New Article: ‘Song Gems (Scots): the Dunedin Collection: a commercial failure?’

Posted on by Dr Karen E McAulay
Pile of purple gems. Pixabay.

Four years ago, I gave a conference paper with this title. Time passed before I found it a home as a published article, but I’m pleased to say that it is now published in Brio, Vol.63 no.1, pp.13-30.

Song Gems (Scots) embossed song book cover, gold on olive green

Brio is the professional journal of IAML(UK & Irl), the British and Irish branch of the International Association of Music Libraries. It’s a fitting home for an article about a Scottish song collection of a rather distinctive nature.

I’ve added the article details to my RCS Pure page, and I’ll also list it here on my Publications page and on ResearchGate. If you’d like to read it but can’t access it, do drop me a line via my ‘Join the Conversation’ page on this blog.

Abstract

‘The introduction to the musical world of yet another collection of Scots songs may possibly in certain quarters seem to demand something in the nature of an apology’, said editor James Wood in his 1908 preface.  Wood’s collection is intriguing. The clumsily-worded title on the cover incorporates an embossed lozenge/roundel of Edinburgh’s Dunedin cross. Although Wood compiled the collection, he collaborated with a musical editor, Learmont Drysdale, and another eleven Scottish musicians are acknowledged.  His own identity is a bit of a mystery. The book’s scarcity is also noteworthy; it was possibly a short print-run.  Well-intentioned, it perhaps lacked general appeal, and paratextual clues bear out the assertion that this highbrow, specialist publication may not have sold very well.

Heading Image by Marilyn Cada from Pixabay

‘You should find that the system is very user-friendly …’

Posted on by Dr Karen E McAulay

I wrote an article. Revised it. Revised the revisions. I have no problem with this – it’s all intended to make it a better article, and hopefully it is now better. However, I feel less positive about the mechanics of submitting it! You have to use a platform called Manuscript Central. Manuscript Central is a product of the ScholarOne platform.  (It was owned by Thomson Reuters, then Clarivate and is now owned by Silverchair.  Still with me?) I Googled it, and one journal publisher described it as user-friendly.

I’ve used it before. Indeed, I’ve uploaded revisions before.  But today, I couldn’t work out how to do all my re-revisions within the platform. After much huffing and puffing, I did submit a manuscript. I’m less confident as to whether I submitted it correctly! And I dislike feeling thwarted by technology. It doesn’t encourage me!

Confused – but no hair was torn out!

On the positive side – I normally have the greatest difficulty stopping research activity when I stop being a part-time researcher for the day, but today I was more than happy to close the document. Gently, if metaphorically shutting the door behind me!

On Thursday, I’ll turn to the next article for submission.  Hmm, which platform for this one …?

Advance Notice! My latest Article is nigh!

Posted on by Dr Karen E McAulay

Soon, very soon, all will be revealed! It’s been quite a quiet year, as far as publications go. Very quiet. But I have had one article and two chapters waiting at their publishers, and this weekend will at least see the article published in History Scotland. Featured on the cover, too.

Hooray!

Image by Belinda Cave from Pixabay

News: Review of Scottish Culture

Posted on by Dr Karen E McAulay

I’m honoured to be part of the Editorial Board on the re-launching ‘Review of Scottish Culture’.  Exciting times!

I’ll share the link to the revamped website as soon as I can.

The Review of Scottish Culture emanates from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures – Celtic & Scottish Studies department.