From Dissertation to Publication: A Guide to Turning Your Dissertation into a Journal Manuscript - Qundeel.com

Turning your dissertation into a publishable manuscript can help advance your career, expand your professional network, and increase your research visibility.  Turning your dissertation into a publishable journal manuscript is a critical step for advancing your academic career, increasing research visibility, and expanding your professional network. Scholars and PhD students often underestimate how much effort is needed to transform a defended dissertation into a manuscript suitable for peer-reviewed journals. With the right strategies, guidance, and tools, this process becomes more manageable. Platforms like Qundeel.com offer specialized support for researchers, providing expert advice on manuscript preparation, journal selection, and submission strategies, ensuring your work reaches the right audience and maximizes its impact in your field. By following a structured approach, you can turn your dissertation into one or more high-quality manuscripts, showcase your original research, and significantly enhance your scholarly profile.To get started, follow these practical steps:

TL;DR:

  • Scope & Focus: Decide whether to create a single manuscript or multiple papers. Each paper should have a distinct scope and align with the aim and audience of its target journal.

  • Journal Selection: Identify journals that closely match your research. Start by reviewing journals most frequently cited in your dissertation.

  • Rewrite & Refine: Outline your manuscript clearly, tailor content to journal expectations, and revise for clarity and conciseness.

  • Submission Prep: Follow journal guidelines precisely, write a compelling abstract and cover letter, and check all formatting details carefully.


Step 1: Decide on the Scope and Focus of Your Manuscript(s)

Dissertations typically cover multiple research questions and extensive data. Begin by deciding whether your dissertation content is best suited for a single manuscript or multiple manuscripts. Factors to consider include the complexity of your research questions, the volume of data, and the potential audience.

For example:

  • If your dissertation includes both qualitative and quantitative analyses, you might split it into two manuscripts—one highlighting qualitative findings and another focusing on quantitative results.

  • A comprehensive literature review could become a standalone scoping review.

  • A detailed methods chapter, especially with innovative approaches, could merit its own methods-focused paper.

Next, narrow the focus of each manuscript. Decide whether to present all results or only a selection. Prioritize the most impactful, novel, and relevant findings for your audience. The aim is to tell a clear, concise story that aligns with the target journal’s scope.

When splitting your dissertation, avoid self-plagiarism by clearly distinguishing the focus of each manuscript, using different framing or theoretical perspectives, and rewriting content to ensure originality.


Step 2: Select a Target Journal

Once the scope is defined, identify a target journal whose readership, scope, and methodology match your research. Submitting to the right journal increases the likelihood your manuscript will resonate with editors, reviewers, and readers.

A practical starting point is your dissertation’s reference list. Journals cited frequently suggest a natural alignment. For instance, if your dissertation often references the Journal of Educational Psychology, that journal may be suitable for your work.

Once you have a shortlist, review each journal’s mission, scope, audience, and typical methodologies. Also consider:

  • Open access options (and associated costs)

  • Average review and publication times

  • Indexing in major databases

Selecting journals thoughtfully saves time and improves acceptance chances.

Alignment Table Example:

Dissertation Research Question Key Findings/Results Alignment with Journal Mission & Scope
How does student motivation impact academic performance in college students? Higher intrinsic motivation predicts better academic outcomes. Publishes studies on academic achievement and motivation.
What role does peer support play in college student resilience? Strong peer networks enhance resilience and wellbeing. Covers social factors affecting educational outcomes.

Open Access Considerations:

  • Paywalled: Free for authors, restricted for readers.

  • Open Access: Free for readers; authors often pay APCs.

  • Hybrid: Authors choose between paywall or open access.

Beware of predatory journals that charge fees without proper peer review. Verify legitimacy via Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, and editorial board evaluations.


Step 3: Rewrite and Refine Your Manuscript

Transforming your dissertation into a manuscript requires intentional planning, careful content selection, and structured revisions.

Outline Your Manuscript:

  • Use a published article from your target journal as a model.

  • Identify sections (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion).

  • Note style, structure, and content depth expected.

Determine Essential Content:

  • Dissertations include extensive background to demonstrate understanding. Now, focus on content directly relevant to research questions and results.

  • Use a checklist to decide what stays:

    • Does this directly answer my research questions?

    • Is it essential to understand the results?

    • Does it fit the journal’s scope?

    • Is it redundant elsewhere?

Map Your Content:
Use the alignment table to map research questions and results to your manuscript outline.

Revise for Clarity and Conciseness:

  • Eliminate redundant phrases (“due to the fact that” → “because”).

  • Present results only once.

  • Use active voice (“Students showed…”).

  • Remove qualifiers (“It seems possible that” → state conclusion).

  • Simplify sentence structures and break down long sentences.

  • Limit literature summaries to key references only.


Step 4: Prepare for Submission

Once your manuscript is ready:

  • Follow journal guidelines for formatting, references, tables, figures, and word count.

  • Write a concise abstract summarizing purpose, methods, findings, and implications.

  • Prepare a cover letter highlighting relevance, significance, and ethical compliance.

  • Verify references, formatting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Publishing your dissertation is rewarding yet challenging. Be patient and persistent. You’ve accomplished something remarkable—now it’s time to share your insights with the scholarly community. Good luck!

 

Start Your Publication Journey Now

Qundeel.com is a trusted academic support platform offering expert dissertation, thesis, and manuscript writing services. With a team of highly qualified PhD and Masters-level researchers, Qundeel.com helps students and scholars turn their research into high-quality, publishable work. Committed to originality, clarity, and timely delivery, the platform also provides guidance on journal selection, formatting, and publication strategies, making it a one-stop solution for academic success.