Posted by
jillian on Nov 30, 2009 in
Issue no.3, November 2009,
Volume 08 |
Comments Off on The Hook: Getting your grounded theory research published1
Phyllis Noerager Stern, DNS, LLD (hon.), FAAN 1This article in an expanded and modified form will appear in the forthcoming book, Accessible grounded theory: A beginner’s handbook. Authors, Phyllis Stern and Caroline Porr I learned about the hook as a fledgling writer back in the late 70’s, and early 80s. I wrote about stepfamilies when almost nobody else did (Stern, 1978, 1982a, 1982b). My big break came when I published an English-language version on how to do grounded theory. In my field, nursing, grounded theory was the buzz word of the day, but few nurses had a sociological background, and thus the vocabulary to be able to understand the Glaser and Straus description (Stern, 1980). That article kick started my career as a writer and researcher. There was a time when it was required reading for graduate students in nursing around the world. Twenty-nine years after its publication, I got a request for a reprint from a doctoral student in New Zealand. What the hook consists of then is timing, a subject that has impact, and a title that sparks the interest of a potential reader. A classic example of all three is The Discovery of Grounded Theory (Glaser and Straus, 1967), a then new approach to sociological research. Sociologists were interested, but as the authors were based at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, they had an eager audience in the nursing community who were looking for a research method to formalize what they did as nurses. From the point of view of a writer of articles and an editor, (19 years as Editor in Chief of the interdisciplinary journal, Health Care for Women International), I have a seasoned eye for what editors and reviewers are looking for: good science, of course, fluid writing, no doubt about it, a fresh look at a familiar problem, you bet, but there’s something else they want—the hook. They want articles that make their journals the go-to for the new black. What follows pertains to articles in refereed journals. Selecting the Right Journal Most scientific journals have an on-line version which you can access through a university library. Get familiar with a variety of journals, and see where your work might fit. If the editors have just published a special issue on Asian dating patterns, likely they’re full up with that subject. Some editors like to work with new authors to get them up to speed. As an editor I was fond of helping the next generation launch their careers. Other editors have other goals, but being an editor allows one to form intimate relationships with authors. The Title The title needs to be worded in a way that other researchers doing a computer search will relate to, but that’s no reason it can’t be catchy too. As an example, “Discovery of nursing gestalt in critical care nursing: The importance of the gray gorilla syndrome”, (Pyles and Stern, 1983) got a fair amount of attention, as did “The troubleshooter’s guide to media” (Harris, Stern & Paris, 1986). “Method slurring: the grounded theory/ phenomenology example” crossed discipline lines, (Baker, Wuest and Stern, 1992) as did the book chapter, “Eroding Grounded Theory” (Stern, 1994). In 1972, at the suggestion of the professor, June Abby, I submitted a physiology term paper to The American Journal of Nursing, and it was accepted. I consider the title I chose, “APA: Insidious foe of an aging Swede.” to be clever, but unclear (Stern, 1972). It...