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'An Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Journal'

Traffic 10

Call for Papers is now closed...

'The Past Rewritten -- A Future Imagined'

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Traffic is committed to publishing articles from all disciplines across Melbourne University. The Editor invites articles from postgraduates that present their research findings in an accessible style to the broader University community. Traffic offers a $1000 prize for the best article published in each edition.

The theme for Traffic number 10 is ‘The Past Rewritten – A Future Imagined’. Submissions may engage with the way in which a particular historical issue has been rewritten or consider the influence of the past on the present more generally. Alternately, they may discuss how present research or ideas are likely to impact upon the future in your field, the future of the nation, or of the world at large. Submissions that attempt to combine both approaches—by looking to both the past and the future—are also welcome.

For this edition, Traffic is also offering a special, additional prize for the best paper that examines the teaching of history in schools or universities. This prize, to the value of $1500 and funded by the State Department of Education, will be awarded to the best publishable submission that addresses one or more of the following issues:

How is history being taught?
Whose history is being taught?
Where does objectivity lie in history?
How are historical consciousness and knowledge developed to privilege and acknowledge some events and stories and not others?
How is history integrated more broadly across other disciplines?

Book review submissions are accepted from postgraduates from all Australian universities.

Submissions close on Monday 12 May, 2008. If you would like to contribute an article or a review to Traffic number 10, contact the Editor at traffic@umpa.unimelb.edu.au.

Before submitting, read the submission guidelines at submission guidelines For further information contact the editor Michelle Smith Traffic@umpa.unimelb.edu.au, or phone on 8344 8308.

If you would like to subscribe to Traffic or purchase the latest edition ‘Serendipity’ or back issues, contact UMPA Reception on 8344 8657 or download the subscription form.

Science Submission FAQ:

I'm researching in Science, why should I publish in a journal outside of my specific field?

Here's what Dr Andi Horvath (Museum Victoria curator and 3RRR broadcaster) has to say on the subject:

"Does your scientific research matter?

The most important thing a science postgrad will ever do is to tell non-scientists why and how they do their research.

The second most important thing is doing it.

Make Traffic a vehicle for the most important thing because it does matter."

And now for the facts. Traffic is a fully refereed journal and papers published in it count for publication points when applying for academic positions or scholarships. Your paper will be evaluated "blind" by two experts in your field from national and international institutions. While it may not have the same cachet as publication in the top specialist journal in your field, the kind of paper you would write for Traffic enables you to gain experience in communicating to a broader readership. Not only may you be able to submit a paper on a topic you’ve already published on (or intend to publish on), but the opportunity to communicate your research outside your field is also a skill likely to be valued when applying for jobs after you graduate―particularly given this University’s focus on “knowledge transfer”.

Oh, and by the way, there is a $1000 prize for the best paper published, if you need a further incentive!

How can I make my specialist paper understood by readers outside my field?
Making your research accessible to those outside your field does not mean “dumbing it down” but, rather, taking them through complex concepts step-by-step, which in turn demonstrates your own understanding of the material. While there will be parts that may be challenging for the reader to understand, Traffic has previously published fascinating papers on very complex subjects. Here is a sample of the range of papers and disciplines that we have previously published: Surgery (biology of brain cancer), Chemistry (superbugs), Botany (classified daisies), Neuroscience (repairing the brain after injury), Geology (the Tibetan Plateau), Optometry (prevention of myopia), Nursing (pain reduction during blood tests in sick babies), Medicine (hypnotherapy and Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and Science (acid sulfate soils).

What about referencing style? Traffic’s style is very different from the one I use in my thesis and the Science journals I use.
If you wish, you may submit your paper in your preferred referencing style (ideally using endnotes rather than in-text citation) and, if it is accepted, the Editor will work with you to convert your references to Traffic house style.