Depending on your discipline, a conference proceedings is either an intermediate step towards journal publication or the final stop in the publication process.
In my discipline, conference papers are nice; however, journal papers have the greatest intellectual impact.
I am always puzzled when I meet senior PhD students with many conference proceedings but very few journal submissions - because it either implies a lack of confidence or a lack of focus.
In my conversations with students, I’ve come to know that the imbalance results for a mix of the the two - but also - simply naïveté. They view the conference paper as having quenched their thirst for knowledge & don’t feel compelled to submit it for further peer review.
While not every conference paper should move forward to journal submission, it’s important for early career authors to advance their work in the peer review process.
This is particularly important in a post-COVID world, where many universities seem to think that they can demand more of job candidates.
So how do you know a paper can successfully transition from conference proceeding to journal submission?
First, ask yourself is the paper complete?
If you have written a completed research paper, including data, and received positive feedback on your work, it’s a candidate for submission.
Second, evaluate the conference reviews.
If the criticisms are largely conceptual, ask yourself can I address these points? Through beefing up the theory and logic?
I’d the answer is yes, consider a crack at journal submission.
Third, evaluate the research method.
The bar for submission to a conference and a journal are often different. Assess what more needs to be done.
Often the conference version serves as a pretest & can inform a final data collection.
There is always room to improve the method.
Fourth, consider the contribution.
Usually, you write a paper for a reason - either curiosity or to contribute to a broader conversation in your field.
Sometimes, you write a paper to fulfil a graduation requirement.
If it’s part of a conversation, take the conference feedback, amplify the contribution, and submit.
Finally, ask yourself about your interest level.
As an early career scholar, esp a student, you may be exploring new ideas.
You may find the topic just doesn’t interest you.
In such cases, If the paper requires a lot of work, don’t let it become a millstone around your neck, let it die a quiet death.
What you should not do, is a) let a paper sit bc you lack confidence. Often, students are their own harshest critics. And. B) wait too long. Six months to a year after the conference is past, if your ideas are good, they will get picked up and used in other folks work.
So don’t let your work sit idle - if you like the paper, clean it up and get it under review!
You will learn a lot! And might gain some confidence!
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