Published: January 25, 2017

Here at the iSchool, we have a wide variety of opportunities for students to get published.

Research papers can be both a source of joy and for the pulling out of hair. Good research papers, however,  can be experienced by a wider audience when you submit your work to one of the SJSU iSchool’s student publications. Here at the iSchool, we have a several opportunities for students to get published.

On February 7, 2017, the iSchool will be holding a virtual Publications Roundtable featuring the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter (SAASC), the Student Research Journal (SRJ), and the American Library Association Student Chapter (ALASC). Group representatives will talk about the opportunities and guidelines of their respective publications and the editor-in-chief of the Student Research Journal will explain the qualifications and procedures of submitting and publishing in a peer-reviewed journal.

Meet the Roundtable Panel
Student publications’ representatives will also be joined by iSchool lecturer Laurie Putnam and SJSU alumnae and LIS freelance writer Alison Peters. Putnam is the founder of the LIS Publications Wiki, which was developed as a community resource in her Publishing for the Profession course at the iSchool. Peters has worked on the LIS Publications Wiki, participated in a communications internship with Librarians Without Borders, interviewed fascinating librarians for the iSchool’s Community Profiles and freelanced for a variety of bookish/library publications.

Rebecca Leung is Chair of the SAASC and will discuss the group’s publication, Archeota. She has written several pieces for the journal and even an archive-themed crossword puzzle (whoa…move over Sunday New York Times!). Leung has been involved with the group for the past two years and loves getting to meet other iSchool students who are passionate about archives as well as the feeling of being part of a larger community. “Archeota gives all students the opportunity to share their experiences and for us to learn from each other,” says Leung. “It gives the sense of a greater community; the idea that any of us can contribute to that community is tremendously empowering.”

Allison Randall Gatt (that would be me) will represent the ALASC as their newsletter editor and share a bit about the way the Descriptor has evolved over the past several months to be a more engaging and reader-friendly publication. During my tenure as editor, I’ve enjoyed getting to know other students and collaborating with them on projects and events. From a professional point of view, I’ve strengthened my skills as an editor and widened my professional network.

Go Beyond Just Your Course Work
As an iSchool student, your graduate school experience is so much more than the work you do in classes. It is to your advantage to get involved in student organizations, write for student publications, attend webinars and get to know your school community. Not only will involvement benefit you professionally, but it you’ll get to meet a lot of other amazing iSchool students.

Here are just a few ways to get involved: 

• Join the SAASC, or just ask them a question or two by sending an email to sjsusaasc@gmail.com. Officer elections are in April if you want to be a part of the planning for next year’s events.
• Read the most recent issue of Archeota (they come out at the end of every semester). Keep an eye out for the Call for Content on the iSchool Alerts that come to your inbox and consider becoming a student contributor.
• Take a look at the ALASC calendar of events and join the ALASC group through Canvas. You can also contact the group directly at sjsualasc@gmail.com.
• Become a student assistant or submit a guest post for one of the iSchool’s student organizations —the Career Blog, the MARA blog, the Community Profiles blog and this here iStudent Blog.
• Get published in one of the newsletters produced by SJSU student groups.
• Get published or in the iSchool’s highly respected Student Research Journal.

Be a Published Researcher
The SJSU School of Information’s Student Research Journal is a highly respected, peer-reviewed research journal that works with students to edit and publish their research. Current student and editor-in-chief of the SRJ, Tamarack Hockin, will be part of the Publications Roundtable to fill students in on the particulars of submitting to a peer-reviewed research journal. “Whether you get involved with the journal as a student author, or as part of the editorial team,” says Hockin, “I believe the best part of participating is seeing a tangible product come of your work.” It is pretty amazing to see yourself in print, or as an editor to see what an amazing product you’ve helped put together. The SRJ is published on Digital Commons and linked open access, so published pieces are read by an international audience. The most recent issue just came out at the end of January, and whether or not you are considering submitting to the SRJ, you should definitely read it. You are a LIS professional, after all.

Want to dive in a little deeper? “For those interested in joining the editorial team, the SRJ posts opportunities to the iSchool listserv and to our website,” recommends Hockin. “It is a great way to gain experience for your CV, and your e-Portfolio (competencies A, L, M, and O).” If you have questions about joining the editorial team or want to learn more about submitting your research to the SRJ, contact Tamarack Hockin at sjsu.ischool.srj@gmail.com

Please join us for the Publications Roundtable on February 7, 2017 at 6 p.m. We’d love to have you publish with us, and we’d love even more to get you involved in some of the many opportunities the iSchool has to offer its graduate students.

Link to join the session: https://goo.gl/mwp8kY

For related content, check out:
The iSchool’s Research Journal, Spotlighted by Editor-in-Chief Tamarack Hockin

Student Chapters Like the iSchool’s ALASC– A Great Way to Connect

Teamwork and a Passion for Archiving Make the SAASC a Success at the iSchool

image courtesy of Stuart Miles