On the afternoon of May 29th, a workshop aiming to deepen the understanding of the publication process especially in SSCI-indexed journals was successfully held by the School of Economics (SOE) in classroom 105, SOE. This workshop was attended by Ma Wenli (Mandy), the international student counselor, and all the international students. The workshop was hosted by Eren Can Gürbüz from Turkey, a PhD student from the SOE who has published SSCI papers during his continuing PhD education.

At the beginning of the workshop, Eren first elaborated on how to identify a unique and applicable topic. He suggested drawing information from news and media, as they always keep up with the latest news and recent publications. Eren also emphasized the way of thinking, stating that there are no restrictions on thinking in terms of place and time, but the key lies in having a logical reason behind all the factors in the research question and idea.

During the workshop, he shared his main strategy for considering a paper based on his own experience, intuitively explaining the reasons behind each step to help the students have a clearer understanding of the requirements for paper writing. He introduced the steps of “finding an appropriate journal” and “finding a specific topic” that aligns with the topic and emphasized that the title should be clear and precise to understand so that the reader can grasp the purpose of the publication.

Regarding the literature review, he suggested reading recent papers, such as those from the past 5 years, and reading from top journals. Eren gave an example of the literature review and asked the students to focus on its structure and point out the logical flow/coherence within the paragraph. Moreover, he introduced more database options to assist in research. He also shared his strategy for checking the paper quality and how to utilize the rejections to improve and revise manuscript.

At the end of the workshop, Ramiz Murtaza from Pakistan shared his stress management strategies during his PhD journey based on his own experience, as he went through the pandemic era.

This workshop has significantly enhanced the understanding of practical writing among the international students present, allowing them to acquire more knowledge about paper writing skills, which is beneficial for further cultivating their habits of reading and writing literature. It not only encompasses academic aspects but also provides valuable insights into the social life within the academic realm.