GREENSHEET
Description | Objectives | Readings | Modules and Assignments | Grading | Technical Notes
Description
The health of a profession depends on the vigorous exchange of news, knowledge, and ideas, and professional literature offers an effective way for people in a common field to share information. Today there are more publishing vehicles—and more ways to reach your peers—than ever before. In print and online, there are newsletters and journals. Weblogs and discussion lists. Magazines and books. To maintain the richness and relevancy of their content, many of these publications depend on the work of authors, editors, reviewers, and other contributors. You can join them. If you like to write and you have something to say to the library and information science community, this is a great time to start sharing your work and building your own portfolio of publications.
This course will be conducted entirely online. Participating students must register on the Blackboard site one week prior to the commencement of class.
Objectives
This course is designed to expand students’ awareness of the different types of publishing opportunities available, and to develop the skills needed to incorporate those opportunities into their professional lives. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand the scope of professional publications and define the differences between various types.
- Identify and analyze the audiences, objectives, and submission requirements of a publication.
- Understand editorial and review processes and standards.
- Apply the above knowledge and skills in writing and reviewing articles intended for publication.
This course supports the following SLIS objectives:
- Teaching: Teaching students advocacy and leadership for citizen access to information and knowledge resources.
- Research and scholarship: Supporting an environment whereby students create, promote, and disseminate research in the information and library professions and other relevant disciplines.
- Service: Supporting an environment whereby students contribute to the improvement of the information professions, the university, and the local community by participating in professional organizations, community outreach programs, etc.
- Leadership: Supporting activities that contribute to the advancement of the information professions as a whole.
The course content will be applicable to all types of libraries, librarians, and information professionals. Many of the concepts and skills covered in the course will also be applicable to the development of materials for library patrons, staff, and donors. Topics for research and writing projects will be based on students’ areas of professional interest and expertise.
This course will not cover fiction writing or address the layout and production of print or electronic publications.
Readings
Required texts
Gordon, Rachel Singer. 2004. The Librarian’s Guide to Writing for Publication. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Available directly from the publisher or from major booksellers. List price is $34.95, but Scarecrow offers a 15 percent discount (bringing the price to $29.71) for online orders.
Rankin, Elizabeth. 2001. The Work of Writing: Insights and Strategies for Academics and Professionals. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Available directly from the publisher or from major booksellers. List price is $20.00.
You will also be required to subscribe to the Library Link of the Day e-mail list. A brief daily message from Library Link will send you news on library and information science issues, trends, and activities, and will expose you to many different publications and styles of writing.
Additional required readings will be provided by the instructor.
Recommended texts
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (fifth edition). 2001. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Available directly from the publisher or from major booksellers. This is commonly known as the APA Manual, and most of you will have it already; it’s SLIS’s official style guide and it’s required for your culminating papers. Note, though, that different publications require different style guides. The articles you write for this course may or may not follow the APA Manual’s style.
For the style guide comparison paper (the Module 4 assignment), you will need to have access to both the APA Manual and a second editorial style guide, such as the The Chicago Manual of Style (below) or the style guide preferred by your particular subject area. Details will be provided in class.
The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers (fifteenth edition). 2003. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Available directly from the publisher or from major booksellers. An excellent manual, the style guide most frequently used by professional editors and publishers. Note that SLIS requires the APA Manual rather than Chicago, so beware of style differences. Defer to APA for your papers in other SLIS courses—and particularly your culminating papers!
Along with your most frequently used style guide(s), your personal library should include a good dictionary and thesaurus. (Note that many online reference guides are available through the Internet Public Library.) These are recommended:
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (eleventh edition). 2003. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc. The dictionary most frequently used by professional editors and publishers. Updated annually.
Kipfer, Barbara Ann (ed.). 2001. Roget’s International Thesaurus (sixth edition). New York: HarperCollins. A useful resource for writers.
Additional recommended readings and resources will be provided by the instructor throughout the semester.
Modules and Assignments
This course will be taught online as a series of seven modules. Each module will consist of:
- A Real Audio lecture, which may include presentations by invited guest speakers
- A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the issues discussed in the lecture
- Textbook and/or supplementary readings
- One or more assignments that will give you a chance to learn more about the topic of the lecture and develop your skills
Part 1 (August 25 to September 15)
The first part of the course will give you an opportunity to become familiar with the world of library and information science (LIS) publications. We’ll look at the broad range of publications available, then analyze selected publications and their audiences in depth.
Module 1
What are we doing here?
The role and value of professional publications; terminology
Assignment: Your biographical sketch (counts toward class participation points)
Module 2
The world of LIS publications
A look at the breadth of LIS publications; types of publications and the differences between them; types of articles
Assignment: Summaries of the purpose, target audience, and other elements of five different LIS periodicals and book publishers (5 points)
Module 3
Getting to know publications and their readers
Finding and understanding submission guidelines; understanding the target audience
Assignment: In-depth analyses of two LIS periodicals and/or book publishers and their submission guidelines (5 points)
Part 2 ( September 16 to December 9)
The second part of the course will give you an opportunity to focus on developing your own writing, editing, and reviewing skills. You’ll target specific publications and audiences, produce original works of writing, and work with a writing group to polish your drafts.
Module 4
Editing
Editing your own work and working with editors; style guides and editorial processes; working with graphic designers and production people
Assignment: A comparative review of two editorial style guides (10 points)
Module 5
Writing for publication
Finding your professional voice; writing for your reader; focusing your topic; writing, revising, and finishing your article; writing persuasively; interviewing
Assignments: Four writing projects will be required.
- An informative article for a library or library association newsletter. A newsletter article on a library-related subject, along with an analysis of the target audience and publication. You’ll have an opportunity to consider and incorporate feedback from your writing group before you turn in your final, polished work. (10 points)
- A persuasive piece for a library-oriented audience, such as librarians and other LIS professionals. An opinion piece on a library-related subject, along with an analysis of the target audience and publication. You’ll have an opportunity to consider and incorporate feedback from your writing group before you turn in your final, polished work. (10 points)
- A persuasive piece for a nonlibrary audience, such as library patrons or the general public. An opinion column on a library-related subject, along with an analysis of the target audience and publication. You’ll have an opportunity to consider and incorporate feedback from your writing group before you turn in your final, polished work. (10 points)
- A final project: A well-researched, informational article for a library-oriented audience. A substantive article on a library-related subject, along with an analysis of the target audience and publication, and a cover letter pitching the article to the publication’s editor. If your target publication prefers shorter articles, you may write two short articles rather than one long article. You’ll have an opportunity to consider and incorporate feedback from your writing group before you turn in your final, polished work. (35 points)
Module 6
Collaborating and reviewing
Writing groups, peer reviews, and editorial boards; giving constructive feedback to other writers
Assignments: Working in small writing groups, you’ll review your colleagues’ writing projects, providing constructive feedback and suggestions for the authors to consider before they turn in their final versions to the instructor. (Writing-group work counts toward your 15 points for class participation.)
Module 7
Submitting your work to a publisher
Query letters, book proposals, project proposals, and contracts
Assignment: A “pitch” letter will be included with your final writing assignment (see above).
Further details about the course and the assignments will be posted on Blackboard prior to the commencement of class.
Grading
100 points will be possible.
- Module 2 assignment (publication overviews): 5 points
- Module 3 assignment (publication analyses): 5 points
- Module 4 assignment (style guide comparison): 10 points
- First writing-for-publication assignment (newsletter article): 10 points
- Second writing-for-publication assignment (persuasive piece for a library audience): 10 points
- Third writing-for-publication assignment (persuasive piece for a nonlibrary audience): 10 points
- Final project (informational pieces for a library audience): 35 points
- Participation, including Module 1 assignment (your biographical sketch), writing group participation, and postings to the class discussion boards: 15 points
Late assignments will not be accepted. If you have an illness (and can provide a doctor’s confirmation) or a family tragedy, please contact the instructor. Incompletes will not be awarded.
University-recommended grading scale for graduate students
97 to 100 = A
94 to 96 = A-
91 to 93 = B+
88 to 90 = B
85 to 87 = B-
82 to 84 = C+
79 to 81 = C
76 to 78 = C-
73 to 75 = D+
Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf
Technical Notes
Blackboard will be used as the means for communicating lecture material and assignments; there will be no required live or online class meetings. If you have not used Blackboard before, create an account and take a few minutes to poke around the system before the semester starts. We will not be using the Virtual Classroom or Lightweight Chat features, but we will be using Discussion Boards. Blackboard tutorials are available in the Blackboard section of the SLIS Web site.
Recorded lectures will use RealAudio files, so you’ll need to have RealOne Player installed on your system. For instructions on how to download a free version of RealOne Player, see the Software Downloads section of the SLIS Web site.
Handouts will be in AdobeAcrobat (PDF) format, so you’ll need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your system. For instructions on how to download a free version of Acrobat Reader, see the Software Downloads section of the SLIS Web site.
Assignments must be turned in as Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files rather than Word files. Using PDF helps protect our online community from the spread of viruses. While Acrobat Reader is free, Acrobat Writer is not. If you don’t have access to Acrobat Writer, you can convert your files to PDF format using SLIS’s account with Adobe. A tutorial on Converting Files to PDF is available on the SLIS Web site. Our Adobe account password will be posted to the class Blackboard site.
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