This year the SACOMM emerging scholars’ pre conference is being hosted at the University of Johannesburg a day before the main conference themed ‘Communication at the crossroads’. The pre-conference will include the usual AGM to vote on important issues that impact on emerging scholars in the communication discipline. This year however sees the introduction of concurrent workshops that aim to address two imminent needs: publication and career planning in academia. Distinguished senior scholars will be sharing their experiences on these two important issues in two interactive parallel sessions.
From postgraduate project to publication
Undertaking a postgraduate research project is a multi-faceted journey, in which emerging scholars obtain and produce expert knowledge on a very specific subject. A research article and book chapter are the most common conduits of making this knowledge accessible to a broader academic audience. The proposed workshop centres on the process of turning an honours essay, MA dissertation and Doctoral thesis into a manuscript that captures the attention and the interest of the academic community in a specific field of study. It brings emerging scholars in concert with an experience and well published academic to discuss challenges of editing a postgraduate project, including questions on structure and style.
Advancing in Academia as a career
The aim of this workshop is to equip emerging and early-career scholars with effective advice from senior scholars in the communication discipline on the ins and outs of the academic job market as well as to successfully plan the first years of their academic career. It also aims to help emerging scholars navigate the complexity and variety of academic career paths in an ever changing environment. The workshop will consist of two parts, short presentations from the panelist (experience, tips and advice) followed by an open group discussion between all participants. In addition, the workshop is meant to offer an opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas on key issues for young scholars and their integration in academia.
