FIELDNOTES GUIDELINES
Besides publishing university-graded papers in our biannual editions, we also give space to more informal student-written work on our website. With this, we encourage students to voice their views and experiences of anthropology outside academic bounds. Fieldnotes articles can be submitted at any time throughout the academic year. There is a form at the bottom of this page to provide us with your information and upload your work.
You can submit articles in five different categories. The first four are open to UU and UCU anthropology students and alumni (bachelor & master). The fifth category is open to UU and UCU anthropology professors. Below, we give a brief explanation of each category, along with the requirements that go with it.
1. What anthropology means to me
As students, we are introduced to a discipline we might have been largely unaware of before enrolling in the program. What do we make of it? How do we interpret the meaning, goals, and values of anthropology? How has learning about the discipline changed our personal ideas of the world? If you are an alumna/alumnus: what has anthropology taught you that you have held onto in your further studies or work? These are some of the questions to keep in mind when submitting a piece for this category.
Requirements:
- 1500 words max;
- Written in English;
- Text must not have been written for a university course;
- If using scientific sources: reference using Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
2. Stories from the field
Fieldwork is an exciting, interesting, at times life-changing, but also daunting experience. Whether it is a part-time project for a course or months of fieldwork for a final thesis, we all have compelling stories to share. What was fieldwork like for you? Did it live up to your expectations? What was your most memorable encounter? This piece can be submitted in the form of a vignette, a personal reflection, or an entry from your diary, to name a few.
Requirements:
- 1500 words max;
- Written in English;
- Text must not have been written for a university course;
- If using scientific sources: reference using Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
What is a vignette?
A vignette is a short written piece that discusses one single aspect of a larger whole. So, for example, one outing that occurred while doing fieldwork. Vignettes are mostly descriptions of a short moment and thus offer not much 'plot'. You can find a few examples of vignettes on our Writing Tips page.
Want to incorporate images in your text? Make sure you have the right to use them and that any persons pictured have given consent for you to do so.
3. Everyday anthropology
Anthropology is a lens through which to view the world. One that is not easy to ignore, even outside of the lecture hall. How has this lens affected the way you view everyday encounters? In the category of Everyday anthropology, you can write about one (or several) such everyday encounters, approached with an anthropological perspective. You can use anthropological theory if you would like, but you can also write purely from your own experience and opinions.
Requirement:
- 1500 words max;
- Written in English;
- Text must not have been written for a university course;
- If using scientific sources: reference using Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
4. Book review
Though we at times write book reviews as an assignment for a course, there are so many more interesting books to read and share our thoughts on. For this category, we encourage you to record your opinions on an anthropological or academic book. This can be positive, negative, neutral; anything you would like to write about. You can stick to an academic structure for this book review, but you are also free to deviate from it wherever you see fit.
Requirement:
- 1500 words max;
- Written in English;
- Text must not have been written for a university course;
- If using scientific sources: reference using Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
Note that we continue to accept book reviews for our biannual editions. To prevent confusion, be aware that book reviews to be submitted for our biannual editions must have been written as part of an anthropology program at UU or UCU, while book reviews submitted to Fieldnotes must be written for that specific purpose.
5. Professors' student-day essays
No matter how long ago they were written, essays will always hold value. At SCAJ, we publish current students' papers in our biannual editions, for the purpose of learning from each other's works. But even if their authors are no longer students, we can still gain knowledge from their essays today. Not only would we be able to learn from the body of text itself, but it would be an outstanding opportunity to see where our professors got their start. What topics did they write about when they were in our shoes? How did they go about writing essays? By sharing these essays, our beloved professors can teach us things not often shared in the classroom.
Requirements:
- 2000 words max;
- Preferably written in English, though we also accept Dutch;
- Text must have been written as a student;
- Optionally, you can add a short reflection on this written work and how you look back on it today (300 words max).
Questions? Do not hesitate to ask!