Sharing Scholarship with Others in the Field
Sharing knowledge with others in the field is one of the most important aspects
of scholarship. Graduate students have a number of methods for creating
and sharing knowledge with colleagues in the field. Scholarship in
the form of class papers or projects may provide one or more products
worth sharing. Collaborating on research with faculty members or
other graduate students often leads to material that should be shared
with the field. Research leading to a thesis or creative component
may offer possibilities for re-analysis, synthesis or repackaging
in forms that would meet the needs of a colleague.
When contemplating the creation of a scholarly paper, always be sure
that issues concerning ownership of data and scholarly material are
clear. A student who has researched a topic independently, conducted
his or her own survey and analyzed results clearly owns the data
and is entitled to a single-author paper entry. Generally, faculty
may offer suggestions for analysis of data or theoretical orientations
with no expectation of joint authorship. However, it is always safest
to make sure there is an understanding before proceeding too far
with a paper.
In cases in which a graduate student is hired by a professor to work
on a research project, the project and professor generally "own" the data. Although in many cases the professor or project staff will be happy
to have a graduate student carve out an area of the research for
a thesis, paper or journal article, most projects have rules about
co-authorship. A thesis is to be an independent work of the student,
and may not be co-authored or jointly produced. However, papers or
journal articles produced by projects are often co-authored, since
members of the research team may all make contributions. Before deciding
to produce a paper or journal article based on data from a project,
the student should consult with the project leader and team members
concerning co-authoring rules and responsibilities.
Opportunities for sharing scholarship are described briefly below:
School Research Seminars
Papers at Scientific Conferences
Journal Articles
Professional and Academic Associations
School Research Seminars
The Greenlee School holds several research seminars each
semester that provide an opportunity for faculty and graduate
students to present their resesarch and scholarship. Presentations
often focus on completed
research, but in some cases they have focused on theory development,
methodology or other aspects of scholarship. In some cases,
the purpose of the presentation
may be to encourage faculty/student reaction and input into
an ongoing activity. In other cases, it is simply to share
knowledge. The research seminars are
usually organized by the graduate coordinator. Contact graduate
coordinator Lulu Rodriguez if you
are interested in giving a presentation.
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Papers at Scientific Conferences
Graduate students are eligible to submit papers to a number of regional,
national or international communication associations. Papers must concern
original research reports that have not already appeared elsewhere.
This does not preclude writing more than one paper on a given topic,
but each paper must be distinctively different, perhaps in its method
of analysis or theory base. Some associations, such as the Association
for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, require that the
entire paper be submitted by the deadline. Other organizations may
require that only an abstract of the paper be submitted, with the full
paper to be completed and distributed at the meeting. One often does
not need to be a member of the organization at the time the submission
is made. However, it is often a requirement to present the paper itself
at a professional meeting.
Papers are often refereed, meaning several judges review each paper
and select only the best for presentation at the meeting. At the AEJMC,
acceptance rates for papers run from a low of 25 percent to a high
of 65 percent accepted. Some organizations offer special entry classifications
for papers that were written solely by a graduate student or students.
Others require that all papers be judged equally. Typically, papers
that are submitted will receive comments from the judges who reviewed
them. When a student hears that a paper has been accepted for presentation
at a meeting, information is often provided concerning the length and
form of the presentation.
A standard form of presentation would be at a research session in which
three or four authors might make 15-20 minute presentations followed
by comments by a respondent and questions from the audience. Recently,
poster sessions have become popular. At these sessions, a number of
authors set up displays in a large room. The audience wanders around
the room visiting with specific authors about their research, allowing
the audience member to speak directly with an author.
A few associations, such as AEJMC, nominate some of their papers to
be part of the ERIC database. These papers become part of an international
database with full-text papers available to users. AEJMC and other
associations have also begun to make papers available online. At the
time an author is informed that his or her paper has been accepted,
the author is also asked for permission to place the paper on ERIC
or an online database.
Students interested in submitting papers to professional association
competitions may seek advice from their adviser or major professor
concerning the best outlet for their scholarship. When a paper is accepted
for presentation, a student may request that the Greenlee School help
support the financial cost of presentation.
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Journal Articles
A valuable reference for any graduate student contemplating submission of a report
of research to a journal is The Iowa Guide: Scholarly Journals in Mass Communication and Related Fields, published by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University
of Iowa. The guide provides information about 128 journals in journalism,
communication and speech. For each, it indicates the focus of the
journal, its organizational affiliation if any, its target audience,
circulation, frequency of publication, review method, turnaround
time for reviews, acceptance rate, preferred length and address of
the editor.
Refereed journal articles vary widely in quality and topic, however,
they are considered to be one important indicator of the quality
of scholarship. The more prestigious the journal, the higher the
evaluation of the scholarship by the author. Thus, graduate students
who publish in journals often gain an advantage over those who do
not when seeking jobs in academia.
One should never submit the same journal article to more than one
journal at a time. Instead, submit to one's first choice and await
the response. If unfavorable, modify and submit to the second choice,
etc.
Many times a reviewed article comes back with requests for substantial
changes in theory, methodology or analysis. Read the letter from
the editor carefully. It may indicate that the submission was rejected
and that the decision will not be reconsidered. However, more commonly,
it will be rejected with specific comments about how changes might
improve it. In these cases, the author is invited to make the changes
and resubmit the article for publication. It is very uncommon for
an article to be accepted with no changes. Once accepted by a journal,
the author may indicate on a resume that the article has been "accepted for publication." When the date, volume or issue become known, this information should be added.
A student should never list a journal article when it has only been
submitted for consideration unless this is carefully noted.
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Professional & Academic Communication Associations
Professional communication associations offer graduate students an opportunity
to learn more about programs at other schools, meet faculty and participate
in the intellectual life of the field. Those who plan careers in
academia are strongly encouraged to join an academic professional
association. Those who plan professional careers should join a journalistic
or communication professional association.
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
This organization represents departments, schools and colleges of journalism
and communication. It includes 3,300 individuals, most of whom teach in journalism/communication
and has specialized interest groups in theory and methodology, public relations,
advertising, science communication, information technology, broadcast, history,
law, etc. An annual Convention s held each summer in different parts of the country. Paper submission deadline
for the convention is April 1 each year. Graduate students in journalism and
mass communication are not eligible for regular membership. Dues entitle student
members to issues of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, Journalism & Communication Monographs, Journalism & Mass Communication Directory and AEJMC News.
Agricultural Communicators in Education
This organization represents faculty who teach agricultural or rural communication,
extension communicators and others who work in agricultural or rural communication.
The organization holds an annual convention. There is a research division that
conducts a refereed paper competition. The association publishes a research
journal, the Journal of Applied Communications, which comes with the membership.
International Communication Association
The International Communication Association brings together 3,400 academicians
and other professionals whose interest focuses on human communication. Through
its divisions and interest groups, it promotes the systematic study of communication
theories, processes and skills.
National Communication Association
This association, with 7,100 members, promotes the study, criticism, research,
teaching and application of the artistic, humanistic, and scientific principles
of communication.
American Association of Public Opinion Research
This organization specializes in research dealing with public opinion and holds
an annual convention with research paper presentations. All members receive
the journal Public Opinion Quarterly.
Broadcast Education Association
The Broadcast Education Association is the professional association for professors,
industry professionals and graduate students who are interested in teaching
and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. There
are currently more than 1,400 individual and institutional members. BEA has
membership categories for individual faculty, individual students, academic
institutions, industry professionals and state broadcast associations. For
individual faculty and students, membership comes with a lower convention registration
fee and membership in up to four BEA interest divisions. Individual members
and graduate student membership also comes with subscriptions to our academic
journals, the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media and the Journal of Radio Studies.
Radio-Television News Directors Association
The Radio-Television News Directors Association is the world's largest professional
organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents
local and network news executives in broadcasting, cable and other electronic
media in more than 30 countries. RTNDA members benefit from publications, training,
advocacy and many opportunities to meet with and learn from colleagues. Membership
entitles students to a subscription to Communicator, RTNDA's award-winning
monthly magazine. RTNDA members receive discounted registration fees for their
annual meeting. RTNDA membership guarantees access to the latest industry research-tracking
trends in news profitability, Internet use, newsroom salaries, newsroom staffing,
women and minorities in the newsroom, habits of the local television news audience,
and radio usage.
