-10 years, 10 publications… and 10 lessons from drafts that never got published-
A decade ago I published my first article, and this year paper # 10 is about to go live. LinkedIn often celebrates the “yeses”, but rarely shows the projects that stalled along the way (projects that were essential for later improvement and success).
Today I want to balance the conversation by sharing what I learned from my "ghost" abstracts and papers (BIM in public projects; BIM + AR; VR + BIM; BIM in education in Colombia; BIM complexity in architecture and civil engineering; Innovation and connectivity):
1. Don’t start writing until your results are clear; without solid data the narrative collapses during review.
2. Technology alone is “hype” if it doesn’t show measurable impact.
3. Pivoting the research question is often better than abandoning the study.
4. Local cases persuade when they show value to global audiences.
5. Title, objective, and conclusion must be aligned.
6. Choosing the journal before writing minimizes “desk rejections”.
7. If the study doesn’t fit the journal’s focus, it will be a no; aligning the work with a relevant special issue multiplies editorial interest.
8. Interdisciplinary co-authorship raises both rigor and visibility.
9. Every “no” is a free prototype: my checklists are shaped by previous reviewer comments.
10. The strength of the finding and its contribution matter more than the publication itself.
Speaking openly about our failures, learning from each misstep, and sharing those lessons (and what they leave us in terms of method, focus, and insight) may be one of the most useful ways to drive collective progress.
#academia #research #PhDjourney