Advice should be sought, from a mentor or from an academic involved in the relevant postgraduate program, in relation to necessary amendments or improvements to be made before the paper is submitted. Running ideas through the mentor, seeking advice as which journals may be appropriate and seeking assistance at the drafting stage are steps that will assist junior staff members in developing working relationships with more experienced researchers. Developing confidence in writing and research skills is vital at the early stages of a career. Obviously confidence can be damaged when a paper, representing the results of significant work and effort, is rejected. Submitting papers to the most prestigious journals may not necessarily be the best initial strategy, unless feedback suggests that the paper is of a very high standard.
Joint publications are also a very useful starting point for developing a research profile.
The senior author is able to provide guidance and suggestions in relation to the overall approach and structure of the research project. It is important that we encourage our graduate students to submit for publication in refereed journals the research papers they are required to prepare for the graduate subjects this Department offers. Most of our students have never sent their research papers to a journal, whether refereed or not. Consequently, unless we encourage them to do so, they are unlikely to think about the prospect of publishing their work. Generally, I first draw the attention of graduate students to the potential for publishing their research work in Week 1, whilst explaining the assessment regime for the subject in question.