Medieval Mailing Lists

Using a List to Aid in Research

by Melissa Snell

If you are looking for a quick answer to a homework question, a mailing list is probably not your best resource. It may take a while for anyone to respond, and most members of the list will not be willing to do your homework for you--in fact, depending on the list, you may even get some scathing flames. To use the Internet to help you with homework, see our Frequently Answered Questions. And remember: start with your local or school library.

However, if you are working on a research project and are looking for further resources and information, a mailing list can be a treasure trove. In addition to the basics of academic list netiquette, please keep the following points in mind when posting your questions.

Choose the appropriate list.

Not all medieval mailing lists focus on the entirety of the middle ages. If you're researching Chaucer or medieval literature, then Chaucernet would be the ideal list to consult. However, if your project concerns the Wars of the Roses, you'll find Later Medieval Britain a more appropriate list. Some Chaucernet members may also have a great deal of knowledge about the Earl of Warwick, but he's simply not on topic for Chaucernet.

Of course, nearly any question you might post concerning medieval history would be appropriate on a general list such as MEDIEV-L. However, using a list that focuses on a more specific theme can be highly rewarding, for such a list is where you are likely to find true "experts" in the subject. While there are, for example, Chaucerians on MEDIEV-L, it's Chaucernet where you'll find scholars who have years of expertise and extraordinary insight into Geoffrey Chaucer, his work and his world.

Do your homework.

If you're working against a deadline, it may be sorely tempting to fire off your questions early to give list members time to respond. But the most productive use of members' expertise is to ask informed questions. Instead of wasting time asking for basic info that an introductory text can provide, read your text, then get straight to the heart of the matter with your questions to the list.

In addition to consulting the resources you have at hand, you may wish to explore the net (our directory can be of some assistance here) to broaden your knowledge. And if the list you choose has an archive or FAQs, check them out to see if your question has already been addressed, to save members time and trouble and to save yourself possible flames.

Use a descriptive subject.

While an appropriate subject line is always a good idea on a mailing list, it is particularly helpful to you, the questioner. Reconsider your choice of generic subjects such as "Question," "Query," or the ever-popular "Can you help me?" Seven other questing students may send the list similarly titled messages, and all may go ignored or be confused for one another. Instead, try a creative--yet accurate--tag that will pique members' interest. Then, when the responses come through on the list, you can ignore the "re: Question" messages and go straight for the "re: Tudor Trash" responses.

Descriptive subjects also help list administrators maintain archives; so, for future students in your position (and for good Karma), give some thought to your subject line.

Be polite.

Remember, you're asking for help from a group of strangers who know nothing about you and have no reason to help you aside from their interest in the topic and the kindness of their hearts. A nicely phrased plea for assistance will get the most prompt replies. Avoid using all caps and exclamation points, which can be interpreted as shouting, and don't forget to say "Thank you."

Be specific.

A generalized question can get you all sorts of responses that don't really address your query. To help members avoid wasting time, be sure to ask precisely what you want to know. If you're looking for sources, list those you've already consulted so members don't waste time sending you those particular titles. Give a little thought to your question, because list members usually give quite a lot of thought to their replies.

Follow up.

Don't be afraid to ask for clarifications or head off on a tangent that also interests you. Posting to a list is essentially participating in a conversation, and in addition to consisting of give-and-take, conversations have a way of wandering. As long as you stay within the general list topic, members will receive further questions from you with alacrity.

However, if you deviate substantially from your original topic, consider changing the subject heading as well (for example, "Elizabethan Housing; WAS Tudor Trash"). You may find yourself following several threads at once, any or all of which may help you with your project.

Cite wisely.

The best use of list members' correspondence is for guidance, source recommendations, and the exchange of ideas. Members, collectively and individually, cannot write your term paper for you. Yet sometimes a point is brought up in email discussion that is illuminating or perfectly phrased or otherwise beneficial to your work, and you may wish to include this in your paper.

If you choose to include a list member's comments in your own scholarship, be sure to check with your teacher or professor to see if email communication is considered a valid resource, and if so, what citation method is preferred. Several methods of citing electronic correspondence have been suggested, among them:

A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources in History and the Humanities, by Melvin E. Page

The Columbia Guide to Online Style: Email, Discussion Lists and Newsgroups

It may be necessary to print out the email message in its entirety for inclusion in your paper.

Be sure to treat the email communication as you would any other printed reference. It is also the minimum of courtesy to request permission for the use of the comment. You can do this off list, if you prefer, directly emailing the author of the original post and explaining how you wish to include his message in your work. It is very unlikely that permission will be denied, especially if there are list archives accessible to Internet users at large. Yet it pays to be polite.

Stick around!

If you enjoy the conversation on the list, there's no reason why you can't stay when your project is complete. Become a medievalist, even if it's only an amateur one like your Guide. 

 

Return to the introduction, or go to:

Technical Matters
Subscribing, unsubscribing, and hints for smooth listing.

Academic List Netiquette
The basic rules for getting along in academic cyberspace.

Discussion List Directory
Sites and subscription addresses for dozens of email lists concerned with medieval and Renaissance studies.

 

Medieval Mailing Lists: Using a List to Aid in Research is copyright © 1999-2003 Melissa Snell. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell.

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