Getting published: group support for academic librarians

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an effective model for increasing professionals' competence, enthusiasm and success in writing and publishing.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent articles on writing groups in the field of library and information science are reviewed and a case study of a group at RMIT University Library is presented. The authors were the facilitator and group members who were librarians, most with relative inexperience in research, writing, presenting, and getting published. A self-rating confidence survey was created to establish developmental priorities which were then addressed through input from experts, practical application and reflection, and constructive advice and support from group members. Group effectiveness and outcomes were evaluated at mid- and end-point review meetings, through a post-intervention confidence survey and by tracking publication output.

Findings

The group became a cohesive, task-focused and productive team. A post-intervention confidence survey evidenced improvements on all survey items at a team level. Each member affirmed that they had gained substantial knowledge of writing, presentation and research techniques and understanding of the publication process. Publication output increased over the benchmark year of 2010, and in 2011 and 2012 exceeded initial targets.

Practical implications

The model presented offers a practical and effective approach to increasing competence and output in writing, presenting, research, and getting published and can be easily adopted by others.

Originality/value

Most literature reviews on library professional writing groups relate to professionals required to publish. The Get Published Group comprised Australian librarians writing voluntarily.

Citation

Sullivan, D., Leong, J., Yee, A., Giddens, D. and Phillips, R. (2013), "Getting published: group support for academic librarians", Library Management, Vol. 34 No. 8/9, pp. 690-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-03-2013-0026