So, You Got a PhD—What’s Next?

As an academic in Tanzania, earning a PhD is a proud milestone—but it’s not the end of the road. If your dream is to become a professor one day, the journey continues. The next rung on the Tanzanian academic ladder is Senior Lecturer—a position typically within reach three years after your PhD, provided you’ve earned at least three points from scholarly publications and two points from effective teaching.

This article is inspired by my recent presentation during the Open University of Tanzania’s Training on Scholarly Publication for Faculty of Law Academic Staff, held in the charming coastal city of Tanga in April 2025. Under the topic ‘Scholarly Publications–From Lecturer to Senior Lecturer,’ I shared my experience of navigating the world of academic publishing and promotion.

Why Publish? Beyond Titles and Paychecks

Academic promotion is merit-based—and rightly so. Beyond prestige, a promotion brings real benefits: a greater responsibility in engaging with students and stakeholders, a slight bump in salary, access to a house allowance, the chance to retire at 65 instead of 60, and most importantly, it lays the foundation for further advancement to Associate and Full Professor. But the publishing journey isn’t always straightforward, and that’s exactly why we’re here.

Academic Publishing: The Common Traps You Might Not See Coming

Many academics fall into a post-PhD lull, needing time to breathe and recover from the intensity of doctoral studies. That pause, though understandable, can disrupt momentum. Then comes the niche crisis—many of us struggle to identify their specific research focus. This can kill motivation to write, and lead to scattered and incoherent research and scholarly output.

Time traps are another common pitfall. Three years may seem like a lot, but in the publishing world, it flies! Journals have long backlogs, reviewers take months, and promotion review committees and boards don’t move quickly either. Some lecturers also fall into the ‘publish-just-enough’ trap, producing work that barely meets the criteria but doesn’t meaningfully contribute to their field.

Worse still is falling prey to predatory journals or submitting to journals that have little impact and visibility. One subtle challenge is losing touch with the real world—detaching from your sector. You end up missing the link between theory and practice and ignoring emerging issues that could give your research fresh relevance.

Practical Moves That Make Publishing Work for You

But don’t worry—it’s manageable! Based on both my experience and what we shared during our recent training, here are some practical strategies to keep your publication journey vibrant and purposeful.

Start with a plan. Right after your PhD, take time to define your niche and sketch out a two-year publication roadmap. That gives you a year of buffer time for review delays or life’s curveballs. Mine your PhD—your thesis/dissertation is a treasure trove. Extract standalone papers from chapters or findings, but please, don’t copy and paste. Adapt, refocus, update, and polish.

Diversify and prioritize your publications. Yes, book chapters and conference papers are useful—but prioritize journal articles, especially in reputable international journals. They carry more weight in promotion scoring, offer broader reach, and enhance scholarly visibility. Attend conferences, but aim only at those that publish proceedings. If they don’t, turn your presentation into a journal article afterward.

Ask hard questions before submitting to any journal. Inquire about the publication timeline to avoid ending up in back issues that won’t count toward promotion. Don’t just aim for three articles—go for six, I did seven. This covers you in case your papers score fewer points than expected and shows your commitment to scholarship beyond promotion.

Use what you have. If you’re involved in research consultancies, ask for permission to publish using the data. Acknowledge your sources and make that work count twice. Get mentors and collaborators—work with senior scholars, co-author papers, and learn the ropes. Join editorial boards or review journals to understand how decisions are made.

Brace for rejection. It may come. It’s normal. Revise and resubmit. It’s part of the publishing dance. For those in public institutions of higher learning in Tanzania don’t forget…fill out your Public Employee Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS) form religiously. No matter how brilliant your articles are, if your PEPMIS is not in order, promotion won’t happen.

Publishing Takes Time: Here’s My Real-Life Journey

It’s easy to think three years is a lot—but publishing takes time. Writing a paper can take months, and once submitted, you should expect 9–12 months to pass before publication. Publishing is not just about writing—it’s about revising, waiting, being rejected, revising again, and waiting some more.

Many factors influence the timeline. Journals often have backlogs and might accept your paper but schedule it far ahead. Volunteer reviewers can take time, especially in peak seasons. Major revisions can add months—especially if there’s a second round. Higher-ranked journals also take longer due to stricter standards.

But each paper tells a story—and each delay taught me something priceless. Here’s a glimpse into my journey:

Constitution-Making Process in Tanzania (2011–2014): A New Era for Women Political Participation? co-authored with Alexander Makulilo took 1.5 years to publish after an initial rejection. Lesson: co-authoring builds confidence and allows you to learn the publishing ropes.

Legal Protection for Women with Disabilities Against Sexual Harassment in Tanzania, published by Routledge in 2024, took five years from start to finish. COVID-19 slowed things down, but the opportunity itself came through a professional connection outside academia—so stay connected.

The 2020 Chadema Special Seats Dispute in Tanzania was published in the Journal on African Elections within nine months. The lesson here was to leverage current events—they make for rich, relevant research.

Exploring Suitable Electoral Systems in Tanzania and Rwanda took nine months and was upgraded from a conference paper. Don’t let your presentation stay buried in a PowerPoint—turn it into a manuscript.

Political Parties Act as a Stumbling Block to Women’s Leadership was published six months after being accepted by a journal that had previously rejected three of my earlier papers. The lesson? Don’t give up on a journal—realign and try again.

Promoting Women’s Participation in Tanzania: Assessing Voluntary Gender Quotas in CCM’s and CHADEMA’s Constitutions took two years and went through two rejections before finally landing in the Journal of Southern African Studies. Never throw away a good paper—revise, refine, and resubmit.

The Reception of Covid-19 Denialist Propaganda in Tanzania, a co-authored paper with Robert Macdonald and Thomas Molony, also took two years. Sometimes, patience is your greatest publishing tool.

Your Pen Is a Ladder—Climb It

Publishing is not just about promotion—it’s about finding your voice, building your academic identity,  contributing meaningfully to knowledge, and addressing everyday challenges facing our society. The path may be slow, uncertain, and full of surprises—but it’s one worth walking, one word, and one paper at a time.