Publishing Lies at the Core of Scientific Work 

Nicole Coviello, Honorary Doctor of Turku School of Economics, visited the School to train young researchers in publication processes.

Research-based publishing, for example in the form of articles, monographs or case study reports, is a matter of routine for experienced researchers. Publications are an essential part of research.

Honorary Doctor of Turku School of Economics, Professor Nicole Coviello (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada) visited the Department of Marketing and International Business in late September to lend support to postgraduate students and others who are still learning the principles of scientific publishing. Professor Coviello is an experienced editor of scientific journals, and her own articles are often seen in respected publications.

‒ In an ideal situation, nearly all of our research would be published. After all, research results are meant for dissemination. Our task as researchers is to gather information, learn and then redistribute what we have learned in a new form.

Criticism constructs

However, research yields a large amount of material which is never published.

‒ Creating scientific text which is understandable, interesting and whose structure is easy to follow, is a skill in its own right, says Coviello.

Articles published in field-specific journals go through a strict review process. During this process, both the editor of the publication and researchers nominated for the task assess whether the article meets requirements. There are several rounds of comments on the article, which guide the researcher as he or she continues to hone the text.

‒ Feedback is meant to be constructive, but can still be harsh from time to time. It's difficult not to take it personally. It takes patience to rewrite an article again and again until its contents can be communicated onwards.

Home for every article

The strictness of the process may scare an inexperienced researcher. During her visit, Coviello gave a lecture at Turku School of Economics on how to react to publication, rejections in particular.

‒ There is a danger that a researcher abandons the topic after receiving a rejection from a publisher. We researchers fight a constant battle as we look for the right channel in which to publish our work. Personally, I have a strong belief that every text finds a home somewhere.

Journals are international and competition is tough. According to Coviello, who has been reviewing articles for years, the text structure is of critical importance. The reviewer must be able to follow it effortlessly.

‒ In research work, creativity ought to form part of the methodology and interpretation of the results, rather than the text or its structure.

"Finns are well-read" According to the Canadian Professor of Marketing, Finnish researchers read large amounts of background literature. ‒ Sometimes they even try to cram too much information into one article ‒ it's important to focus on the essential, so as not to get lost in the text. Nicole Coviello estimates that in her field, the Finnish and North American research cultures are different. ‒ Much research conducted in Finland is qualitative, consisting of longitudinal studies for example. People want to know why and how.