THE NATIONAL COALITION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOLARS

NCIS PUBLICATIONS

NCIS GUIDE FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOLARS (forthcoming)

Ed. Amanda Haste & Linda Baines
(Scheduled for publication in December 2023)
 

Objective of the Book
The purpose of the Guide is to provide resources and supportive materials for Independent Scholars (IS) in a wide variety of fields, in the spirit of Ron Gross's The Independent Scholar's Handbook and with Ron Gross's blessing. The tone will be supportive, positive and informative, with a focus on providing solutions to the issues faced by ISs. The Guide will consist of articles on various aspects of independent scholarship, and practical resources to support ISs in their journey. The first part of the Guide will concern the whys and wherefores of being/becoming an IS, while the second part will provide the tools to carry out independent research in an ethical and rigorous way, and to develop strategies for presenting ourselves to the world.
Target Audience
This book’s target audience will be current and potential ISs. The Guide will be published online in PDF format (with hyperlinks) on the NCIS website, and will be free to access and download.
Format
The IS Guide will be published on the NCIS website as a PDF file. This will ensure it is completely open access, free to download, in accordance with the NCIS Publications Policy. 
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
Finding Freedom Outside Academia
The PhD as a Path to Independent Scholarship
Ensuring the Rigor of your Research
Ethics in Research
Technical Writing/Effective communication
Data, Methods & Software in Social Science
Mentoring for Independent Scholars
Conducting Interdisciplinary Research
Making a living as an Independent Scholar
Funding your Research

GLOBAL CUISINES BY INDEPENDENT SCHOLARS: A LEARNED COOKBOOK

The idea of a scholarly cookbook is not new, but this one is the first to be compiled by proud independent scholars, namely members of the National Coalition of Independent Scholars (NCIS) and its affiliated partner groups around the world.

This volume aims to give you an insight into different foods, traditions, and food-related experiences, through brief essays – some scholarly, some personal accounts – each of which has a related recipe. It is completely open access, and freely available to download here.

For best results, print out as a booklet and settle down for a good read. You could also print out separate copies of your favorite recipes to keep in the kitchen.

Enjoy!
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INDEPENDENT SCHOLARS' BOOKSHELF (A SELECTION)
 

Caccipuoti, Christine, and Elizabeth Keohane-Burbridge (eds.) Independent Scholars Meet the World: Expanding Academia Beyond the Academy. (Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2020).

Gross, Ronald. The Independent Scholar's Handbook: The Indispensable Guide for the Stubborn Intelligence (Ten Speed Press, 1994).

Haste, Amanda. "Affiliation? Who Needs It?" The Independent Scholar Quarterly (May 2014), 5-7.

Kara, Helen. "What I have learned from 20 years as an Independent Researcher." Social Research Association. Blog. n.d. 

Mahlberg, Gaby. Blog. https://thehistorywoman.com/2015/09/19/redefining-the-independent-scholar/. n.d.

Nelson, Megan Kate. "Hey Academics, Please Stop Calling Me an 'Independent Scholar'” Blog post (September 2017).

Nicolaides, Becky. "My Journey through the Research Access Crisis" (UCLA Center for the Study of Women, March 2019).

Nicolaides, Becky. "Locked Out: Research Access as a Challenge for the Discipline.". Online. Perspectives on History (American Historical Association, August 2018).

Sheldon, Kathleen, with Sandra Trudgen Dawson, “Independent Scholars, Feminist Research, and Diminishing Support,” CCWH (Coordinating Council for Women in History) Newsletter, 46, 4 (Dec 2016), 7-8.