Deadline: May 1, 2006
Because written transcripts of interviews straddle the border between speech and writing, they raise interesting questions for those who "write" or read them-is the written text ever an exact transcript of what was said? How much license does the transcriber have to edit the text? How much power does the interviewer have on what the interviewee says or on the reader's reception of the text? On a broader level, what role do oral histories and interviews play in various kinds of public or academic discourse? The editors of Issues in Writing wish to explore
these and other related questions in a special issue due to come out in Fall 2006 or Spring 2007.
Possible topics for manuscripts:
--What is the interviewer's/editor's role in shaping the content of an interview or oral history transcript?
--The ethics of the interview or oral history
--How do we distinguish good interviews/histories from mediocre or poor ones?
--The purpose(s) of publishing interviews or oral histories-historical preservation, marketing and public relations, cultural identity, etc.
--The function of oral histories in different contexts-academia, journalism, the corporate world, the military, local communities, individual families, politics, literature, etc.
--Problems, issues related to preserving and archiving oral histories.
--Comparing the features of speech and writing in interviews of published authors.
--How can interviewing and oral history techniques be used in the teaching of writing.
--How can interviewing and oral history techniques best be taught?
--How can oral history projects (like StoryCorps, for example) be useful resources for writing.
--How are oral history resources used in coordination with other forms of historical data?
--Is oral history more/less reliable than other methods of writing history?
--The power of memory-what/how people remember/forget/neglect to mention in interviews; how interviewers' questions trigger/shape what interviewees recall or suppress.
--Examinations of specific events/places/groups/issues through the lens of (competing?) oral history(ies).
Issues in Writing is an annual, refereed journal devoted to the study of writing in the Arts and Humanities, Science and Technology, Government, Education, Business and Industry, and the professions.
We welcome articles on all aspects of the teaching and production of public writing, and we consider a broad variety of approaches, methodologies, and styles. We accept, for example, research articles that describe, narrate, or report the results of primary or secondary
research in the classroom and workplace; practical articles that provide insights into writing as it occurs in the various professional contexts or that describe innovative approaches to the teaching of writing; and articles from theoretical and/or historical perspectives
that address problems and issues related to all aspects of academic, professional, and technical writing. We are especially glad to receive articles that link academia and the world of work and that encourage stimulating dialogue across traditional rhetorical and disciplinary boundaries, forms, and roles.
Manuscripts should be 30 pages or less, double-spaced (including appendices or illustrations). Do not include your name and/or affiliation anywhere on the MS itself. Authors should use standard English and avoid jargon or provide definitions when using specialized terms. Provide two clear copies.
Send manuscripts and correspondence to:
The Editors
Issues in Writing
Department of English
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Or submit manuscript by email to
