Q&A with the co-editors of Circulation: Megan Carlin and Becky Ramsey

Launched in 2013, Circulation is the student-run journal of the Information School. The publication is a venue for students’ creative expression and academic work, and is intended to support interest in literature and scholarly communication at the iSchool. It is published electronically three times a year, with additional contributions on their blog and social media platforms.

The Winter edition marks the first time the journal submissions were peer-reviewed. Co-editors and MLIS students Megan Carlin (MC) and Becky Ramsey (BR) offered their thoughts about the peer-review experience and their plans going forward.

What prompted you to do a peer-reviewed, academic issue?

MC: In April 2014, after attending a training event for incoming iSchool student organization leaders, we decided that an academic journal would provide opportunities for iSchool students that they might not otherwise have. Over the past year and after editing three quarterly issues, we have created a venue for iSchool student voices through publishing creative and academic work.

Having scholarly work in a published journal is essential in the academic job market. Many graduate students submit their work to be presented via professional organizations, conferences, and academic publishers; however, we wanted to create a journal specifically for the UW iSchool community. The act of submitting work to be critiqued can be daunting, so we also wanted to make the process more accessible. The enthusiasm for this idea was picked up by our extraordinary peer-review coordinator, Mia Klaus, a first-year MLIS student who facilitated the peer-review process.

BR: The idea of an academic issue was actually something that had been floated by the Circulation leadership last year, but never came to fruition. Giving students an opportunity to participate in a peer-reviewed publication served several functions. It gave those who are interested in future academic publication an introduction to the process. For those who are going to use peer-reviewed journals as part of their future careers, it also acquainted them with the process. For us, too, it was an entire education in organization, seeking support (both our reviewers and our excellent coordinator, Mia Claus), and follow-through. The culmination of this project was as much the final publication as it was the research conversation we hosted regarding its content. Again, since it was such a learning experience all around, it was very important for us to discuss what the peer review process was like as much as the actual, published research.

What are your goals for Circulation?

MC: Our goal for this publication and for future editions is to open a dialog about the iSchool student experience. We are interested in what people are proud of, what motivates them to reach further in their education, and how we can represent that in a published form. Every quarter when we receive submissions for the next issue, we are inspired by the work that students create. I think that this issue in particular shows the depth and variety of research areas in the iSchool— we had everything from information overload in the online dating scene to accessibility analysis on neurodiversity in academic libraries. We are excited about the research that iSchool students are producing and our main goal is that more students, across all programs in the iSchool, will submit their work to the publication in the future.

BR: We want to continue to be a three-fold forum which showcases student creative writing, reflections on professional development, and, now, academic work. Our spring publication will be full of creative works including poetry, short fiction, photography, and artwork. This past fall, we published an issue titled "Adventure" which focused on student activities over the past summer. This was, and we hope will continue to be, an opportunity for students to reflect on summer activities, especially as they relate to information science.

We should also note that Circulation is more than just the journal. We are going to be hosting more events relating to publications, writing, and scholarship in the future. We have also started a short story group called One School, One Story. The premise is that no one really has time for a book club while in grad school, but that doesn't mean they stop loving fiction! We choose a short story each month to read as a school and then discuss through an online chat. This is also part of a major commitment we've made to involving online students. Our material and our goals are definitely remote participation-friendly!

What are your personal goals as co-editors?

MC: It is a healthy combination of promoting student work, career goals, and enthusiasm. Working with the hybrid team of Circulation, I was able to have the opportunity to connect across platforms and program modes. I am personally invested in creating opportunities for all students, to learn from my peers, and to use my position to enrich the lives of others. And in exchange for the rewarding work of promoting the contributions of my colleagues, Circulation has provided experience that I can point to in a professional setting. I have developed skills in management, communication, editing, publishing, event planning, and graphic design. I also feel that the iSchool has given me so many opportunities as a student that I see Circulation as a way of giving back.

BR: I couldn't really have said it better. I think we've also developed skills in long-term team building. The iSchool really focuses on team activities in the classroom, but those really only last 10 weeks at the most.  With a student organization, though, we work together for a year to see our projects through.

What are your future plans for the publication?

MC: Our vision for the future of the journal is to have a full team of editors for features like academic work, visual art, and creative writing. We have made a concerted effort to engage with first-year students to create new positions that will expand the reach of Circulation, and we hope to continue to gain interest from prospective student leaders. On January 22nd, we hosted a research conversation in which we had 5 presentations from Circulation contributors —we hope to have another event to launch the spring issue. We are partnering with the University Book Store in March for a panel discussion event centering on the ‘We Need Diverse Books’ movement and the life cycle of publishing. My role in the organization will shift from co-editor to consultant after the upcoming elections, where I will be assisting new staff members until graduation in June—and we are extremely fortunate that Becky will be able to continue on the Circulation team through 2016.

BR: Our big goal is really promoting involvement. We're really going to be pushing for more officers and more program diversity in the upcoming student organization elections. Our current leadership is made up of all MLIS students, which makes sense given the proclivities librarians have for books and literature. However, the organization is about communication beyond our individual areas of expertise. We want to hear more from informatics, MSIM, and PhD students. Interestingly, our most diverse issue so far was our fall ‘Adventure’ issue, which I think people saw as more open-ended.  We're hoping that everyone in the iSchool will think about flexing their creative muscles over the next couple of months. Our spring submission deadline is March 25.

Read the Winter 2015 edition of Circulation
Visit the Circulation website