Letizia Guglielmo

Understanding Academic Genres

In “Understanding Academic Genres,” we list and define typical formats associated with academic publishing (abstracts, conference presentations, book reviews, bibliographical essays, journal articles, book chapters, monograph proposals, book-length studies, edited collections, conference proceedings, etc.), providing guidelines for producing these texts. We also discuss other forms of intellectual inquiry and academic publishing (podcasts, grant writing, bibliographical entries, writing for non-profits, editing, blogging, annotated bibs, etc.) that provide other ways to begin producing and supporting research.

The Role of the Researcher

In “The Role of the Researcher,” we provide encouragement for carefully considering and defining relationships among material, audience, and scholarly venues. We hope that this discussion will prompt readers to find new avenues for capturing and documenting their work, and perhaps add a new dimension to ongoing research interests. We discuss various research methodologies, IRB guidelines, primary research methods and methodologies, research with human subjects, the scholarship of teaching, and research with students.

The Rhetoric of Submission

In “The Rhetoric of Submission,” we ask readers to consider how they might begin making their work public, and we point to heuristics and prompts for thinking about ways to merge research interests with publication venues. Here we offer suggestions for responding to Calls for Papers, contacting editors before submitting work, and establishing networks. We also define and outline steps for placing scholarship and offer guidelines for understanding the relationship among writer, reader, editor, and publication venue; reconsidering audience; negotiating submission guidelines; and determining realistic timelines. We also include a discussion about what happens after work is accepted for publication

Introduction: Negotiating the Terrain

In “Introduction: Negotiating the Terrain” we explain the rationale for this project, stipulate our intended audience, and outline the scope of this work. In this chapter, we introduce the external narratives appearing throughout the text, including current conversations on the realities of contingent faculty work in higher education, we define our terms, and we explore possibilities for expanding existing notions of scholarly inquiry. In addition to offering an overview of the text, we suggest strategies for using this volume as part of developing a scholarly research agenda and supporting professional development.

Digital Publishing and Intellectual Property

In “Digital Publishing and Intellectual Property,” we explore the possibilities and limitations of publishing online—as well as publishing with digital presses. We include a discussion of promotion and tenure issues often associated with electronic dissemination of scholarship, and provide readers with strategies for making digital work visible. This chapter also discusses shifting copyright laws in publishing and the process of developing courses for distance learning, particularly the challenges facing contingent faculty who may not be compensated for scholarly work. Finally, we offer readers strategies for aligning digital scholarship with institutional expectations, mission statements, and with founding principles of the profession.

Establishing a Community of Scholars

In “Creating Communities of Scholars,” we draw from recent scholarship on mentoring and professional development—along with our own experiences—to suggest ways both mentors and mentees can create spaces for professional development and opportunities and sustainable models of scholarship that are both ethical and highlight reflective pedagogical practice. We focus on crafting mutually beneficial relationships among contingent faculty, tenure-track faculty, and directors of large-scale classes that contingent faculty members often teach. Here, we expand our audience to include these three groups because we see these relationships as opportunities for reciprocal mentoring, whereby various department members work together to improve instruction, morale, and working conditions.

Balancing Professional Work: Teaching, Research, and Service

In “Balancing Professional Work: Teaching, Research, and Service,” we argue that the happiest, most successful academics are those who blend professional tasks. Although the responsibilities of contingent positions are often time-consuming and poorly compensated, seeking ways to merge personal research interests with traditional academic responsibilities can alleviate burnout and help teacher-scholars envision ways to fully capture and document the work they may already be doing. In this chapter, we offer profiles and models for integrating teaching, research, and service and suggest ways to fully capture and document the work we do. By viewing interests through the lens of institutional mission statements and goals, teacher-scholars find opportunities for engaging in personally satisfying work that also meet institutional initiatives and mandates.