Rationale and Objectives
Publishing is critical for academic medicine career advancement. Rejection of manuscripts
can be demoralizing. Obstacles faced by clinical faculty may include lack of time,
confidence, and optimal writing practices. This study describes the development and
evaluation of a peer-writing group, informed by theory and research on faculty development
and writing.
Materials and Methods
Five clinical-track radiology faculty members formed a “Writers' Circle” to promote
scholarly productivity and reflection on writing practices. Members decided to work
with previously rejected manuscripts. After members' initial meeting, interactions
were informal, face to face during clinical work, and online. After the first 6 months,
an anonymous survey asked members about the status of articles and evaluations of
the writing group.
Results
Ten previously rejected articles, at least one from each member, were submitted to
the Circle. In 6 months, four manuscripts were accepted for publication, five were
in active revision, and one was withdrawn. All participants (100%) characterized the
program as worth their time, increasing their motivation to write, their opportunities
to support scholarly productivity of colleagues, and their confidence in generating
scholarship.
Conclusions
Peer-support writing groups can facilitate the pooling of expertise and the exchange
of recommended writing practices. Our peer-support group increased scholarly productivity
and provided a collegial approach to academic writing.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 27, 2015
Accepted:
December 6,
2014
Received:
July 23,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
