Dr. Katherine D. Harris
English 201 (Fall 2007)


Listserv Report

Page Length:  400-600 words
Due Date: October 16 (changed to Oct. 30)
Final Form: Essay, Presentation & Wiki
 
The literary profession has become easier to access because of the interconnectedness of scholars. Conferences were generally the place to make impressions and deliver new scholarship. However, for the past 10 years, listservs have become the preferred community for scholarly queries and community-building. For this reason, you will subscribe to a listserv in your area of interest, e.g., 18th-Century British Literature. After monitoring that listserv (and even posting if you feel so inclined), report on its efficacy, professionalization and general use. We will post these reports to the course wiki in our continuing efforts to build an encyclopedia of research and scholarly strategies. On the day that the report is due, everyone will present their findings.

The listserv's readers are scholars and academics who study all aspects of literature some of whom we are reading this semester. There is a particular etiquette to posting on a professional listserv, therefore before you post anything, observe proper nettiquete. (For instance, you might let them know that you�re a graduate student.)

See these links for lists of literary, scholarly listservs. Usually an organization sponsors a listserv. Instructions for subscribing to a listserv are included on the websites. A listserv, if active, will send the email messages from other subscribers. You may participate in the conversation, or you may just observe.

Literary Studies Listservs & Newsgroups (Voice of the Shuttle): http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2976 
Literary Academic Discussion Groups: http://pages.towson.edu/duncan/litlists.html 
Literary Resources on the Net: http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/ 
Scholarly Society Project: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/society/literature_soc.html 


PREPARING THE REPORT:
For the final report (and oral presentation), you need to tell us about the efficacy, professionalization and general use of this particular listserv. Begin by summarizing the listserv's intentions (particular literary field or theoretical purpose). On the day that the report is due, you will also post your report to a Wiki so everyone can refer to your findings (and possibly decide whether to subscribe or not). The report should be 400-600 words.