A Word about Academic Networks

by Edwin Duncan

In the past couple of years medievalists have been joining academic discussion groups (also known as academic networks or lists), devoted to any number of specialized fields of study. The number of these networks is constantly increasing; their rapid growth is due in part to the increasing number of people who are on-line, but also because they offer some distinct advantages for the scholars who use them. Being a member of one of these academic networks--which, by the way, cost nothing to join--means several things.

First, it means that you will receive on a daily basis (or almost daily, depending on the popularity of the network) all of the messages sent to that network by other members. The messages vary in length from less than a line to several screens full, but most are generally a paragraph or two, and the topic will have something to do with the subject matter covered by that network. On Chaucernet, for example, one member may ask a question or make a comment pertaining to the Prioress's Tale and attitudes toward Jews in fourteenth-century England. Then, in the following days this member's query may evoke one or more responses by other members; and messages on this topic will run concurrently with other questions and comments on different Chaucer topics: how much memorization to include in a Chaucer course, questions about Chaucer's travels in Italy, and so on. Sometimes the discussion may be something you are interested in, sometimes not. When it isn't, you just delete the message and go on to the next one.

In a way, reading the network mail is something like reading the Letters to the Editor section of your local newspaper. The main difference is that instead of the newspaper discussions of political and civic matters sent in by local citizens, the networks focus on the issues and interests of your scholarly discipline with postings from academics from all over the world. The quality of responses varies of course, but most contributors to the networks take pains to be accurate and logical. These networks also post job openings, calls for papers, and other announcements dealing with their field. Many also maintain an archive with files and software available to members upon request. If, for example, you join Ansaxnet, the Anglo-Saxon network, you may obtain such varied offerings as OE vocabulary drills, Latin drills, a runes font for Macintosh, and calculation software for the Julian calendar. Since these files are normally donations from members who want to share what they have, the selection is going to be eclectic and only occasionally helpful, but when you do find something you need, it can be a real help.

But perhaps the greatest reason for the growing popularity of these networks is that with them you have at your fingertips one of the greatest resources imaginable--a group of academic specialists in almost every field you could ever be interested in--and all of them willing to share their expertise to help you solve whatever problem you might have. Let me give you an example. Not too long ago, a person working on an early exegetical text hit a snag because he wasn't sure if his translation of a medieval Latin passage was correct. So he presented his problem to the subscribers of Medtextl, the Medieval Language and Literature network. In the next two days he received several responses, a couple of which discussed the Latin translation he was having trouble with, a couple more from Greek scholars, who discussed the same passage as it appeared in the original Greek, and another which provided bibliographical references to some little known discussions of the same passage. Even if you were on the faculty at Oxford, you probably would not have been able to obtain such a complete and learned response in such a short time. And, when you subscribe to one of these academic networks, you are under no obligation to remain a member. So if you have a question you need answered in any field, you could theoretically join the appropriate network one day, pose your question the next, read the responses that come in for as many days as you think necessary, and then unsubscribe from the network, taking with you all the information you've received. But even if you never go to such lengths but just subscribe to a network in your own field, the access it provides can be especially helpful, particularly if you work at a smaller school where you are likely to be the only specialist in your area.

You can subscribe to an academic network easily just by following the steps listed under the heading "How to Join an Academic Network," which you can access by returning to the home page or by clicking here.

Property of Edwin Duncan. All rights reserved. This document may be distributed as long as it is done entirely with all attributions to the author. Commercial distribution is prohibited. Portions of this document copyrighted by the Medieval English Newsletter.