Resource Books on Public Scholarship
As I pack my thrown-together at-home collection of books to bring them back to my work office “post-pandemic,” I am reflecting on the ones that I’ve referenced for my own guidance and for classes over the past two years to stoke hope that we can have influence when times seem dark. Here are my top picks for building your public-scholarship resource bookshelf:
- Envisioning Public Scholarship for Our Time: Models for Higher Education Researchers by Kezar et al. (2018) has become the first one my hand goes to when I have a question. It’s written straightforward without too many words your students may need a thesaurus for. It begins with defining public scholarship and the many ways PS can look followed by chapters of specific methods of public scholarship with tips and examples. The end has guidance for PS in higher education, careers, and politics. As I flip through this book right now, I notice the notes and underlines and water spills- the true marks of a useful book.
- The Oxford Handbook of Methods for Public Scholarship edited by Patricia Leavy (2019) is a huge resource I’ve only read chapters in so far. It has a balance of both theoretical and practical chapters. I’ve primarily been using the practical chapters at this point, especially the ones about how to adapt your PS to specific audiences. I have heard others use parts of this book in their graduate courses, but I have only pulled a couple chapters so far. There is much to explore in its over 700 pages.
- The Public Professor: How to Use Your Research to Change the World by Lee Badgett (2015) outlines what Dr. Badgett has learned through efforts to influence decision-makers as a public intellectual. If you have motivation to become a public professor as a way to influence society, this is a must-read. I am not currently at a place where that model of PS fits me, but I really appreciate the very pragmatic and narrative style of this book with clear guidance on how to get people outside of academia to listen when research has something important to say, including very clear step-by-step instructions for creating and framing your talking points. This has been useful for me on many occasions. There is a chapter I haven’t read yet on managing public conflict that is super relevant to today’s context- it’s high on my reading to-do list.
I’m sure there are other resources I have not stumbled across yet and hope others will share their own favorites!
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