Writing the Second Book: A System for Meaningful Authorship and Career Development

Authors

  • Tara Brabazon Flinders University, Australia
  • Lauren Gray Libraries Tasmania, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v6i5.567

Keywords:

Academic Publishing, Academic Writing, Academic Professional Development, Research Training, Research Education

Abstract

The scholarly monograph is described through a cliché: the gold standard of research.  The most supportive structure for writing a monograph is within a doctoral programme, with peers, supervisors, professional development sessions, and time.  Such conditions rarely reappear after the doctoral examination. This article offers a system and model of how to configure the next step, and the second book. How do un(der)supported researchers continue to progress and publish, and not lose the curiosity and skills of researching and authorship?  This article provides a process through which a second book, and subsequent monographs, can be produced while in full-time work and adjacently aligned to the higher education sector.  As universities restructure and remove tenured staff, high quality academic research written outside of an institution is a reality.  The number of independent scholars is increasing, alongside post-PhD researchers in other professional fields. Therefore, this article probes how the second book can continue both career and professional development for doctoral graduates working outside of higher education.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alexander, E. (2025). Kingston parking plan questioned. Kingboough Chronicle. November 17: https://kingboroughchronicle.com.au/16359/kingston-parking-plan-questioned/

Alexander, M. (2019). The Decline of the Scholarly Monograph in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Perspectives on Scholarly Communication, 5-20.

Analysis: Study says 81 percent of Americans say they could write a book [DP]. Morning Edition, 21 Oct. 2002. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A162251218/AONE?u=anon~f1262ead&sid=sitemap&xid=d5017090.

Aria, M., Misuraca, M., & Spano, M. (2020). Mapping the evolution of social research and data science on 30 years of social indicators research. Social indicators research, 149(3), 803-831.

Armstrong, C. J., & Lonsdale, R. E. (2000). Scholarly monographs: why would I want to publish electronically? The electronic library, 18(1), 21-29.

Bishop, W. (2026). Americans still opt for print books over digital or audio versions; few are in book clubs. PEW Research Centre: https://www.pewresearch.org/?p=298755

Brabazon, T. (1996). ‘It started on Queen Street’: New Zealand popular music, cultural identity and the question of landscape. Continuum, 10(1), 152-167.

Brabazon, T. (1997). Boot politics: pondering the Antipodean Doctor Marten boot. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 11(3), 59-73.

Brabazon, T. (1998). What’s the story morning glory? Perth Glory and the imagining of Englishness. Sporting Traditions, 14, 53-66.

Brabazon, T. (1999). Noel Coward’s Singapore Sling. Southern Review: Communication, Politics & Culture, 32(1), 72-85.

Brabazon, T. (2000). Tracking the Jack: A retracing of the Antipodes. UNSW Press.

Brabazon, T. (2025). Ten drafts to complete your PhD. Transition Elements Press.

Brabazon, T. (2026a). Disseminating your research with drive, intention and focus. Author’s Republic.

Brabazon, T. (2026b). Academic Chapbooks. Transition Elements Press.

Brabazon, T., & Gray, L. (2026). More than Ticking a Box: Interdisciplinarity in Doctoral Education. Canadian Journal of Educational and Social Studies, 6(2), 18-42.

Cordón-García, J. A., Merchán-Sánchez-Jara, J., & Mangas-Vega, A. (2019). Evolution of the visibility of scholarly monographs in the academic field. El profesional de la información, 28(4).

Cronin, B. (2003). Scholarly communication and epistemic cultures. New review of academic librarianship, 9(1), 1-24.

Crossick, G. (2016). Why monographs matter. Against the Grain, 28(3), 12.

Handelman, D. (2009). What is happening to the anthropological monograph? (The onslaught of the journal article). Social Anthropology/Anthropologie Sociale, 17(2), 218-223.

Herzog, D. (2026). Reading Wars. LSE Press.

Kulczycki, E. (2018). The diversity of monographs: Changing landscape of book evaluation in Poland. Aslib journal of information management, 70(6), 608-622.

Kulczycki, E., & Korytkowski, P. (2020). Researchers publishing monographs are more productive and more local-oriented. Scientometrics, 125(2), 1371-1387.

Libraries Tasmania. (2026). Kingston Library upgrade and temporary closure: 16–22 March. Libraries Tasmania News. February 27: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/news/kingston-library-upgrade-and-temporary-closure/

Lindholm‐Romantschuk, Y., & Warner, J. (1996). The role of monographs in scholarly communication: An empirical study of philosophy, sociology, and economics. Journal of documentation, 52(4), 389-404.

Mann, P. H. (1980). The publishing of scholarly monographs. Journal of Documentation, 36(1), 1-10.

Mills, D., & Robinson, N. (2022). Democratising monograph publishing or preying on researchers? Scholarly recognition and global ‘credibility economies’. Science as Culture, 31(2), 187-211.

Mrva-Montoya, A. (2016). The ecology, evolution and future of the monograph. Against the Grain, 28(3), 8.

Olejniczak AJ, Savage WE, Wheeler R. The Rhythms of Scholarly Publication: Suggestions to Enhance Bibliometric Comparisons Across Disciplines. Front Res Metr Anal. 2022 Jan 25;7:812312. doi: 10.3389/frma.2022.812312. PMID: 35146240; PMCID: PMC8821823.

Quinton, J., & Brabazon, T. (2022). The vice chancellor in Australian universities: Understanding leadership beyond ‘bad apples’ and ‘unicorns’. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 3(1), 32-49.

Rørstad, K., & Aksnes, D. W. (2015). Publication rate expressed by age, gender and academic position–A large-scale analysis of Norwegian academic staff. Journal of informetrics, 9(2), 317-333.

Savage, W. E., & Olejniczak, A. J. (2022). More journal articles and fewer books: Publication practices in the social sciences in the 2010s. PLoS One, 17(2), e0263410.

Thelwall, M., & Sud, P. (2014). No citation advantage for monograph-based collaborations? Journal of Informetrics, 8(1), 276-283.

Waghid, Y., Waghid, Z., & Christie, P. (2019). Towards a philosophy of caring in higher education. Springer International Publishing.

Walker, R. (2019). The Art of Noticing: Rediscover what Really Matters to You. Random House.

Ward, K., Johnston, R., Richards, K., Gandy, M., Taylor, Z., Paasi, A., & McDowell, L. (2009). The future of research monographs: An international set of perspectives. Progress in Human Geography, 33(1), 101-126.

Downloads

Published

2026-09-09

How to Cite

Brabazon, T., & Gray, L. (2026). Writing the Second Book: A System for Meaningful Authorship and Career Development. Canadian Journal of Educational and Social Studies, 6(5), 81–99. https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v6i5.567

Issue

Section

Articles