and Publications – Publication Strategies for Career Development

When: Thursday, 17 November 2022; 10:00 – 12:00 EEST

Where: University of Helsinki, Metsätalo Hall 2 (Unioninkatu 40)

Featuring: Anu Lahtinen (Associate Professor, University of Helsinki), Sami Pihlström (Professor of Philosophy of Religion, University of Helsinki and former Chair of the Research Council for Society and Culture (2019-2021), Academy of Finland)

All academics must publish. This is a given, the standard rule of thumb. In other words, “publish or perish” as the saying goes. Yet early career researchers (ECR) are faced with not only the pressure of which publication to choose, but also what types of publications to pursue, all while contending with policies and requirements from within academic disciplines, funding bodies, and potential employers. In this workshop, ECRs will hear and interact with experienced academics and funding experts to discuss the importance of planning publications according to individual career goals and intended career developments. Participants will learn various strategies that experienced professionals have pursued, get a general introduction to the types of publications and their impact within the humanities, and gain an insider’s perspective of how to navigate publications for jobs and funding.

Workshop 2: Pathways to Publications I – Monographs, Edited Collections and Proposal Submissions

When: Thursday, 19 January 2023; 10:00 – 15:00 EEST

Where: University of Helsinki, U3039, Main building, Unioninkatu 34

Featuring: Kirsi Keravuori (Director of Scholarly Publishing, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura), Irene van Rossum (Director of Academic Publishing, Amsterdam University Press)

Do edited collections count in publication assessments? What is expected for monograph proposals? Do I go with a publisher in Finland, Europe, or the US? These are common questions with no clear answers, despite the fact that many academics in the humanities are used to publishing monographs and edited collections. However, ECRs at the end of their PhD or new postdocs are uncertain about which type of publications to go with and what is expected. This workshop is divided into two parts. In the first part, doctoral researchers and ECRs will gain valuable insight about the pros/cons of monographs and edited collections. Invited speakers, featuring editors and publishers in Finland and abroad, will share information, advice, and tips about publishing research in the form of monographs and edited collections; from drafting book proposals to submitting monographs. The second part consists of participants preparing draft proposals and getting feedback from experts.

Workshop 3: Pathways to Publications II – Journals and Peer-Review

When: Thursday, 16 February 2023; 10:00 – 15:00 EEST

Where: University of Helsinki, Metsätalo Hall 1 (Unioninkatu 40)

Featuring: Ellie Woodacre (Editor-in-Chief, Royal Studies Journal), Anu Lahtinen (Editor-in-Chief, Historiallinen Aikakauskirja)

For most of us, the primary mode of research dissemination is through the publication of peer-reviewed articles in journals. While this a common practice, navigating the world of journals and peer-reviews is not easy and is often flawed. Many doctoral researchers and ECRs encounter different rules and publication practices with different journals, extensive lapse of time of publications, or are unaware of the production process of journals. Furthermore, the emergence of assessment criteria and research policies have changed the landscape of journal publications, like journal ratings and the push for open access. In this workshop, participants will meet with journal editors and peer-review experts to learn about the process of publishing in journals in Finland and internationally. Participants will get advice, tips and gain insights into the peer-review process that will help publish successful articles in journals. The workshop also features a peer-review activity.

Workshop 4: Publication Policies & Integrity – Open Access, Authorship, and Ethical Publishing

When: Thursday, 6 April 2023; 10:00 – 15:00 EEST

Where: University of Helsinki, Main Building U3032 (Unioninkatu 34)

Featuring: Mathijs Vleugel (Scientific Policy Officer, ALLEA), Henrikki Tenkanen (Assistant Professor, Aalto University), Anni Sairio, Senior Coordinator, Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK, Elina Pylvänäinen, Senior Planning Officer, Publication Forum

Increasingly, funding bodies and academic institutions are pushing for open access publications. At the same time, there is greater emphasis on the integrity and ethics of publications to make research and publication processes more transparent and accessible. Additionally, more and more ECRs experience struggles with not being credited for their work or ideas, particularly in co-authoring situations. This workshop will provide doctoral researchers and ECRs with insights into the open access process, ideas of making research publications available in open access formats, tips for navigating authorship and research integrity (includes co-authored publications, edited collections, and self-referencing), and knowledge of current research and publication policies in Finland and in Europe. The workshop will end with a roundtable discussion and Q&A session where participants will be able to speak with current scientific policy officers and policy makers.

Workshop 5: Communication & Engagement – Sharing your Research

When: Thursday, 11 May 2023; 10:00 – 15:00 EEST

Where: University of Helsinki, Metsätalo Hall 2 (Unioninkatu 40)

Featuring: Riitta Monto (Professor of Practice, University of Turku, Founder of Dicto and former editor-in-chief of Turun Sanomat), Jarkko Vesikansa (Publishing Manager, Otava), Markku Jokisipilä (Professor, University of Turku)

All too often doctoral researchers and ECRs hear about impact, public engagement, or scientific quality relating to the dissemination of research. Although much of the humanities relies on academic publications as a key component to address these elements, there are a variety of ways to communicate and publish your research. This workshop explores disseminating research and engaging with a broader audience in a variety of ways. For example, participants will gain a better understanding of how to turn a research project into a non-fiction book aimed at the broader audience. Moreover, the workshop explores what impact and public engagement means, and discusses the dos and donts of different forms of publications like blogs, trade publications, magazine articles, and newspapers. The workshop also consists of an interactive activity to practice communicating research to non-specialist and broader audiences.

Workshop 6 – Publication Strategy Planning & Writing Retreat

When: TBC.

Where: Aalto University, A-Grid, Mordor Room, Otakaari 5, 02150 Espoo

The final workshop will provide doctoral researchers and ECRs the opportunity to have the time, space and support to develop their own plans and publication strategies. The retreat will allow participants to reflect on the themes and discussion from across the workshop series and ask further questions or discuss their plans. Throughout the workshop, participants will take part in activities that will allow them to plan and/or draft their publication plans and strategies, starting drafting book proposals, process peer-review feedback or work on article drafts with support and feedback from experienced academics who have published, the series organizers, or other participants.  

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Please direct all queries to the Coordinator, Dr Dustin M. Neighbors via email (dustin.neighbors (a) helsinki.fi).

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