To ensure consistency across the entries, the Medieval Disability Glossary requires potential contributors to use the following format for their submissions. To contribute or for questions, contact the current editor Kisha Tracy at ktracy3@fitchburgstate.edu.
The Glossary editors will conduct open peer-review of all entries, and all contributors will be credited by name on the site. Proposed entries may be sent on a rolling basis.
There are three types of potential submissions:
- Glossary Entries
- Text Introductions
- Bibliographies
Glossary Entries
Title
The title should be the single word (or short phrase) that the remainder of the entry defines and explicates. This word may be either in Present Day English or in its source language, depending on which is most appropriate.
Definition
A clear, succinct definition of the word, which provides its etymology, and traces any changes in meaning across its history. Contributors may find it useful to supply definitions from the standard reference guides listed below.
- Present Day English: The Oxford English Dictionary.
- Old English: The Dictionary of Old English for words beginning A-G, and Bosworth and Toller’s An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (with its supplements, addenda and corrigenda) for words beginning H-Y.
- Middle English: The Middle English Dictionary.
- Latin: The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources.
- Old Norse: G. T. Zoëga’s A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic.
Related terms are also encouraged.
Story
A discursive examination of the story behind the word. In particular, contributors should foreground how people within the medieval society that used the word constructed and perceived the physical, mental, or spiritual condition that it signified. They may find it helpful to consider answering one or more of the following questions in their discussion: What do attested instances of the word in contemporary texts show us about how the condition was understood? What do patterns of usage show? What did antique and medieval authorities have to say about it? What theories of etiology existed around it? Was there a particular group with which the condition was most commonly associated? Through what interventions did people attempt to respond to it? Perhaps most importantly, how did people with that condition experience it? How did it affect their lives? Was it accepted or stigmatized? Did people’s experiences differ across cultures?
Evidence and Images
Relevant images from contemporary art, such as manuscripts and sculptures. Contributors should make sure that the material is available under fair-use guidelines, and should provide a full reference for it following the Chicago Manual of Style.
Other evidence can also be included here – for example, Bible Verses.
Further Reading
Provide a bibliography of readings, using the Chicago Manual of Style.
Contributor
Name of contributor(s) and institution/affiliation.
Submitted By
If entry is supervised by an instructor, include that name and institution/affiliation here.
Text Introductions
Title
Provide a title of the text you are introducing, including a date of composition.
Edition of Text
Provide a link to the edition of the text used in the introduction. If at all possible, this should be an open-access edition. In addition, provide any relevant notes on the edition and/or the original manuscript(s).
Introduction
The Introduction is the main part of this type of submission. These should be useful to both novice and expert audiences. It would be helpful to consider these introductions as possible assigned readings to undergraduate or graduate classes. Example: Sir Orfeo.
Bibliography
Provide a bibliography of citations and readings, using the Chicago Manual of Style.
Contributor
Name of contributor(s) and institution/affiliation.
Submitted By
If entry is supervised by an instructor, include that name and institution/affiliation here.
Bibliographies
Title
A focused title of the collection of re/sources.
Bibliography
List of sources, using the Chicago Manual of Style.
Contributor
Name of contributor(s) and institution/affiliation.
Submitted By
If entry is supervised by an instructor, include that name and institution/affiliation here.