<p><span lang="EN-US">Dear colleagues, </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">We are very pleased to
announce the launch of the <a href="http://social-epistemology.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Social
Epistemology Review and Reply Collective</span></a> (<a href="http://social-epistemology.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">http://social-epistemology.com/</span></a>).
It is closely connected to the Taylor & Francis journal <a href="http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/02691728.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Social
Epistemology</span></a>. The Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective
was founded in August 2010 by James Collier, the current executive editor of
the Taylor & Francis journal <a href="http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/02691728.asp" title="Social Epistemology" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Social Epistemology</span></a>. The current editor of the
collective (July 2011 to July 2012) is Elisabeth Simbürger. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">At the moment we have <a href="http://social-epistemology.com/about/who-we-are/" title="Who we are" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">18 members</span></a>
that are based in different countries and continents. Our disciplinary
backgrounds are quite diverse, ranging from business administration,
philosophy, sociology, history, literature to science and technology studies,
biology and psychology, to name a few. Despite this diversity in discipline and
outlook, our shared roof is the research program of social epistemology as
outlined by Steve Fuller based on his first book Social Epistemology (Indiana
University Press, 1988) and the Taylor & Francis journal Social
Epistemology which he founded in 1987.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black" lang="EN-US">Our aims</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">This platform of
intellectual exchange concerning themes that are paramount to
Social Epistemology is a collective experiment in the making. Our
main aims are showcasing our own work, being in a dialogue with the journal <i>Social
Epistemology</i> and taking a stand on current themes of Social Epistemology –
from biotechnology to current knowledge work in neoliberal university
landscapes. The need for an online platform in addition to the journal <i>Social
Epistemology</i> emerged from changes in knowledge production over the last
years. Online platforms allow for a more immediate response to current issues
that may be of interest to social epistemology. Yet, rather than questioning
the value of traditional journals and articles, we see our collective work as
complementary to the journal <i>Social Epistemology</i> and in close relation
to it, merely adding new dimensions and formats of discussing it (also see </span><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tsep20/24/3" title="Social Epistemology, 2010, 24 (3), Special Issue: ‘Scientific Publications 2.0. The End of the Scientific Paper?" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:blue" lang="EN-US">Social Epistemology</span></i><span lang="EN-US">, 2010, 24 (3), Special Issue:
‘Scientific Publications 2.0. The End of the Scientific Paper?). </span></a><span lang="EN-US">Not only are we open to written
input such as articles, short essays, book reviews, comments, meta-critiques,
and aphorisms, but we also encourage visual formats such as films, images as
well as any audio material (interviews etc.). As the title of our collective
indicates, we predominantly see ourselves as a review and reply collective.</span></p>
<p><i><span lang="EN-US">Reviewing...</span></i><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">We either individually or
collectively review contemporary books and classics that are of interest to
social epistemology. Besides, we aim for high quality work irrespective of the
format by reviewing each other’s contributions.</span></p>
<p><i><span lang="EN-US">Replying....</span></i><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">Our online platform serves
as a space of engaging with current events and themes that are relevant to
social epistemology. As our online platform allows for faster responses than
traditional journals, we are particularly interested in promoting shorter
contributions. Moreover, the platform seeks to foster a meta-critical
discussion of the journal <i>Social Epistemology </i>with replies to
articles, a look at a particular topic addressed in the journal over time, blog
postings on subjects and issues, replies from past authors and critical
responses, commentaries and syntheses. We would like to encourage dialogues
among <i>Social Epistemology’s</i> print and digital authors in the hopes
that new approaches to writing, and writing about, academic inquiry might
evolve from it. In this sense, the platform can also serve as a space for
discussion of upcoming journal ideas or themes.</span></p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-US">A collective
experiment in the making </span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">Collective work and
academic exchange are often presented as ideal scenarios in knowledge work.
However, as our own experience has shown us so far, working as a collective is
by no means a straightforward and easy process. Being based in different parts
of the world with many of us never having met in person, developing a
collective dialogue is an even more challenging endeavour. Besides, the
requirements of an academic career geared towards constant publishing and
output in an era of quality assurance, seem to leave little space for
activities beyond that such as collective work (See Stephen Norrie's paper </span><a href="http://socialepistemologydotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/three-social-contracts-for-an-academic-collective.pdf" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US">Three Social Contracts for an
Academic Collective</span></a><span lang="EN-US">).
We would like to revisit our process of developing as a collective in a
reflexive mode. Taking our own experience as a point of departure, one idea so
far was to pay increased attention to the relationship between conditions of
work at universities and knowledge work.</span></p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-US">Get involved!</span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">If you would like to be
part of our collective or if you have an idea for a contribution, please get in
touch with us via email: <a href="mailto:elisabeth.simburger@mail.udp.cl" target="_blank">elisabeth.simburger@mail.udp.cl</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">You
can follow us here: <a href="http://social-epistemology.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">http://social-epistemology.com/</span></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">Best
wishes on behalf of the Collective, <br></span></p><p style="text-align:justify">
</p><span lang="EN-US">James
Collier (Executive editor of <i>Social
Epistemology</i>) </span>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">Elisabeth
Simbuerger (Online editor <i>Social
Epistemology Review and Reply Collective</i>)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"" lang="EN-US"> </span></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><p style="margin:0cm 0cm 10pt">
<font size="3"><span><font face="Cambria">Dr Elisabeth Simbürger<br>Research fellow<br>Centro de Políticas Comparadas en Educación<br>Universidad Diego Portales<br>
Vergara 210<br>Santiago<br>Chile<br><br></font></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.cpce.cl/" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-CL"><font face="Times New Roman">http://www.cpce.cl</font></span></a></span></font><span><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://udp.academia.edu/ElisabethSimbuerger/About" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-CL"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">http://udp.academia.edu/ElisabethSimbuerger/About</font></span></a></span><span><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://go.warwick.ac.uk/ep/pg/live/elisabethsimbuerger" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-CL"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">http://go.warwick.ac.uk/ep/pg/live/elisabethsimbuerger</font></span></a></span><font face="Cambria"><font size="3"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin:0cm 0cm 10pt"><span lang="EN-US"><font face="Cambria" size="3">email: </font><a href="mailto:elisabeth.simburger@mail.udp.cl" target="_blank"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">elisabeth.simburger@mail.udp.cl</font></a><font face="Cambria" size="3">; </font><a href="mailto:e.a.simbuerger@gmail.com" target="_blank"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">e.a.simbuerger@gmail.com</font></a><font face="Cambria" size="3">; <br>
Phone: <a href="tel:%2B56%202%206768549" value="+5626768549" target="_blank">+56 2 6768549</a></font></span></p>
<p> </p><br>