New Series: Tips on Being an Independent Scholar

Over the years, primarily under the leadership of smallaxe, FPR has amassed an amazing series for LDS interested in pursuing graduate education in religious studies. It consists of interviews, best practices, an orientation to the process, and things to consider about this career path. It also has interviews and tips from people who have studied at different schools, and even interviews from those who have gotten tenure track jobs.

We have now decided to launch a new series about another path as an independent scholar in the world of Mormon Studies, broadly defined. An independent scholar is someone who conducts research and publishes their work outside the traditional academic framework. Many of these individuals hold advanced degrees, but not all. Many have full-time careers in other fields. Some publish in academic venues, including university presses or academic journals. Others publish in venues that target a more popular readership.

Mormonism has, for various reasons, produced a massive group of independent scholars of various ideological backgrounds, a wide variety of formal academic training, who approach publishing and the goals of their research in diverse ways. In this series, we hope to spotlight some of these individuals, and get their perspectives on this path.

If you are an independent scholar, and would like to contribute to the series, please contact us at faithprorumor AT gmail DOT com.