IHS has partnered with scholars in our network to bring you this collection of writing and publishing advice for faculty and graduate students. Whether you’re a student struggling to write your dissertation, a professor interested in writing a book, or a scholar trying to reach a wider audience through op-eds, these resources can help.
How to Publish an Academic Book with Ilya Somin
Ilya Somin, professor of law at George Mason University and author of several books including “Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom” and “Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter,” presents a five-part written series on how to successfully publish an academic book from the brainstorming stage to the promotional campaign.
Academic Writing and Publishing with Michael Munger
Michael Munger, professor of political science at Duke University and author of several books including Is “Capitalism Sustainable?” and “Tomorrow 3.0,” presents an 11-part video series on how to write, edit, and publish as an academic. Watch the complete series below or on our YouTube Channel.
How to Publish in Grad School with Brian Kogelmann
Brian Kogelmann, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Maryland, presents a lecture on “How to Publish in Grad School.”
“The best scholars in the world, they all get writer’s block. They all get stuck. It’s nothing to be ashamed of at all. It happens to all of us. But what you don’t want to do is get stuck on a project and then stop being productive. When it happens that you do get that writer’s block, don’t languish — just jump to another project, right?” atch the full lecture below or on our YouTube channel.
How to Write a Successful PhD Dissertation with Christina Bambrick
Christina Bambrick, assistant professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, presents a lecture on how to plan, write, and defend your dissertation.
“One of the things that I found essential to completing my dissertation was to build a team. And this team was an assortment of people from my cohort, more advanced students that were a few years ahead of me, assistant professors at institutions who were already on the tenure track, mid-career scholars… These are people who can be for you what your advisor isn’t always going to be for you.” Watch the full lecture below or on our YouTube Channel.
Writing Tips for Academics Trying to Reach a Non-Academic Audience with IHS
Nicole Yeatman presents five writing tips for academics trying to write for a wider, popular audience.
“Make your points in as few words as possible. You’re not giving a lecture to a captive audience; you’re trying to connect with a busy reader. Eliminate anything that doesn’t give your reader recognizable value. And cut phrases that create clutter, such as It could be said that… or It is important to note that… If it weren’t important, you wouldn’t be noting it.” Read all five tips.