Sneaking in, hopeful academic needing help.

[TheDrsDocMartens]

I’ve just finished my BA and have applied for a taught MA.
I loved research and writing my dissertation and my advisor suggested I edit it with the aim of publication. It can be edited to different fields but how do I find the right journals to try for?

[truffles42]

Some disciplines have journals dedicates to postgrad work - some of these are online. That might be a good place to start.

[BeatriceBeaudelaire]

I’d be surprised if BA level work was published

[nNina22]

I would start by looking at your bibliography. Where were your references published ie which journals? If you didn't reference any journals it is going to be difficult however there are some journals that publish papers from postgrads and early career academics. Not knowing your discipline it's difficult to be more precise.

[Summerswallow]

There is no way from the outside, without knowing the topic, we could advise you! That's really specialist knowledge. I couldn't advise even a colleague in the same department, I'd only advise on journals I write for and know of in my very small field...

One way to go about it is to find out where others have written on similar types of topic (not the same topic but say you did a qualitative interview study in health, where that type of research is published). Look where the studies you cite, and are methodologically similar to you, are published from your lit review and start there.

It doesn't sound like he's going to be that much help though....how would you know the journals/which framing to put on it at this stage of the game?

[TheDrsDocMartens]

He’s said he’ll check it and help from that point of view but I need to decide which direction to steer it but I’m wavering as I don’t know many journals.
I’m trying not to be specific about my subject but it’s quite niche and my dissertation was a topic that there isn’t much research on.

[ArbitraryName]

I published from my undergrad dissertation and I know of one other person who has too. In both cases, it was very much supported and driven by the supervisors.

My supervisor advised me to write it up for X journal (and how to) and looked at drafts. He was incredibly generous and I'd never have been able to do it on my own.

[Summerswallow]

I agree, your best bet is publication with the supervisor/advisor and not on your own, as you need their help and guidance at this stage. I very rarely read UG dissertations that are publishable quality, even at the good grade end- have published the odd Masters level work, but if it is that good, then work with them on this as they will have an idea of where is realistic and how to edit for publication. I work with students very actively when I'm second author and would advise on journal type/writing the abstract/adding theoretical depth, all of which they may struggle on a bit.

[japanesegarden]

Ask your advisor. In most fields, it would be very unusual for any work coming out of a BA to be of a level where publication is likely. If your advisor recommended this, I would think that either your work is completely exceptional or that your advisor was being over optimistic. Either way, you need someone who knows both your work and the likely journals to suggest where to go, so your advisor would be the obvious person - even if you have now left that institution.