Prof Hsieh Chih-wei Shared the Publication Experiences and Skills in Public Administration for the “Collaborative Research Postgraduate Students' Seminar Series”
The School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University and The Education University of Hong Kong co-hosted the "Collaborative Research Postgraduate Students' Seminar Series" in the 2024/25 academic year. The second online seminar for Term 2, held on 13 March 2025, featured a compelling presentation by Prof Hsieh Chih-wei from the City University of Hong Kong on “Publishing Success in Public Administration: Tips from the Associate Editor—and an Author”. The seminar attracted over 50 online participants, including postgraduate students and academics from various institutions.
Prof Hsieh is an Associate Professor at Department of Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong. His research interests include public human resource management, organisational behaviour, and the interaction between public service personnel and citizens. He has published over 30 papers in SSCI journals, including Public Administration, Public Administration Review, and Public Management Review. Since 2021, he has served as the Associate Editor of Public Administration, managing hundreds of paper submissions worldwide and gaining valuable insights into the publication trends in public administration research.
In this seminar, Prof Hsieh addressed the most pressing publication challenges and common concerns faced by scholars, particularly within the field of public administration. Drawing on interaction with audience, he emphasised the critical importance of aligning research with the objectives and editorial policies of target journals. He further provided an in-depth overview of the peer review process and highlighted recent advancements in academic editor management platforms, equipping participants with practical insights to enhance their scholarly endeavors.
Prof Hsieh presented detailed journal statistics during the session, offering young scholars a vivid overview of current publication trends and acceptance rates across leading international journals. Given the high rejection rates of these top-tier publications, he provided actionable strategies to avoid desk rejection, underscoring the importance of clarity, methodological rigor, significance, impact, and polished writing quality in manuscript preparation. Addressing emerging tools in academia, Prof Hsieh further emphasised the role of AI in academic writing while cautioning against potential risks to originality and intellectual integrity.
Using the Public Administration journal as a case study, Prof Hsieh focused on replication studies, examining successful examples to illustrate key elements such as research focus, methodologies, replication types, and outcomes. He further delved into the execution of replication studies, dissecting the process through the lens of a published success story.
Closing the seminar, Prof Hsieh shared practical publication advice for early-career researchers, stressing the necessity of meticulous planning and rigorous execution. He encouraged young scholars to begin research early, deeply engage with existing literature, collaborate actively, employ robust methodologies, refine writing quality, and maintain persistence. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, where participants eagerly exchanged insights on publication experiences with Prof Hsieh.
The “Collaborative Research Postgraduate Students' Seminar Series” will continue throughout March to June 2025.
About the Collaborative Research Postgraduate Students' Seminar Series
The collaborative seminar series aims to provide a platform for research postgraduate students to share their work, engage in insightful discussions, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the two universities. By bringing together scholars and students from different backgrounds, the series encourages the exchange of ideas and the advancement of knowledge in key research areas. Since this semester, the seminar series is also supported by the Section on Chinese Public Administration (SCPA) of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).
