What do an ECR and a broken wrist have in common?
A short introduction to my white paper that discusses the many similarities between recovering from a broken wrist and waiting for your first publication
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I published three single-authored articles in international journals before I submitted my PhD. They weren't highly-ranked journals, but my early publishing experience definitely built up my confidence. As a result, empathizing with ECRs worried their work would never get published didn’t come naturally to me. I understood their concerns, but I couldn’t really feel the often-existential angst that plagued them. So yes, I do plead guilty: as a senior academic I have told many ECRs not to worry so much, assuring them they would be alright in the end.
In my white paper "Why waiting for your first publication as an ECR and having a broken wrist have a lot in common", I explain why this doesn’t really work, dive into six other similarities between having a broken wrist and being an ECR waiting for your first paper, and explain where the analogy breaks down. If you were unfortunate enough to break your wrist (or another body part) too, or if you are simply curious what it is like, you may also find my detailed reflections in Did you break your wrist too? helpful.
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Copyright © 2026 Anne-Wil Harzing. All rights reserved. Page last modified on Wed 6 May 2026 14:58
Anne-Wil Harzing is Emerita Professor of International Management at Middlesex University, London. She is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business, a select group of distinguished AIB members who are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the scholarly development of the field of international business. In addition to her academic duties, she also maintains the Journal Quality List and is the driving force behind the popular Publish or Perish software program.
