Since tenure packets are due at the beginning of the 5th year, this might mean publishing 1 or 2 articles based off the dissertation during the first couple of years on the job; turning the dissertation into a book during the first 3 years with the book coming out in year 4 or 5; and doing another article or 2 (on a new topic) during year 4 and 5.

This is, admittedly, a practical approach with tenure in mind.

There are other issues, though, that relate to the quantity vs. quality debate. The argument for quality is that people are busy and might only give you 1 chance. If you publish something that isn’t quite ready or good, others in the field might not read things you come to write in the future.

I have heard that the Religious Ed college is only giving out one-years these days to try people out before giving them BYU’s version of a “tenure”-track appointment. Did you receive a CFS (“tenure-track”) appointment, or did they make you go through the one-year process too? Either way, can you comment on whether or not this seems to be the (troubling) way of the future?

My sense is that the basic process is not really all that different from, say, Journal of Mormon History. The journals do not make it a point of asking for academic credentials. Though it is no doubt generally assumed that a potential author has them. During the review process, as I understand it, manuscripts are judged strictly on their own merits by ‘blind’ peers. To get to that point, however, I think the manuscript is first screened by someone like the general editor of the journal. That person would have the author’s contact info, of course, and could find out and/or infer (from glancing at the submission) whether the author is credentialled or equivalent. It can’t hurt to know (someone who has a connection with) that person.

Actually, I would think this is an important enough question that someone at FPR (or a guest) should make it a separate post. I know I would be very interested.

I often fantasize of getting something published in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. I see that you have several pieces there. Besides producing solid MSS that they would want to publish, did you do anything special to accomplish that? Or did you just send in your work cold?

Lincoln: Thanks for you insights.

I also want to pose a question I know many LDS graduate students have thought about. Perhaps you have some insight on this.

The recent hires at RelEd have been trained academically in disciplines more relevant to religion. This seems to be a trend likely to continue. How do you think this new generation will change the identity of RelEd?

Likewise, my advice is that you should not take more than 5 or 6 years to finish your PhD otherwise potential employers will want to know why you have taken so long to finish and they may have suspicions about whether you will be able to meet deadlines as an employee.

Part of this may vary by institution or department. In the departments I’m familiar with, for instance, I don’t know anyone who finished in less than 6 years. I think I read an AAR publication a little while back claiming an average of 7 years according to their calculations. In any case, I think the general point is well taken–taking too long to finish up can look bad when on the market.