The Working Papers are among the most visible deliverables of this Action, and thus hold a specific importance in the Action. The following guidelines are supposed to provide a framework for writing and publishing Working Papers.
Formatting
- Please use MS Word or LibreOffice Writer built-in styles
- For an introduction to MS Word styles, please go to Microsoft’s website, that features many tutorials.
- A more comprehensive and simple tutorial can be read here.
- For an introduction to LibreOffice Writer styles, a good tutorial can be found here.
- Use MLA citation style (with footnotes, not in-text)
- In case you are using a bibliographic manager software (Zotero, Citavi, EndNote, etc), MLA style is usually included in the default installation. In case it is not, most of those apps are using CSL formatting language. Don’t know what a CSL is? It doesn’t matter, but you can find the right MLA style here (download the 6th edition (note) version and import it into your app).
- The writing of working papers is a good opportunity to participate in our joint bibliography project. So we advise you to use Zotero. If you don’t wish to, please export your bibliography from your bibliographic management software into a format that Zotero can import (most of them will do the trick). If you don’t wish to use that kind of software, please do not forget to add DOIs and ISBNs in your bibliography, as it will ease the process of importing them.
- All working papers must be submitted with:
- an abstract (max 500 characters, spaces included),
- a short narrative biography of the author(s) (max 300 characters, spaces included),
- up to 10 keywords.
Length and aims
The aims of working papers can be quite different, depending on the paper. Hence, our advice is to adapt the length of your working paper to its explicit aim. In any case, it should not be longer than 10 000 to 30 000 characters (spaces included). Shorter papers can be published if the brevity is explained.
Working Paper Types (non-exhaustive list)
- position paper: (see the wikipedia definition) – you aim at fostering a debate;
- theorizing papers: contributing to the definition and to the theory of the concept of slow memory;
- Interviews / discussions: as stakeholders are an important part of the slowmemo network, papers that report (in different ways) a discussion between an academic member of the network and a stakeholder for instance;
- Early research paper / “under construction”: papers that detail emerging ideas, but are not yet mature enough to be submitted to an academic journal;
- Research tools such as guidelines for interviews or methodological papers.
All working papers should tackle issues, subjects, ideas that are related to the slow memory concept.
Authorship and attribution
Working papers should reflect as much as possible the work of each person who participated in its conception and writing. There is no limitation to the number of authors of a working paper. If it is a co-authored text, the paper should reflect as much as possible the individual contribution of each author.
For instance, if the working paper was conceptualized during a meeting of a working group, but written by two of its members, with some parts translated or copy-edited by another member of the WG, then it should be clearly stated in the working paper:
- authors: [author 1 name, affiliation], [author 2 name, affiliation],
- he original idea of this working paper emerged from a meeting of WGX that took place during the Portland meeting (6.6.2022),
- The copy-editing of this working paper has been done by [copy-editor name, affiliation].
Submission and Peer-Reviewing Process
Co-Chairs are asked to consult with the core group of the Action before publishing the Working Papers. More formal review procedures are currently being considered.
