Samantha Wildow

A question for researchers, history nerds and especially archivists. I'll be at The National Archives, UK at Kew next week, looking at 16th-century records of the dissolution of religious houses to understand how women were impacted by the sudden elimination of their roles in the English Church. Fascinating stuff (to me at least). But it's made me think about the bizarre gatekeeping attitude of so many archives, something that's baffled me since I started studying history last year. Too little is digitised, which is understandable given the mass of documents. What I cannot understand is the resistance to letting some of us help. Some archives make you pay exorbitant fees to photograph documents, even just for personal later reference (thankfully, not the National Archives, thank you folks). Others won't let you photograph them at all. When you can take pictures, you are strictly forbidden from publishing them. Why? We are talking about public, tax-funded archives here and documents that are centuries out of copyright or privacy concerns. So you have to spend days physically present at archive sites to manually transcribe documents... then selfishly keep that to yourself. You end up traveling longer than the few opening hours they've got. It's fun but it's not cheap or accessible. I'm only able to do this because I'm self-employed and deprioritised paid work for a while, not without tremendous privilege. Another classmate is taking PTO. A third simply gave up on primary sources; her research and her grade will suffer. With a bit more openness and imagination, we could crowdsource archive digitisation and advance knowledge. Instead so much is restricted to a few well-funded professional researchers and time-rich pensioners. Historians, archivists, researchers, what am I missing? Is there good reason to keep things so close to the chest, or is it just institutional reflex? #history #archives #research

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Who is ready for a deep dive into the Murthy v. Missouri? This is the trial that will determine the extent to which government is permitted to interfere with free speech on social media platforms. We go deep into the story behind the case, the backgrounds of the plaintiffs, and various legal aspects. We also highlight the importance of being open to new information and data as it continues to come into the light.

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Many writers and editors think the Associated Press Stylebook is against using the serial (Oxford) comma. That’s not true. AP style *does* recommend using the serial comma in complex lists. For example, if one of the items in a list contains a conjunction, AP style calls for a serial comma. Like this: Fritz enjoys snacking on bananas, cheese and crackers, and ice cream. Additionally, if the items in the list are long, AP style calls for a serial comma. Like this: Helen changed the car’s worn tire before embarking on her big road trip, Raul shined the fenders until he could see his reflection in them, and Sara double-checked all fluid levels. AP does not recommend using a serial comma in a simple list: Dante bought strawberries, sliced turkey and rye bread. This is in contrast to most other style guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style, which calls for a serial comma in all lists. To learn more differences between AP style and Chicago style, check out Dragonfly Editorial’s field guide on this very topic. It’s titled “AP Style and Chicago Style: 15 Major Differences,” and the link is in the comments.

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Do you use a specific thesaurus resource for your writing? I typically type word + synonym into Google and pick from a quick list of alternatives. I know some writers swear by the Emotion Thesaurus.

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Editorial tip: Whenever you copyedit a manuscript that discusses “public welfare,” “public health,” “public relations,” “public access,” or “public affairs,” to name a few, please run a global search for the word “pubic.” #thankyoumentor

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We all write content. This may include books, articles, marketing material, emails, memos, contracts, policies, and other documents. Plain language is valuable in all writing. Get your copy of the ISO #PlainLanguage Standard today. bit.ly/42PqTdA

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In this week's TEA Delivered, I wrote about a tough decision: determining when the manuscript is ready for copy editing, a step that largely fixes the manuscript and precludes major revisions. Here are my three main ideas: 1. When doubts creep in about whether you have done *enough*, remind yourself that you have actually done *so much*. 2. Feel proud of what you have accomplished within your unique set of circumstances (research support, caregiving loads, course releases, etc.). 3. The book needs a chance to live its life outside of your head and outside the confines of your computer. You can read the whole newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eXTcxmxX #amediting #academia #academicwriting #decisions #itstime #publishing

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AI use is suspected in: The Court notes that the brackets around "[Judge's name]" are curious and may be evidence of carelessness. [*6] The Court also notes that the Marretts are representing themselves in this matter and may be relying on a form or AI-generated motion. Pro se pleadings are entitled to greater leniency, and I am solicitous about the obstacles pro se litigants face. Flanders v. Mass Resistance, No. 1:12-cv-00262-JAW, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71517, at *4-5 (D. Me. May 21, 2013). At the same time, in the future, the Marretts should be more attentive when submitting pleadings to the court. (Marrett v Aroostook County Fed. Sav. & loan, 2024 US Dist LEXIS 165803, at *5-6 [D Me Sep. 16, 2024, No. 1:24-cv-00300-JAW])

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Now I know. You know? "The difference between copy editing and proofreading lies in which components of a written work each role focuses on. In copy editing, the copy is tidied up for conciseness and polished so that the information is delivered to the reader clearly. Proofreading, however, is the last opportunity to catch errors and correct inconsistencies relating to how the page looks." https://lnkd.in/gzzsQJqW

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New post in the DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services blog

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The Midpoint (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 7 of 12) via Helping Writers Become Authors #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/ewEiumuZ

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Have you been keeping up with wide-format news? You don't want to miss this episode of the Weekly. It has everything any good news update should — heavy-hitting headlines, power poses, and a stellar news crew. #wideformatnews #printnews #wideformatprinting #wideformatweekly

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“Library marketing professionals know that different online audiences are reached in different ways. Advertising with Google reaches everyone. That makes it the best way to reach new people, including, critically, the underserved.” Does your library know about Google Ad Grants? Thousands of nonprofits use the program. You apply once, and the grant continues indefinitely. Pretty amazing, right? Here's how to get started: https://lnkd.in/g8hS6y5c Thanks to Maggie Carson and Peter Velikonja at Koios for helping my readers understand this opportunity!

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