Faculty writing accountability groups: A protocol for traditional and virtual settings.

Area of Science:

• Academic Publishing
• Scholarly Communication
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Faculty publishing is crucial for performance but faces barriers like initiation, time management, and completion.
• Lack of deadlines for manuscript submissions exacerbates writing challenges.
• Writing accountability groups (WAGs) are linked to enhanced faculty writing productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of writing accountability groups (WAGs).
• To detail the process, participants, outcomes, benefits, challenges, and consequences of WAGs.
• To share a protocol for implementing WAGs, adaptable for virtual and in-person settings.

Main Methods:

• The paper reviews the structure and function of WAGs.
• It details the adaptation of WAGs to a virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A shared protocol for establishing WAGs is presented for faculty and doctoral students.

Main Results:

• WAGs are associated with increased faculty writing productivity.
• The study highlights benefits including improved writing habits and scholarly communication.
• Virtual and hybrid WAG models can facilitate attendance and participation.

Conclusions:

• Implementing WAGs, including hybrid models, can effectively address faculty writing barriers.
• WAGs foster scholarly writing, improve habits, and create networking opportunities.
• Sharing WAG protocols can support the establishment of these productive groups.