Write a Contribution

Invitation

 

EVC invites interested authors to write contributions for this website. There are guidelines for the object database that have been agreed upon by the partners (see below). If you are interested in writing for the other sections, please contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Guidelines for the object database

In September 2019, EVC partners from South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Oman, Uganda and Germany met in Cape Town, where they discussed a model for contributions to the EVC object database. This resulted in a model and guidelines for authors.

 

cape town model

Objects can be:

  • tangible, e.g. a piece of art, architecture, design, craft, media, etc.
  • intangible. e.g. conceptual (mental image / visual representation of an idea, scientific concept, belief etc.) or visual representations of a social practice / artistic project (intangible objects must be documented by selected photos, film, drawing etc.)

Criteria for the selection of an object are:

  • Relevance for
    • Education in the country
    • Current and future society
    • Global development
  • Quality
    • Does the image communicate / represent / symbolize the explanation in the text – or is it just an arbitrary illustration?
    • formal qualities (contrasts, lighting, sharpness, perspective etc.)
    • captivating, interesting (not dull, but complex)
    • evoking questions (aesthetic / conceptual qualities)

How to write about an object?

Your contribution interprets the meaning(s) of the object in its specific context(s) with a special focus on the following aspects:

  • Transcultural elements (the various contemporary conditions, e.g. globalization, migration, decolonization etc.) that inform the object's meaning
  • Change of meaning across time
  • Cultural sensitivity (tolerance / respect)
  • Meta-Reflection: Why is this specific object chosen? How can we speak about it? From which perspective, from which position does the author speak?
    Reflecting on the criteria regarding the chosen object and its relevance in the context of the project, reflecting on the methods, approaches, and the research questions.

 

Template (for entries on the website)

Object / image

  • 1200 pixels width, height accordingly, 72 dpi
  • Picture caption: author, “name of the object”, year, material, size/dimension, location, copyright

Important note: You are responsible for ensuring that the rights to publish the image(s) on the website explore-vc.org are provided by the respective copyright holder(s).  Here is a guide (written by Mina Ton) on how to handle copyrights (Link).

  • Title (a handful of words that address the theme and allude to the interpretation)
  • Abstract (100 words - unpacking the ‘title’, explaining the rationale behind the selection, the relevance of the object)
  • Interpretation: Text (1000 words)
    • Introduction (background, method)
    • Description – Analysis – Interpretation of the object / image
    • Conclusion: Rationale why and how this object / image meets the criteria. (Criterion: relevance for education and quality, i.e. complexity that evokes questions; coherence of form and content)
  • References (APA-style)
  • If applicable, full paper