University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno and the Graduate Student Association recently hosted its first Manuscript Accepted! Scholarly Publishing Symposium for Nevada graduate students and faculty. Manuscript Accepted! was a one-day symposium designed to help graduate students and faculty successfully navigate the scholarly publishing process and get their work published. The inaugural event took place on February 12 from 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Joe Crowley Student Union. The event was free of charge to attendees thanks to generous donations by a variety sponsors including: Emerald, Elsevier, IEEE, SAGE Publishing, and Wiley.

The Symposium was designed to help debunk popular myths that surround the scholarly publishing process. More than 70 graduate students and faculty attended the event.

Planning Committee member and University Libraries Social Sciences Librarian Teresa Schultz

"Several librarians and representatives from the University's Graduate Student Association identified a need to help students and faculty navigate the publishing process," Planning Committee member and University Libraries Social Sciences Librarian Teresa Schultz said. "The Symposium addressed a variety of issues related to publishing including, but not limited to: working with editors and coauthors, navigating the landscape of data sharing policies, choosing where to publish, open access publishing and pitfalls to avoid." 

The Keynote Speaker for Manuscript Accepted! was Nevada professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Mae Gustin. Gustin's primary research area is the biogeochemistry of mercury in the environment. She has also spent considerable time studying atmospheric chemistry and ozone.

"I originally started out with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Geosciences," she said. "I publish papers in journals such as Environmental Science and Technology and Science of the Total Environment. I have several papers in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and Atmospheric Measurement Techniques."

She added, "I personally feel that having the opportunity to be in an academic position is a privilege; you get to spend your life working on things you find fascinating and teach others. You have the opportunity to become an expert in a specific area such as an art medium, developing specific teaching methods, designing robots, etc. An important part of our job is getting our work out to the world, and this is done through publishing in various ways.

"It was my pleasure to speak with Manuscript Accepted! attendees and share my scholarly publishing knowledge with them," Gustin said.

University Libraries hopes to continue this program in the future. To learn more about Manuscript Accepted! please contact Teresa Schultz via email at teresas@unr.edu.

Additionally, if you are a Nevada student or faculty member in need of publishing assistance you can always reach out to your Subject Librarian for support. Librarians are available to provide guidance and support to students and faculty in a variety of ways.

For example, Librarians provide the following support services:
Research Consultations
Students, faculty, and staff can schedule personalized research consultations with librarians. 

Publishing and Copyright
Librarians can answer your questions about the publishing process, including issues related to copyright, scholarly metrics, online publishing, open educational resources, and open access journals.

Data Management
The Libraries can help you find, organize, and share your data. Librarians can help with creating data management plans and determining where to publish your data in accordance with requirements and recommendations from journals and funding agencies.

Data Wranglers
Need help learning the basics of R and Stata? Schedule a meeting with our Data Wranglers for help.

Library Workshops
Check out the library's on-demand workshops on research and technology skills or schedule specialty workshops for classes or groups. Common workshop topics includes Endnote Online, Video Recording & Editing, 3D Modeling, Data Management, Zotero, Mendeley, Your Rights to Your Published Work, Patents & Trademarks, and Where to Publish.

Technology and Media Services
The Knowledge Center and DeLaMare Libraries offer a variety of technology services in support in research including a visual reality studio, a GIS depot, poster and 3D printing, a makerspace, and labs that contain high-end software for GIS, statistics, math, video and audio editing, and much more. 

About University Libraries:
University Libraries is a traditional academic library that fully embraces the digital culture of the world we live in. University Libraries embrace intellectual inquiry and innovation, nurture the production of new knowledge, and foster excellence in learning, teaching and research through scholarly resources, creative learning spaces, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional service.