Abstract
Introduction
Publishing has never been more important for academics. For postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and early career researchers (ECRs) showing an ability to publish in high-quality journals acts as an important currency when applying for academic jobs and progressing in academic careers. However, making the step from PhD research to publishing can be daunting and challenging. A key priority at the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (IJEI) is to support PGRs and ECRs (defined as within 5 years of being awarded their PhD). As part of this, we have created a new Fresh Perspectives Research Notes series, which provides a dedicated space for PGRs and ECRs to publish in IJEI. Supervisors and more established academics are welcome to support by co-authoring these research notes, but PGRs and ECRs should be lead authors. Below we provide an outline of what Fresh Perspectives Research Notes are, what they can cover, and why they are beneficial to the writer, the reader and the academic community in general.
What is a fresh perspectives research note?
Fresh Perspectives Research Notes in IJEI are short pieces (up to 2000 words) that provide authors with a platform to put forward innovative arguments, questions, critiques and/or reflections. Here lies an important piece of advice for writing a Fresh Perspectives Research Note – do not be afraid to be innovative and provocative. They should be seeking to stimulate a reaction in the reader and to catalyse debate and discussion. Academic conventions paradoxically seek new knowledge whilst often dampening the opportunity for radically innovative ideas and argumentation. IJEI's Fresh Perspectives Research Notes offer a pause from such conventions.
Certainly, citing academic literature is important, but it is crucial not to be constrained too much by what prior literature suggests. Whilst arguments should be well substantiated, this can be achieved by citing experience, examples 1 and logic in addition to academic literature. It is all about balance. Ultimately, your scholarly voice should be at the forefront of the research note, not hidden behind large swathes of literature. Therefore, when you write a Fresh Perspectives Research Note for the journal see this as an opportunity to hone your academic voice and to put your thoughts front and centre in the narrative.
Fresh Perspectives Research Notes should begin with a brief introduction in which the authors contextualise and outline the key argument to be built. The main body of the Fresh Perspectives Research Note will then advance this argument, before a closing piece that looks to the future. In the closing section you may wish to discuss what you would like the reader to take away with them and what conversations you hope the research note will stimulate.
What should a fresh perspectives research note cover?
Whilst Fresh Perspectives Research Notes submitted to IJEI must focus on entrepreneurship, the scope of potential topics is naturally broad. They may challenge existing topics and methodological conventions within the field and/or seek to engender new ones. Despite this, we believe that most Fresh Perspectives Research Notes are likely to engage with one of three broad areas of focus: topic, methodology or academia.
Topics
In terms of topics, Fresh Perspectives Research Notes can be used to give visibility to subjects or theories that are currently absent or semi-absent from entrepreneurship research. Here the research notes can be used to promote the value of the subject or theory and critique the lack of focus on them in entrepreneurship scholarship to date. To avoid a one-dimensional argument, consideration could also be given to challenges with adopting the topic or theory. Alternatively, you may wish to write a research note that adopts a critical perspective on a topic that has not previously been subject, in your view, to enough critical scrutiny. You may feel that an established topic or theory adds little value to the field of entrepreneurship and that alternatives are available that are more value adding. Such arguments can certainly be provocative, but that is what the Fresh Perspectives Research Notes are for.
Methods
Fresh Perspectives Research Notes may be used to critically reflect on methodologies that are established or new to the field. Are there particular methodologies that are under-utilized amongst entrepreneurship scholars? Have you adopted such methodologies? How did you adopt them and what value, if any, might they bring to the field? Similarly, you may wish to reflect on the challenges of adopting particular methods to research entrepreneurship. Here, your learning from experience in the field could be recounted to counter the more typically linear and neat portrayals of research methods often found in journal articles. Alternatively, are there any methods that are over used and adopted when they are not the most suitable? If so, why is this problematic and what alternatives may be better?
Academia/scholarship
Fresh Perspectives Research Notes can also be used to reflect on academia more generally. Being at the early stage of your academic career you have a valuable perspective to offer here. You may feel, for example, that particular conventions for publishing entrepreneurship research are problematic, constrain research practices or detract from the value of research. A research note could offer a good avenue for putting forward such arguments. You may wish to reflect on academic conventions and how they help or hinder entrepreneurship PGRs and ECRs. What could be changed within academia to enhance the experience and value of conducting entrepreneurship research? Another area you may consider is the impact of entrepreneurship research. The ability of academic research to influence entrepreneurship in practice is often debated. Perhaps, you feel that entrepreneurship research has a greater influence on practice than it has been given credit for. Maybe you dispute the necessity for research to inform practice. You may feel there are ways to strengthen the impact of entrepreneurship research that have been overlooked in the field. Arguments such as these could be put forward effectively in a Fresh Perspectives Research Note.
Whilst we have outlined a number of potential topics that could be covered, it is important to keep each research note focussed on one argument, given the word count restrictions. Furthermore, although we anticipate that most Fresh Perspectives Research Notes will engage with topic, methodology, or academia, we are, of course, always open to different lines of argumentation and areas of focus where they add value to the field of entrepreneurship.
Why are fresh perspectives research notes beneficial?
The Fresh Perspectives Research Notes series aims to give PGRs and ECRs a voice and an opportunity to engage dialogically with the academic community without typically having to utilize empirical data. It provides valuable exposure to the publication process and experience of submitting scholarly work, including learning how a concise academic piece is developed for a targeted academic journal, how effective cover letters to editors are written, how the submission systems in journals work, how the review process is carried out and how comments from reviewers are dealt with (should your submission go through the review process). The authors will also learn to consider what to do if reviewers make contradictory suggestions, what role editors play in guiding and steering authors, how changes are integrated into a manuscript and what should be included in responses to reviews that maintain the integrity of your original rationale whilst keeping reviewers on board. Furthermore, engaging with journals and the publication process is an essential step for PGRs and ECRs to become reviewers themselves. There are many workshops for PhD students and ECRs where you can gain valuable advice on these issues but experiencing them first-hand provides an additional important source of learning to complement these.
The benefits of the Fresh Perspectives Research Notes also extend to the scholarly community more generally. PGRs and ECRs are often conducting research at the forefront of entrepreneurship scholarship and are especially immersed in the latest academic thought within the field. Fresh Perspectives Research Notes offer the opportunity for the wider scholarly community to become aware of such insights. Pertinently, being new to academia provides fresh perspectives that may escape more established and institutionalised academics. As such, we believe that PGRs and ECRs are in a particularly valuable position to stimulate new thinking and debate in the reader and amongst the wider scholarly community.
Our hope is that the Fresh Perspectives Research Note feature of IJEI will attract insightful and innovative work that will provide an important stepping stone to further academic publishing for PGRs and ECRs, whilst stimulating debate and helping shape academic practice within the field of entrepreneurship. We look forward to your submissions!
Footnotes
1.
Fresh Perspectives Research Notes do not draw on empirical data in the same way that traditional empirical papers do, although small insights from your data can be provided to support your arguments.