| Getting
Ideas |
Discuss ideas for research and creative works with colleagues. |
| Network
with scholars and professionals at other institutions. |
| Set aside a regular time (each week/month) to stay current
on the literature or the latest creative activities in your discipline. |
| Research & Data Analysis |
Regularly involve graduate or undergraduate students
in research and/or creative works. Apply for a Mentored
Environment for Learning Grant or encourage students to apply
for the ORCA scholarship
grants. |
| Develop your ability to use more complex data analysis
techniques for your work or institute tighter systems for data collection
and analysis. |
| Learn to use the resources at the BYU
Center for Statistical Consultation and Collaborative Research. |
| Writing |
Set aside daily blocks of time to write or work on creative
activities—at least 15-30 minutes each day. |
| Write/create in a setting away from your office and
phone (at home, in the lab or studio, in the library, etc.) |
| Have
"writing office hours." Don't answer the phone, email, or
the door during your writing hours. Put a sign on your door or turn
off the lights in your office if it will dissuade people from knocking
on your door during your writing office hours. |
| Don't
finish the literature review first: read as you write; write as you
read. |
| Feedback |
Note names of several established scholars in your research
area and develop strategies for initiating conversations with them
regarding areas of common interest: seek their counsel, ask them to
review sections of your pre-publication materials, send them reprints
or other representations of your scholarship, etc. |
| Share
early drafts of your work (even at the outline stage). Commit to having
a number of colleagues review your work as it progresses. |
| Hold
yourself accountable to a supportive partner. |
| Meet
with peers to share drafts and get feedback. |
| Send
your drafts to Faculty
Editing Service for review (Marv Gardner, (801)
422-1253, 4045 JFSB, BYU, Provo, UT 84602). |
| Publishing |
Talk
to a potential editor/publisher/producer about work you are proposing.
Find out if it will be suitable for that venue and explore ways to
make it more appropriate for that audience. |
| Submit
cover letters, abstracts, sample chapters, or plans to several publishers/producers. |
| Don't
wait until you have "perfected" your piece. Get it into
an editor's (or producer's) hands as soon as you can. |
| Have
a back-up plan in case a piece is rejected. Have envelopes prepared
and ready to send to the next potential venue. |
| Other |
Develop organizational skills: prioritize, simplify,
identify tasks to delegate to others. |
| Review requests for proposals from external funding
agencies. |
| Regularly
involve graduate or undergraduate students in your work. |
