So here is my dilemma: I have a rather long (~22000 words) dissertation chapter consisting of a structured thematic analysis of some 160 articles and a topographical analysis (á la spatial scientometrics) according to the geographical location of its publishers, authors and cited references. I know that i will not find a journal which will even consider to publish it as a whole. Splitting it in half is problematic: The thematic analysis in itself is not original research (of which I am in need as an early carrieer researcher) and is still too long (~14000 words+references) for a normal article. However, i can easily split the chapter in 3 mansucripts across 3 major topical blocs, and modify the topographical analysis to cover only the articles included in Tbloc A, Tbloc B and Tbloc C. If I do this, I will have 3 manuscripts, with normal word count, but with obvious similarities to each other (same methodology & structure, each analysing a subset of the same dataset). My concern is that after one ms is published, the others may seem to not have enough originality to be considered for publication. So, should i try to submit all three at once to different journals? That could backfire easily. Or, to publish only one, seriously cropped but still lenghty version of the full chapter? I'm just uncomfortable with this idea, as i put considerable effort in writing it. Please advise me; I am really out of ideas.
How about this: you decide which of the three topical blocks is the one you like the most, or the one that gave the best results from the point of view of the statistical analysis. Submit a paper on the complete analysis on that block. At the end of that manuscript, provide a very brief summary of the corresponding analysis of the other two blocks.
Then write in your letter to the journal accompanying the paper that you have made the decision to only cover one block out of three (with short summaries of the other two), and ask the journal editors for advice on what to do. If the journal is a good one, they will know that you are honest and that you ask for advice in order for the paper or papers to be as best as they can possibly be.
They may like it as it is. They may also say that you need to remove the two summaries and concentrate on one out of the three cases, or they may say that you should explain the analysis tool fully but then provide only sketches of the analysis for all the three cases. There are several possible responses that you can get, but if you are honest and explain what options you think is best - as well as ask for advice - then they will probably be supportive.
How about this: you decide which of the three topical blocks is the one you like the most, or the one that gave the best results from the point of view of the statistical analysis. Submit a paper on the complete analysis on that block. At the end of that manuscript, provide a very brief summary of the corresponding analysis of the other two blocks.
Then write in your letter to the journal accompanying the paper that you have made the decision to only cover one block out of three (with short summaries of the other two), and ask the journal editors for advice on what to do. If the journal is a good one, they will know that you are honest and that you ask for advice in order for the paper or papers to be as best as they can possibly be.
They may like it as it is. They may also say that you need to remove the two summaries and concentrate on one out of the three cases, or they may say that you should explain the analysis tool fully but then provide only sketches of the analysis for all the three cases. There are several possible responses that you can get, but if you are honest and explain what options you think is best - as well as ask for advice - then they will probably be supportive.
In case the dissertation is published people can already read the analysis in its best form: as one complete piece. If you want another publication, I like the advice of Michael because the journal editors have several more options. They can provide (if they really support the article) overlength, multipart articles with one review, online supplements, etc. And in the worst case you publish the most relevant part and can steer the interested reader to your thesis.
I think that you could submit the thematic analysis as review paper and then you can elaborate the topographical analysis as another paper.
Another option is to contact the editor of the journal you would like to send at and try to explain your lengthy contribution to verify if they are interested in the paper and if it'is possible to send three linked papers. In my past contact I was satisfied by this approach because you can verifity if your paper fit with the "feeling" of the editors avoiding loss of time related to an uncorrect/unfitting submission.
Another idea could be to send the thematic analysis and one case in a paper and the two other case in an other paper maybe in a different journal.
Moreover if the three block are similar but not the same (for example if you dissert on water, soil and air) you could send three different papers at the same journal.
I agree with MIchael, and I would also suggest you do an inventory of verbs of each block. You will see the similarities and unnecesary repetitions and you can split the entire work into two, or probably you will have only one quite well resumed. I have done this with some papers of my students. It really works to know if there are chance to have one, two or three papers; or, we just have a great splited idea! Good luck!
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