Watch all three special sessions here!
Last August, SASA held three special sessions at the second annual Virtual Conference 2022. These sessions were focused on building a community for independent scholars within the field of Ancient Studies. The third session was a workshop on publishing forums, with presentations from five different publishers on their openness towards independent scholarship, as well as some advice for getting published as an independent. The discussion was moderated by Glenn Corbett, the Editor in Chief of the Biblical Archeology Review magazine.
First to speak was Stephanie Budin, the Editor of Near Eastern Archeology. Near Eastern Archeology is published by ASOR, the Archeological Society of Overseas Research. Budin explained that Near Eastern Archeology is geared towards more popular audiences, releasing “shorter articles, generally with much glossier pictures.” NEA is still a peer-reviewed publication, but important for independent scholars is that NEA follows a double-blind peer-review process. A concern for independent scholars when it comes to publishing is the worry that they won’t be published because of their lack of credentials or affiliations. According to Budin, however, the double-blind peer-review process does not allow for either the author nor the peer-reviewer any information about the other. “Who you are is completely irrelevant because it is anonymous.” Articles reviewed at NEA are judged for content, not the authority of the author. That being said, Budin emphasized that content must be up to scratch. “Write a good article that really says something meaningful.” She also advised that knowing the publishing timings, world limits, and commonly published content is vital in the publishing process. All of this information can be found through researching a chosen publication.
In terms of content, Budin gave several warnings about articles focused mainly on archeology and art history, namely the taboo of publishing an article on a dig before the head of the excavation team has published their own article. Breaking this taboo will cause the submitted article to be thrown out, even if the excavation team hasn’t published their article for years. In addition, Budin advised that knowing the origin of your artifacts is always vital, as no publisher will risk associating themselves with stolen articles. Copyright is also an issue, as there is a strict difference between licensing images of 2D pieces and images of statues and sculptures.
Next to speak were the Chief Editors of The New Classicists Journal, Dr. Jordon Houston and Giuseppe Ficocelli. Similar to NEA, The New Classicists Journal is also double-blind peer reviewed, and follows the same line of reasoning with regard to academic association. The journal is run by postgraduates and early career researchers, and aims to “highlight exciting new research” coming from other postgraduates and researchers who are around 5 years past their PhD. Because of this, the New Classists aim to make the publishing process educational, helping new researchers on their way to becoming established. Dr. Houston advised that their publishing process is very long, with around six months of time from submission to publication. He agreed with Budin regarding the main advice surrounding publication, but also suggested that going to supervisors or mentors for feedback is also a wise choice. Proofreading is vital when it comes to publication, as submitting a very rough article makes the process longer and harder for editors.
The next presenter was the Archeology and Biological Anthropology Development Editor for Sapiens magazine, Keridwen Cornelius. Contrary to the prior presenters, Sapiens’ target audience is more for the popular audience, with a more journalistic theme. While not being peer-reviewed, Sapiens is thoroughly fact checked. Being more a popular science magazine, Sapiens’ publishing process is pitch-oriented, so the publication is more involved in the writing process. The end result is interesting articles that keep the reader’s attention, bringing Ancient Studies to a popular audience.
Fourth to speak was Rupert Gatti, the co-founder of Open Book Publishers, a non-profit organization designed around publishing books that are open access. Accessing resources is difficult for independent scholars, so the open access movement aims to make resources accessible for the public with no paywalls or academic connection required. Making these books available also increases demand, and sales of paper copies increases when online copies are made free. The peer-review process is only single-blind, so the peer-reviewers are made aware of the author once the book is published. Even so, Gatti emphasized the support that Open Book has for independent scholars.
The final publication showcased was also based around open access. Jan van der Crabben, the founder and CEO of World History Encyclopedia, spoke on the importance of historical knowledge in public spheres. World History Encyclopedia publishes articles that are not only free to read, but also understandable to the public. Independent scholars are welcome to submit, as long as they have relevant experience. Similar to Sapiens, the Encyclopedia uses an editorial team rather than traditional peer-review. The target demographic is 14 years and older, without backgrounds in history. As one of the most trusted history resources in the world, publishing for the World History Encyclopedia gives an opportunity for independent scholars to reach a much wider audience.
The Workshop on Publishing Forums sought to bring independent scholars more knowledge on the different types of publications they can submit their work to, allowing them more confidence and flexibility when it comes time to share their research. From academic journals to more popular-focused publications, there are many opportunities for independent scholars to write and be published, even though they have no affiliation with any institution.
This special session was but one of the three special sessions held at SASA’s Virtual Conference 2022. Highlights of the other sessions can be found below.
SASA thanks all our presenters and participants for their attendance at this year’s Virtual Conference. Special Session 2 and all sessions from this year’s conference are posted on SASA’s Youtube channel. [Opening the Ancient World 2022 - An Ancient Studies Virtual Conference - YouTube]
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