Pete Anderson and I will be leading a NiCHE New Scholars Discussion on the challenges and intricacies of taking on contemporary issues in one’s research, or when your research leaves the archive and enters the public realm. We will be discussing personal examples and concerns about bringing our own research to public forums, whether it be social media, blogging, mainstream media, political debates, etc.
The discussion will take place on Google Hangouts on March 3, 2015, 3-4pm EST.
Pete’s work on the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa has recently gained traction in contemporary debates surrounding the future of the farm. His op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen can be found here and his article for ActiveHistory.ca can be found here.
Other examples that we will be discussing include:
- Mike Commito on HistorySlam.
- Ian Mosby on HistorySlam.
- My piece on historians and social media:
- Alex Golub “Mana: How an Austronesian Concept became a video game mechanic” (about writing for public audiences).
If you are interested in joining the New Scholars Mailing List or leading a future New Scholars discussion, please contact me: jessicamariedewitt@gmail.com.
Feature Image: Central Experimental Farm Map. Source: Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada


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