Writing for publication is expected in the academic world. As researchers, our ability to engage in research is just one step toward making an impact in the world of research and practice. Research, no matter how well designed and conducted, would not be meaningful if it is not shared with the public. In this sense, our identity as academics is, first and foremost, as a professional writer who tells the stories of their research. In fact, Corbett, Cornelissen, Delios, and Harley (2014) did indeed consider academic papers as examples of storytelling. So, we must develop our written communication skills to effectively tell our research stories. As the editor of Human Resource Development Review (HRDR) for the past 2 years, I have reviewed a large number of manuscripts, and sadly (desk) rejected many. Through my editorial experience, I have identified some common issues that exist across submissions; they vary greatly in terms of significance, from major issues such as conceptual and methodological flaws, and lack of “newness,” to minor issues such as illogical structure, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistency. While the minor issues do not warrant the rejection of a manuscript, they do paint a negative picture of the authors. This is especially so when the issues are easy to fix (e.g., grammar, spelling, and format); they just reflect poorly on the writers. Therefore, this editorial is motivated by one purpose—to call to your attention the need to act more responsibly as a writer—to write professionally—so that you enhance your chance of success in publishing your research.

What does it mean by being responsible? How can you take full responsibility as academic writers? To me, being a responsible writer means (a) critically assess your work to ensure its quality, (b) seek feedback from multiple sources, and (c) understand the requirements of your target journal.