Four grad students writing on laptops at a table near the old card catalog drawers in SML

Publishing Your Research

Write research papers, find a target journal, turn your dissertation into a book

Publishing your research is the time-honored way to share your findings, build your academic reputation, and open doors to future opportunities. However, it involves more than just writing: you need to organize your paper around a compelling research question, engage with existing scholarship, understand and follow your field’s writing conventions, and convince editors and reviewers of your work’s value. Our experienced Graduate Writing Lab Fellows can help you strengthen the ideas in your paper, hone your writing for clarity and impact, and find a writing process that works for you. 

Get Feedback on Your Research Paper

Schedule a 1–1 consultation to get feedback at any stage, from brainstorming, to drafting, to polishing the final submission.

Book a Consultation

Preparing to Write

Spending time before you start writing to (a) organize your ideas and findings and (b) understand the conventions of a research paper in your field will make the writing process smoother and your final product stronger. The guides linked below can help you being to navigate this process. And you can gain additional support in our workshops and one-on-one consultations.

Writing a Journal Article

In addition to writing consultations, the GWL hosts division-specific workshops on research paper writing all designed to help you compose and market your paper effectively. Our colleagues in the Yale Library can help you identify an appropriate target journal and navigate the procedural aspects of publishing, like copyright and open access options.

Turning Your Dissertation into a Book

After graduate school, scholars in many humanities fields turn their dissertations into books to make their ideas accessible to a wider audience and to advance their academic careers. At our annual “Dissertation to Book” panel event, we host editors from academic presses to learn about how to effectively write, pitch, and edit an academic book. Some of those editors’ advice is collected below.

Explore GWL Programs

  • Writing Consultations

    Get 1-on-1 feedback at any stage of the writing process—from brainstorming to final edits.

  • Workshops & Panels

    Interactive opportunities to grow your academic writing knowledge or expand your toolkit of skills.

  • Peer-Review Groups

    Groups of 4–7 students who meet weekly to share feedback, make progress, and support one another on a common project.

  • Writing Retreats & All Writes

    Full-day and half-day events where graduate students set goals and write as a community in a quiet, supportive space.