There was a day when the only outlets for scholarly writing were professional journals and books – both of which remain the most fundamental and foundational resource for the knowledge of the discipline. Learning to contribute to these traditional resources remains essential. Now there is the additional avenue of professional – scholarly blogs, like this Nursology.net blog and website. We are delighted that many of the contributors to the Nursology.net blog are early-career scholars who are on a path to becoming published nursology writers. But all of us, even experienced scholars/writers, are learning how to use blogs as resources for learning, and for sharing our knowledge.

Blog posts are shorter than journal articles, and there are subtle differences in “tone” – blogs tend to be less formal and less structured along traditional lines, and they often include opinion, or casual advice or life lessons that selcome appear in journal articles. But the key distinction that matters in terms of credibility is that most blogs (including this one) are not “peer reviewed” using systematic review processes that journals use. Members of the Nursology.net site Advisory Team participate in a review of blog posts that are submitted for publication, and we provide feedback to the author as needed. We are concerned with accuracy and credibility, and for the blog’s relevance in relation to the purpose and mission of the website. We welcome the author’s own “voice” – their own unique style, creativity, opinions and perpsectives. Blogs are more like editorials in journals, and “op-eds” in newspapers. These types of publications are important in the way that works of fiction are important – they open windows of possibility for the reader to consider, and insights into perspectives and experiences beyond the reader’s own experience.

The evolution of web sites and internet blogs brings a new level of confusion and new learning challenges for anyone who is writing for publication! Writer’s Camp to the rescue! There are no universal definitions or conceptualizations about the nature or definition of blog posts versus journal articles, but Leslie Nicoll and I have published an article on Writer’s Camp titled “Blog Post, Journal Article, or Both?” Check out this article for our guidance related to how and why to contribute to blogs, and how they differ from journal articles! Also refer to our Nursology.net guidelines as you consider how you might contribute to our blog .Blog posts will not substitute for journal articles when it comes to developing your professional dossier, but contributing to a blog gives you a writing experience that will serve you well in developing your professional writing skills.

Writer’s Camp features a series of nine articles to guide the development of manuscripts intended for journal publication titled “Manuscript Success” authored by Leslie Nicoll. Leslie has conducted many writing workshops through the National League for Nursing, and she offers consultation and professional editing services through Maine Desk, LLC. The “Manuscript Success” series includes:

• Article One – Manuscript Success: The Process and Topic Selection
• Article Two – Academic Papers: Considerations in Topic Selection
• Article Three – Manuscript Success: Journal Due Diligence
• Article Four – Journal Due Diligence Part II: Special Considerations
• Article Five – Journal Due Diligence Part III: Journal Finders
• Article Six – Using a Template Article: Why It Works
• Article Seven – Template Article Analysis: How To Do It
• Article Eight – The Manuscript Math Outline
• Article Nine – Manuscript Success: Writing the First Draft

When you write a blog, the process is less structured, and you are free to let your creative juices flow! Think in terms of how you would write a letter to a colleague, or a class presentation or lecture intended to be about 5 minutes in length, or a “talk” for your club – perhaps even a TED talk! You need to be attuned to who your audience will be, and to the purposes and focus on the website or the blog that you are writing for. On Nursology.net we require that your blog post include at least one link to any of the many resources offered on the website. Head over to our “Contribute to the Blog” page, where we provide guidance for topics as well as writing style!

Bottom line – use these and other resources to guide your approach to publishing in journals and to blogs! Find the ideas that work for you, and sharpen your writing tools for ultimate success!