Q: Can I convert my unpublished dissertation into a journal article?
I will be publishing my dissertation in the Fall of 2019, but I am basing my journal article for AACE on much of it, while incorporating new research into a more succinct literature review for the journal article. I am following your guidelines to rewrite or paraphrase the most relevant parts of my journal submission.
It is quite a popular practice to publish parts of your dissertation as a journal article. Generally, when universities publish thesis/dissertation papers, they print out copies of it and circulate it internally. In such cases, the thesis is not considered to be formally published, and this will not affect your journal article in any way.
However, if the thesis/dissertation is published by a serious academic publisher and made publicly available, then there could be a problem. In that case, you should ensure that the journal article is published before the dissertation. This is because journals publish only original content that has not been published before.
Additionally, it is advisable to inform the editor at the time of submission that your article is based on your dissertation, mentioning the tentative publication date of the dissertation. It is always better to clarify such things at the beginning rather than face allegations of misconduct later. You should also remember that a thesis and a journal article are two completely different sub-genres of academic writing that cater to different audiences and set different expectations. You should take the basic idea from your dissertation and rewrite it in the form of a journal article. Also, make sure that you cite the dissertation in the article.
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This content belongs to the Conducting Research Stage