Research Guide for Library Faculty: Conference paper to journal article

Conference papers can often form a solid basis for a full-length article, but tend to require some key alterations to bring them into line with the requirements of peer-reviewed journals. This page outlines tips, processes, and further information for taking a conference paper one step further.

Typically, there are two main hurdles in this process: a lack of writing time to develop the paper (and a lack of deadlines to offer motivation), and the need to reframe the paper to suit the needs of a particular journal and a broader audience than the conference itself.

Each of these hurdles requires its own distinct plan. Below is an overview of the components that a writing plan could contain. At right are links to resources that discuss these steps, and other advice, in more detail.

Writing a new paper: before the conference

• As you write, flag places in the paper that will later need attention to become a journal article
• Consider: how do the conference and journal audiences differ? How do your goals for the conference paper vs. the journal article compare? What background/context will need to be expanded or explained? Is there additional evidence that can be brought in? What bodies of literature do you intend to engage with more thoroughly?
• Include your references and citations as you would for a print piece; it's tempting to skip this step at this stage, but working as you would for your eventual journal article will make the process more efficient later on

Writing a new paper: after the conference

• As soon as possible, make note of the questions and feedback you received
• Examine these responses in light of the notes you made for yourself while writing, but at this stage don't seek to address small, individual details -- instead, aim to consider the feedback in aggregate, as additional guidance for the direction of your paper

Transforming a previous conference paper

• A conference paper typically has a fairly brief introduction and conclusion; re-examine your argument and overall structure of the paper, and flesh out your introduction to emphasize these points with additional detail
• Examine the writing style of the conference paper: is it currently written for a more informal oral delivery? Will you need to make changes to make it stylistically appropriate for a journal?
• A journal may have a broader audience/readership than an individual conference presentation -- ensure that you've explained all necessary terms/concepts and avoided jargon that may have been specific to the context in which you were presenting
• Flag areas in the paper where you omitted or abbreviated context, evidence, arguments, or findings to fit the limitations of the conference paper -- your journal article will be strengthened by including more indepth discussion
• Are there additional images or figures that would enhance your argument and your presentation of your evidence?
• Have there been new developments in your topic or in the literature since you initially wrote the paper? If so, how do they relate to your findings? If not, is this also noteworthy?

General tips

• One of the biggest challenges in the process of turning a conference paper into a journal article is time: both time available and time management
• Set a deadline for submitting your article and create a detailed, step-by-step timeline of the steps necessary to adapt the conference paper
• Come to the C-EBLIP writing circle to help support these goals!

These tips have been adapted from the readings at right.

“From Conference Presentation to Journal Article.” Jo VanEvery (blog), June 4, 2013. https://jovanevery.ca/conference-presentation-to-journal-article/.

Levett-Jones, Tracy, and Teresa Stone. “Writing for Publication: Turning the Conference Paper Into Publishable Work.” In Writing for Publication in Nursing and Healthcare, edited by Karen Holland and Roger Watson, 145–61. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118702727.ch9.

“MLA : Publications : How to Convert an Oral Presentation to a Manuscript.” Accessed December 18, 2017. http://www.mlanet.org/page/how-to-convert-an-oral-presentation-to-a-manuscript.

Montesi, Michela, and John Mackenzie Owen. “From Conference to Journal Publication: How Conference Papers in Software Engineering Are Extended for Publication in Journals.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 59, no. 5 (March 1, 2008): 816–29. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20805.

“Things to Remember When Transforming Your Conference Paper into a Journal Article.” Politics Blog (blog), March 16, 2016. http://politicsblog.ac.uk/2016/03/16/things-to-remember-when-transforming-your-conference-paper-into-a-journal-article/.

Thomson, Pat. “From Conference Paper to Journal Article – Writing in Small Chunks.” Patter (blog), June 6, 2016. https://patthomson.net/2016/06/06/from-conference-paper-to-journal-article-writing-in-small-chunks/.

“Turning Conference Papers into Articles.” The Little Professor. Accessed December 18, 2017. http://littleprofessor.typepad.com/the_little_professor/2014/11/turning-conference-papers-into-articles.html.