Editorial: Writing It out?Author(s): Linda McDowellSource: Area, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Mar., 1989), pp. 1-2Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20002668 .

Accessed: 14/06/2014 22:54

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to Area.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.158 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:54:10 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Area (1989) 21.1, 1

Editorial-writing it out?

I have now edited Area for two years. I began with the intention of initiating, commis sioning and facilitating a rapid exchange of contemporary, even controversial, views in the Observations section of this journal. This hope has proved harder to execute than I imagined. It has been difficult to persuade the protagonists and opponents of particular views to commit their thoughts to paper at the same time as each other and to fit into the production schedule of the printers. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. Thus, the debate about selective sanctions against South Africa that began in the final issue last year is continued in this issue.

Just occasionally, there is the type of unplanned coincidence of potential contri butions to the Observations section that makes editing such an enjoyable task. Such a coincidence is reflected in this issue. Three scholars, writing from different institutions and different positions in the academic hierarchy put on paper their current dissatisfac tion with a particular aspect of our discipline. For all three, their unease coalesces around the conventions surrounding the form and style of academic writing. Written communication is the life blood of higher education and apprenticeship, entry and promotion through the ranks depends on conforming to a set of, often unwritten, conventions. Journals, of course, do lay down the rules of their house style but these tend to fall within the narrow spectrum of what is accepted academic style. Even Area, one of the less formal scholarly journals, does not veer far from the accepted canons. But Porteous, Short and Renouf obviously want to break with the shackles of conven tion in a number of ways and to insert feeling, passion, personal and shared experience into what they see as 'dry as dust' scholarly prose. Whilst I share some of their desires and see scope for alternative ways of doing things, I'm not sure that I do agree with Porteous' plea for academic writing to become personal therapy. The scholarly style does not inevitably mean boring prose; nor does bringing the personal into geography for its own sake necessarily increase our knowledge. It may be merely self-indulgent.

Recognizing that the personal is also the political, however, is another matter. With this rallying cry of the women's movement and feminist scholarship, I have no disagree

ment. As feminists and others writing from a deep sense of personal commitment and moral purpose have shown, academic writing need neither be dull and boring nor conventional.

Linda McDowell Open University

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.158 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:54:10 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

2

Notes for guidance of contributors Authors are asked to take note of Area's requirements which are printed inside the front cover. Three copies of all papers should be submitted. Papers (including references) must be typed in double spacing and with wide margins. All measurements used should be in the same metric system. Spelling should follow modern British usage.

Notes and references

Authors must use the Harvard system for giving references, as follows: Authors' names (no initials) and dates are given in the body of the text-for example (Martin et al. 1979; Johnston 198 la, 198 1b)-and the references are listed alphabetically at the end of the paper under the heading References in the following form: Johnston R J (198 1a) ' Political geography ' in Wrigley N and Bennett R J (eds) Quantitative

geography: a British view (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London), 374-81 Johnston R J (1981 b) ' The management and autonomy of the local state: the role of the judiciary

in the United States ' Environment and Planning A 13, 1305-16 Martin R L, Thrift N and BennettJ R (eds) (1979) Towards the dynamic analysis ofspatial systems

(Pion, London) Authors may if necessary, also use numbered notes-for example' 23 -but such notes should be kept to a minimum. They should be placed at the end of the text (under the heading Notes) but before the references, as follows: Notes

1 Information obtained during an interview with the Calais Chamber of Commerce, 29 May 1984

2 During May 1984, there were approximately 11 francs to the pound

3 Information obtained during an interview with the Dover Harbour Board, 23 May, 1984

References and notes should be typed in double spacing at the end of the paper. In contrast to earlier Area style, note that journal titles should be written in full, not in abbreviated form, that the publisher as well as the place of publication should be given for books, and that authors' names should be written without commas and full stops. Capital letters in titles of papers and books should be restricted to initial words and proper names. Papers not conforming with this style will be returned by the Editor.

Illustrations and tables

Duplicate photocopies of all illustrations should be the same size as the author would wish them to appear in Area. On acceptance for publication the author will be asked to submit original illustrations to the Editor. Captions to illustrations should be typed on a separate sheet, please do not write on the front or back of your illustrations. The approximate location desired for illustrations and tables should be indicated in the text. We ask that particular care and attention should be given to the layout of tables. These should use a minimum of vertical and horizontal lines, and have wide margins on all sides.

Further notes on submitting papers for Area are available from the Editor.

Area submission dates 1989 Area's aim is to be as topical as possible. These are the dates for last receipt of copy and publication dates for the journal for 1989. We endeavour to include Observations, Comments, Conference reports and notices in the next available issue. Articles, too, will be included as soon as possible but as we always have a number in hand there is inevitably some delay. Most articles will be published within nine months of receipt.

Last date for receipt of copy Publication No. 2 4 February 1989 June 1989 No. 3 10 May 1989 September 1989 No. 4 6 July 1989 December 1989

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.158 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 22:54:10 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions