An announcement and invitation
The Center for Studies in Oral Tradition announces a new organization, the International Society for Studies in Oral Tradition. As an online, universally accessible, and free-of-charge facility, the ISSOT seeks to create and maintain an open, democratic network for understanding the world’s oral traditions. The central mission of this new organization is to use electronic media to connect people with a truly international group of colleagues who have similar interests.
We would like to extend to you a cordial invitation to join the Society by registering as a member. The questionnaire asks for your basic contact information (name, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation if any), your interests and expertise (by area, type of oral tradition, and language), as well as additional information (websites, relevant publications or other media, and a short biography).
You will also be asked to create a password for yourself.
Phase 1
As an ISSOT member, you will have password-protected access to all other members’ profiles. During Phase 1 of the Society’s development, you will be able to search the membership data-base to locate other scholars, performers, and students with similar interests. You can then establish correspondence and exchange with colleagues in various parts of the world, and form working groups on areas or topics that you wish to explore with others.
Phase 2
Later, we plan a number of ancillary initiatives. (1) We will support a discussion platform for each new issue of our journal Oral Tradition as it is published; (2) we will convene occasional web seminars and conferences, and (3) we will make available an electronic archive for deposit and shared use.
The Center for Studies in Oral Tradition will continue with its other online projects, all of them open-access and free-of-charge.