A significant challenge in social science and education writing is understanding and adapting to the issues that can impede communication of your content. These issues may be ethical, legal or professional.

Ethical considerations include:

• subjects’ right to privacy
• subjects’ right to understand the research in which they are participating and to provide informed consent
• treatment of vulnerable populations such as minors, non-native English speakers and older people
• appropriate respect for the dignity and humanity of research subjects.

Frameworks such as the Belmont report (USA) (1979) and the Australian code for the responsible conduct of research (Australia) (2018) outline ethical principles to guide social sciences research. For example, ‘respect for persons’, ‘beneficence’ and ‘justice’ are named by the Belmont report as the key ethical guiding principles.

Legal considerations include the following:

• Intellectual property. Is the research yours to communicate? You may or may not be entitled to publish without permission from an institution, supervisor, collaborator, etc.
• Defamation. Would your publication affect the reputation of any person or organisation?
• Time sensitivity. Are there any issues around the timing of the publication that should be considered (eg is the document subject to a press embargo)?

Other professional considerations include the following:

• Interdisciplinary work. Academic social science and education writing often has multiple authors from different specialist areas, with differing professional backgrounds, areas of expertise and frameworks of inquiry. Accommodate this when collaborating across areas of study. Also consider whether other contributors will need to have a say on the final content, timing or medium of the publication.
• Completeness. Is the publication sufficiently complete and polished to be released? Balance this against the desire for prompt publication of a timely idea. This is a strategic decision, as well as an intellectual one.
• Impact and prestige. Although prestigious journals are a natural target for academic research, there are benefits to publishing elsewhere. A journal with a narrow focus may reach more of your intended, specific audience.