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Join us in celebrating the AAR's 100th anniversary!

Academy Series

The Academy Series is unique among the book series sponsored by the American Academy of Religion and published by Oxford University Press. Several features distinguish the series, among them the fact that it is the only series devoted to publishing books that originate as dissertations in the field of religious studies. The series is highly selective; only the most exceptional manuscripts are eligible for consideration. The Academy Series seeks to reflect the full range of cultural areas and methodological approaches in the field. Its current mandate is to broaden and diversify the range of its publications. By publishing works that originate as dissertations, the Academy Series serves two important functions. First, the series provides a venue for first-time book authors who are making the transition from graduate student to academic professional by assisting them in transforming their dissertations into books. Second, the titles published in the series signal new directions in the field and demonstrate the vitality of graduate work in religious studies.

Authors who are interested in submitting their manuscripts to the series should initiate the revision process before submission to the series. Authors should also expect that peer readers who evaluate their manuscripts for publication consideration might offer further suggestions for revisions that authors will be expected to respond to before a manuscript is accepted for publication.

From Dissertation to Book: A Few Practical Suggestions

The AAR takes seriously its role in promoting the development of emerging talent and has set aside the Academy Series to feature the best and most original work emerging from graduate programs in religion. Because the only criteria for consideration are that a work excels in scholarship that originates as a dissertation, the range of topics eligible for Academy Series recognition is very broad and inclusive of the diversity and vitality of religious studies. Despite this open-ended invitation of topics, however, there are characteristics shared by most dissertations that require revision in order for the dissertation to be considered a book. Below are a few suggestions authors might wish to follow as they engage in the process of turning their dissertations into books and as they transform themselves from graduate students in to academic professionals.

Typically dissertations are evaluated as an exercise in research, which means they must demonstrate an author’s full command of relevant literature on a particular topic. Because dissertations are written for and influenced by the contributions of an entire committee, oftentimes they bear the mark of being products of committee, that is works intended to satisfy each committee member’s particular perspective or area of expertise. A book, however, while it relies on competent research, blends this research into argument in subtler and less direct ways. The scholarship informs the argument but it does not subsume the argument. In a book, the author’s unique and authoritative voice must always be distinct. Several ways to achieve this distinction include:

• Eliminate excessive footnoting and/or incorporating footnoted material in to the text proper. If footnoted information is indeed pertinent to advance an argument, it should be included in the body of the text for coherence and ease of reading. If the footnoted material is simply an interesting aside or additional commentary, consider its relevance and purpose to the overall design of the argument. It may be useful for another enterprise, but not necessary for the book. A book does not require you to trot out for the reader everything you have read or learned about a particular topic, only that you demonstrate your command of the knowledge represented in the sources. A book should synthesize and interpret information derived from sources, not merely present it, and do so in a way that advances an argument.
• Make sure the organization of your material is sound. Dissertations often are organized by how they are researched which is not always the most illuminating way to advance an argument. In other words, some of what you needed to learn to acquire an argument or a thesis may not be relevant to the reader who simply wants to learn about your thesis. Readers do not need to know every step of the process you took to arrive at an idea. Your book should advance an argument rather than roll out data. Therefore, always keep the theme or thesis or main argument clear and present before the reader. Do not make the reader hunt to find the thesis. Do not lose sight of your thesis and get diverted or off track. Always bring your argument back to the original notion you are advancing. In a book, unlike a dissertation, you are joining an ongoing professional, academic conversation so make sure your argument acknowledges this by not patronizing your reader and by situating your argument in a discussion that is broad enough to be of interest to the wider academic community.
• Remove any language describing a text as a dissertation. This includes setting up an argument with phrases like: "and now I will" or "as I have just said," or "in this paper I propose to…" Make your writing more elegant in setting forth an argument rather than giving your reader signposts to what you will do or have done. Also, remove any passive voice constructions. Always write in first person, active voice. In this way you will make your authorial identity and presence clear and commanding. You will become a person behind an idea, a voice behind the words. Consider the difference in these two constructions: "You are loved by me," and "I love you." Who would you trust?
• Establish your authoritative and unique authorial voice; you will be demonstrating your ability to join the conversation of your predecessors as a peer, not as a supplicant. Certainly you can admire (or criticize) the opinions of others but do so as an intellectual equal and position yourself in the tradition of a topic and among a community of professionals by announcing your own professional arrival through the strong command of your own language.
• Paraphrase more than quote from sources. Your language and authority will be strengthened. Obviously some writers’ work will be so elegant and precise that a direct quotation is necessary. But continuously inserting the voice of others diminishes your own; it establishes someone other than you as the authority. Also, disciplining yourself to put someone else’s ideas in to your own language rather than letting someone else speak for you insures that you more completely understand what it is your are trying to communicate.
• Be informative and illuminating, not clever. Avoid jargon or idiosyncratic terms unless you specifically define a term for your contextual usage. Also, define all your terms and do not assume everyone shares the same definition for wobbly and imprecise terms like "sacred." Use language that is precise, but flexible, which means avoiding superlatives (such as: always, never, most) that you may not be able to completely defend.
• Write in short sentences and short paragraphs to avoid losing your train of thought or getting off topic. In writing, as in much of life, less is more.
• Remember Aristotle’s rhetoric. Rhetoric, the art of argument, is pertinent in writing a book because you are, in fact, arguing for the relevance and importance of your topic. Thus, employ the principles of Aristotle’s rhetoric: logos, ethos, and pathos. Know your stuff (logos); know yourself (ethos); and know your audience (pathos). Show you are in command of the topic. Demonstrate you have the character, ability, and trustworthiness to interpret that topic. And make your reader care about the topic and share your enthusiasm.

To be considered for the Academy Series, a manuscript must be nominated by the dissertation advisor or a member of the dissertation committee. The nominating letter should be about 500 words and explain in detail the following:

• To what measure is the manuscript technically competent?
• Why is the manuscript a genuine contribution to scholarship within its field?
• Why is the manuscript of sufficiently wide interest to be suitable for publication in book form?

The letter should also contain at least three suggestions for readers who are competent to review the work. Nominators must provide the following information for each reader:

• Complete name, address, and institutional affiliation
• Phone number
• E-mail address

Contacting potential readers is the responsibility of the editor once the nominating faculty makes recommendations. Only manuscripts based on dissertations defended within two years of submission are eligible for Academy Series recognition.

The author should submit to the editor the following information:

• A current curriculum vitae
• An abstract of the manuscript (200-300 words)
• Three copies of the manuscript; these copies will not be returned

When all these items are on file, the Academy Series editorial board will determine which manuscripts should be sent out for peer review. Not all submissions receive external peer review. If a manuscript is sufficiently promising, however, the editor selects two readers to review each manuscript. A third reader may be solicited if there is insufficient consensus regarding a manuscript’s suitability for the series. Among the questions we ask reviewers to address are:

• Does the manuscript make a truly original contribution to scholarship or creative thought within its sub field as well as within the broader field of the study of religion?
• Does the manuscript have a well-defined academic market?
• To what extent is the manuscript technically proficient and cognizant of the relevant literature within the study with which it deals?
• Is the manuscript competently written and interesting to read?
• What revisions should be made to enhance the manuscript’s publishing appeal?

Once the manuscript has been reviewed and accepted by the AAR and the Series Editor, publication decisions are made in consultation with Oxford University Press. As these details indicate, the review process may be lengthy.

Address inquiries and submissions to the series editor:

Kimberly Rae Connor
562 Ferdinand Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA  94019
USA
Phone: 415-422-2869
E-Mail: connork@usfca.edu

Books Published in the Academy Series

 

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