Laboratory for Sport Psychology and Performance Excellence (LSPPE) alumnus Dr. Jessica Ford (McDaniel College) and LSPPE doctoral student Kenneth Ildefonso Jr. have successfully submitted and published research completed while earning their master’s degrees at Ithaca College and Minnesota State University-Mankato, respectively. Dr. Ford’s research focused on the lived experiences of flow that musicians experienced during an optimal music performance, while Mr. Ildefonso’s research investigated if athletes’ attitudes toward athletic trainers and sport psychology consultants differ considering the nature of athletic ability beliefs and previous experiences with these professionals.
Their UWM faculty advisor, Dr. Arvinen-Barrow, commented on their success:
“I am incredibly proud of both Jess and Kenny. The process of disseminating research through academic journals is typically a long and arduous process. It is characterized by a roll-a-coaster of submissions, rejections, re-submissions and revisions, before a potential acceptance for submission, and by default, is certainly a process where resilience and perseverance are needed for a successful outcome. It is tempting for doctoral students to leave their master’s level work behind in favor of focusing on their doctoral studies, but I think there are numerous benefits in preparing their early work for submission, regardless if they end up getting it published or not.”
Recently, Dr. Ford and Mr. Ildefonso answered a few questions on the publication process.
How would you describe the process of preparing your master’s research for publication?
Dr. Ford: “The process primarily involved eliminating excess content to glean the best information suitable for a manuscript. My qualitative master’s thesis was over 130 pages, and I needed to get it down to 6,000 or so words to be suitable for publication. Eliminating content comprised the bulk of my initial preparation process. My co-authors helped me identify what information was acceptable to eliminate (e.g., removing information not directly aligned with the purpose of my study).”
Mr. Ildefonso: “The process of preparing my master’s work for publication revolved around stripping down my master’s research to its nuts and bolts. Thereafter, I tailored the written study to a peer-reviewed journal’s mission and addressed its intended audience respectively. This process occurred recurrently until my study was coherent with the journal it ended up being published in.”
What are the benefits of going through the publication process?
Dr. Ford: “Publishing my master’s thesis helped me to realize that my research is meaningful and not just a line on my CV. Within weeks of the publication being in press I received correspondence from musicians and music educators all around the world who have either utilized my work in their practice or want to include my article in their classes. These individuals would not have been exposed to the work if I did not publish my master’s thesis.”
Mr. Ildefonso: “My submission and peer-review process were a long roll-a-coaster ride filled with delays and rejections, and new submissions. The benefit I gleaned from that process is to pick my battles and learn to say no. Publishing process is a competitive process, a lot of which is not in the author’s control.”
What is your advice for doctoral students going through the process of publishing their master’s research?
Dr. Ford: “The biggest piece of advice that I received when I was going through this process was to remove all the emotion from the process. It is hard not to become emotionally invested in a project that takes years to complete. Reframe the publication process as just a job that you need to complete. There is a great likelihood that your manuscript is going to be rejected from a journal or two before it finds a home. If your manuscript is rejected, decide which reviewer feedback improves the quality of your manuscript and which reviewer feedback is irrelevant. Apply the important revisions, and then look for a new journal.”
Mr. Ildefonso: “Be sure to separate self-worth from research prowess. This process was only one aspect of working toward my doctoral degree. If I were to have dwelled on it, I would have been distracted from my class work and current research. Likewise, a little bit of patience took me a long way.”
Ford, J., Vosloo, J., & Arvinen-Barrow, M. (2020). ‘Pouring everything that you are’: Musicians’ experiences of optimal performances. British Journal of Music Education, 37(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051720000078
Ildefonso, K., Blanton, J., Durwin, C., Arvinen-Barrow, M. & Kamphoff, C. (2020). A preliminary investigation into collegiate student-athletes’ attitudes towards athletic training and sport psychology consultants. The Journal of SPORT, 8(1), 55-75. https://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/node/10477/24-12-PB.pdf#page=56