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Developing a Research Program in Humanities

Developing a Research Program in Humanities. Carol Colatrella Professor, Literature, Communication & Culture Co-Director, Georgia Tech Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology. Research goals. Present at major conferences Network/collaborate with other scholars

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Developing a Research Program in Humanities

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  1. Developing a Research Program in Humanities Carol Colatrella Professor, Literature, Communication & Culture Co-Director, Georgia Tech Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology

  2. Research goals • Present at major conferences • Network/collaborate with other scholars • Find funding/fellowships/libraries • Publish books and articles in recognized journals • Develop research reputation • Receive invitations to speak • Serve as reviewer/editor

  3. Observations • Few tenure-track jobs in humanities • Positions/curricula fit university missions (not traditional categories) • Fewer university presses • More electronic journals • Teaching and service choices should support research decisions • Universities value service and innovative teaching, but they reward research funding and publications

  4. Factors • Disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise and interests • Conditions and resources • Institutional mission/strategic plans, external audience • Timeline and deadlines • Projected outcomes and advancement

  5. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise and interests • Field of study/one’s fit to discipline • Dissertation to book • Expected products for advancement from assistant to associate and from associate to full: books, refereed articles, fellowships, invitations • Areas of interest—Personal passion --Growth field --Professional organizations --Likely impact

  6. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise and interests: CC • Education: liberal arts (Great Books), comparative literature, literature and science • Graduate school teaching in English composition and world literature • Dissertation: Darwin’s evolutionary theory related to novels by Balzac, Zola, Faulkner • Positions sought in English/humanities • 1st article: co-written with colleagues on first job about Great Books writing program • 2nd article/job talk (related to dissertation): on figure of Liberty in Zola and Michelet • First book: revision of dissertation

  7. Conditions and resources • Topics of research: convergence of scholarly expertise and interest, teaching responsibilities, and service • Unit, institutional, disciplinary support: training, grants, fellowships, collections in libraries and archives • Schedule interim and final products (presentations to articles to books)

  8. Conditions and resources: CC • Working at Rensselaer and living in Albany, NY: taught American literature and interdisciplinary humanities and sciences, required shifting research field • Research in Northeastern university libraries, NYPL, and NY State Library • SCT seminars on theory and American literature • Funding from RPI, NEMLA, Library Company of Philadelphia, Univ. of Oregon • Co-edited book: Cohesion and Dissent • 2nd book: Melville’s fiction & moral reform

  9. Institutional mission/strategic plans, external audience • Fit projects to teaching schedule, curricula, emerging programs • Look for collaborations in unit and beyond • Find resources/funding to support research • Figure out where to place products--presentation, article, book, others • Determine likely reviewers from journals, conferences, seminars, workshops

  10. Institutional mission/strategic plans, external audience: CC • Hired by LCC, Georgia Tech, in 1993 to teach courses in literature; Science, Technology, and Culture, and English composition • Collaborating with M. F. Fox & M.L. Realff to develop women’s studies STEM research at GT --WST Minor, 1995 --WST Lrn C, 2000 --WST Center, 1998 --WIRES, 2008 • Fulbright, 2000: teaching/researching Melville & gender studies • GT NSF ADVANCE: research on advancing female faculty & bias in faculty evaluation, 2001-07 • Fulbright NCS, 2005-06: professoriate in age of globalization • Products--ADEPT tool, ADVANCE & NCS articles, 3rd book:Toys and Tools in Pink • In process--WIRES articles & 4th book

  11. Timeline and deadlines • Work on research every day in some way (read, search, write, plan) • Write as many days as possible • Establish daily, weekly, monthly schedules and deadlines • Accept only invitations that fit scholarly and personal/family priorities, schedule, research decisions • Long-term project (book) is top priority; design/accept short-term projects that lead up to book

  12. Projected outcomes and advancement • Consult colleagues • Know expectations of unit, college, institute regarding promotion/tenure and promotion to full • Time release of interim and final products to fit expectations and deadlines • Stay focused on current project • Recognize careers have phases: there will be time later for other projects

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