A newsletter to learn about practical ways to decolonize your research and data work-lives with byte-sized drabbles about the daily life of a data professional.

This newsletter issue is all about answering questions on publishing your data findings and what that might look like.

I love writing and data research is unique in that it can have screenshots of webpages, tables, python scripts, graphics, animations, etc. In other science fields there is more emphasis on huge blocks of text, with little visual communication. Not in data.

What does the Process Look Like?

The general process:

• send in an abstract or a full manuscript draft

• editor(s) say yay or nay to your proposal. They might act like a club bouncer and say “change your look” and we’ll let you in the publication (aka make tweaks to the content).

• you submit a draft manuscript

• Editor accepts it or not and peer reviews it. Peer review is not really a peer. They likely don’t know your topic and can’t provide meaningful feedback on the contents. Feedback will be on writing, grammar, your figures/tables design and they’ll likely suggest seemingly random citations to add to your literature review or discussion.

• one to two draft edits. Any more than this, move on to some other venue.

• You’re sent proofs. These should have line numbers and look like the copyedited final version with the journal title/brand name on top in their specific font. These are often sent a month or less before it’s published.

• Published. Digital or print. If print, you should get a copy for free.

How Do I make my Data Interesting to Read?

Always use pictures! Take screenshots and annotate them.

If you’re describing cataloging terms, media tags, ontologies, and taxonomies: consider using a text tool like, https://voyant-tools.org/ with pre-built data visualizations.

Why Publish as Soon as Possible?

First and foremost, research is designed to be published quickly because it loses relevance fast. Data published tomorrow is already old news. You will see this if you look at a journal publisher’s website. They display dates from when they accept a manuscript to when it’s published.

Data research on hot topics like the Internet, machine learning, health statistics, preservation or security measures are prime examples of data that needs to be published as soon as possible.

How Long Does It Take to Publish?

Editors should always be clear and upfront about timelines. Life happens so be flexible, but nothing should take over a YEAR. Generally, things publish fast to slow in this order: newsletters, web copy, blogs, magazines, journal articles, and book chapters. Data research in book form could take longer than a year. If it’s in a book, it’s usually more of a thought piece, something that takes historical or archival research methods.

What do I do After I Publish?

Keep a copy of the link to your research. This could be a DOI or a permanent URL.

Talk about it to people! If you have a website, social media, or use a research social media (think ORCID or Research Gate) post about it there.

Remember that success (meaning your research clout is high because you get a lot of views, downloads, citations) is just one measure. You could publish amazing content and data findings, and yet it’s not the most viewed work.

Let’s Create!

I’m open to collaborations, freelance gigs, and conversations about the ideas I shared. Feel free to get in touch and comment on the newsletter.