system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Do I need an MA to be taken seriously for publishing?

Hello,

Quick recap. I majored in the History of Science and Tech. With my last semester focusing Automotive History, basically because I'm a car guy and wanted to learn more. After college I've began work as a mechanic and like it a lot. I'm hoping to be fully certified in my state by the end of next year. 

After that, I would really like to dedicate spare time toward researching Auto Safety Laws state to state and accident data, publishing as I go for years and years until I have enough material for a book.

I would like to get an MIS and focus on this topic pretty much the whole time, but REALLY can't afford to take out loans or do it full time.

But, do I need a Master's to even consider doing this? Will most journals turn me down even if I do credible research?
gpt
Typically, you need to be associated with a school or some kind of research institute to be taken seriously when you're trying to publish academically. If you'll notice *who* is publishing in credible journals, you'll find there's always a school (or research centre) listed after their name. This is where they're at, not where they went to school. The submission system a lot of reputable journals use will actually require that you enter all of your academic information into it -- name, current position, institution you're associated with -- and it strips this information when it's sent out to reviewers. Those categories (at least from the journals I've submitted to) always have an asterisk after them and you're required to fill them out to actually submit anything.