publications prior to application?

[BrandNewName]

wondering what people's thoughts on being published prior to applying for PhD programs are?

i am doing my MA at the moment and have published two articles. one with blackwell, but in a field that i really have very little to do with anymore (it was my BA thesis focus). another with a postgraduate journal from an reputable british american studies association. i am just wondering if i should push to get somethin else published before applications are submitted?

what was your experience in applying - had you already published? how much? in what sort of journals/anthologies/etc?

[fuzzylogician]

i am just wondering if i should push to get somethin else published before applications are submitted?

Having publications will help your application a great deal - it's the best possible proof of your ability to conduct original research. So if you can get another paper published, definitely do that. The more publications you have, the better.

what was your experience in applying - had you already published? how much? in what sort of journals/anthologies/etc?

I had one published paper when I applied. I presented it at a (small) international conference and it appeared in its proceedings as well as somewhere else online. I also contributed to working papers in an ongoing project that wasn't published yet when I applied (well, isn't and won't be for a while to come but never mind that). I put my paper, a synopsis of my MA thesis and my working papers contributions on a website I created on my university domain. Some profs went to the trouble of reading everything and discussing it with me when we met, which was really great and helpful.