Have you ever been on the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) blog or social media and thought, ESN needs to write an article on…? You are probably right! But I wonder if it has occurred to you that you may be the person to write that article. After all, it did occur to you that an article is needed which means it is something you care about.
What kind of article is ESN looking for? The basic answer is an article that will be an encouragement to other Emerging Scholars on the early career pathway in higher education. Here are some of the different kinds of articles we are looking for:
- Articles about navigating a particular part of the academic pathway: Applying to grad school, transitioning to grad school as a Christian, wrestling with tough questions raised by your coursework, making it through qualifiers, the dissertation process, post-docs, the job market, and what one does if not on the tenure track.
- Academic life as a Christian. Work-life balance. Singleness. Marriage. Good self-care. Imposter syndrome. Depression. Relationships with: peers, advisers. Finding Christian community
- Scholars Compass articles. This is one of our longest running series. These include a biblical passage, a reflection informed by your faith and experience in your field, a reflection question, and a prayer.
- Field area prayers. These are shorter posts, with a quote from scripture and prayer that reflects concerns in your field of study.
- “Square Inch” articles. This is drawn from a quote by Abraham Kuyper: ‘There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!’ Many Christian grad and faculty communities host “Square Inch” talks where people share about how they have begun to make connections between their faith and their field of study. If you’ve given such a talk, or begun to formulate your thoughts about this, consider sharing these. It will sharpen your thinking, give you feedback, and encourage others.
- Campus stories. Perhaps your Christian community has just staged a great retreat, or engaged in some form of public witness (a roundtable or Veritas Forum, for example), or pursued justice in some area. We’d love to share those stories to encourage other communities.
- Personal stories. People are sometimes reluctant to “blow their own horn.” Think of it as blowing the horn for Jesus. Have you trusted Christ in some specific way on your academic journey, perhaps in a time of crisis, and seen him do “far more than you can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20)? That story could encourage someone else!
- Contemporary issues being discussed in academia. Racism, gender, disability, educational access, climate and environment, etc.
If you’ve read over this list, you’ve probably found one or more topics about which you’ve said, “I could write about that.” We would love it if you would!
Some basics:
- Article length. This is a blog, so 500 to 1500 words maximum. Field area prayer posts may be shorter yet.
- Audience. Those on the early career academic pathway from aspiring undergrads to those in lectureships or on the tenure track or alternate academic positions. Most likely, people like you!
- Style. For most posts, we prefer a strong element of story to something that is more discursive. Articles on issues or on the integration of faith and learning or prayer-focused posts are an exception.
- Faith basis. While most of our articles are not theological treatises, we look for consistency with scripture and InterVarsity’s “What We Believe” statement.
- Who may write. Any ESN member: undergraduate, graduate, or faculty and campus ministers and other campus professionals.
- Submissions. We ask for a Word document with no special formatting (footnotes and subheadings are fine). We also ask for a head shot and 2-3 sentence bio for each of our writers unless for security or other reasons you require anonymity. Submissions should be sent to bob.trube@intervarsity.org.
- Copyright restrictions. Any material you send us must be free of copyright restrictions or come with written permission to be used. This includes photographs, graphics, and quoted material.
- Inquiries. Do you have an idea you want to run by us before writing? We are glad to talk with you about your writing ideas. Just drop a note to bob.trube@intervarsity.org.
We see our blog articles as part of a network conversation. It is a place that belongs to all ESN members. We hope it will continue to be a place where members share and learn from each other, even as you and your colleagues do through academic publishing. We hope it can be part of a national, even international platform where followers of Christ in higher education meet and spur each other on to “love and good works” to God’s glory in the university.
Bob Trube is Associate Director of Faculty Ministry and Director of the Emerging Scholars Network. He blogs on books regularly at bobonbooks.com. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with Marilyn and enjoys reading, gardening, choral singing, and plein air painting.