I was looking over some of last year's notes from Literary Scholarship and thought I'd report on them. I wouldn't call some of these things rules. Anne was careful to point out that many of these things were general observations and suggestions, and that there were also many exceptions.
Dissertation Stuff
- An ideal dissertation is 5 or 6 chapters (including the Introduction and Conclusion) and 4 chapters is the absolute minimum. It often breaks down as follows: Introduction / 3 chapters of expansion / Conclusion (I'm not spelling out numbers for quick reference purposes). ;)
- Single-author books are the most difficult books to publish in the U.S.
- Publishers love cross-over books.
- How many primary works in a chapter? In general terms, mention 6. In detail, mention less.
- We must research journals if we're going to submit something for publication because they are looking for reasons NOT to publish us.
- Join email lists for organizations that interest us. Watch for specialized calls for papers.
- Listen to committee's advice.
- Routledge is very open to publishing dissertations in one field.
- One article in a major journal is more important than 4 articles in small journals.
- Give 2-3 conference papers; anymore won't help.
- Need thesis, a point, for conference proposals (which shouldn't be more than 1 page). papers should be 8-10 pages; we should make only 1 point; allow for 2 1/2 minutes per page (reading aloud).
- Establish place in critical conversation right away.
- Have a claim to originality.
- "In this paper I will argue that ..." Clumsy is okay if it's clear.
- Avoid rhetorical questions.
- Avoid not knowing where you are going.
- Have a point.
- Remember that nobody remembers what the proposal says when we give the paper.
- (Contradicting what she said before): There doesn't have to be just 1 point: It can be 1 complex idea but stated in a single sentence.
1 comment:
VERY interesting! I need to start studying the journals more closely. When I see my advisor in couple of weeks (!), I'll be asking for her guidance on conferences, etc.--getting her opinion on when she thinks some of my arguments will be ready to put out there. I don't think I'm there yet. Anne's point about the number of conferences is interesting, as is her argument about one good journal versus four weaker journals.
When I'm doing my research, I'm very happy, but when I think about the bigger picture, I just feel so out of my league!
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