Scholarly edition
A scholarly edition of a text is an edition that is reliable and useful for scholarly purposes. In order to fulfill such purposes, a scholarly edition must live up to high standards. The Committee on Scholarly Editions (CSE) was officially established as a standing committee of the Modern Language Association (MLA) on 1 September 1976. Its criteria for scholarly editions include the following principles:
"Whatever specific editorial theory and procedures are used, the editor's basic task is to establish a reliable text. Many, indeed most, scholarly editions include a general introduction-either historical or interpretive-as well as explanatory annotations to various words, passages, events, and historical figures. Although neither is essential to the editor's primary responsibility of establishing a text, both can add to the value, that is, the usefulness, of the edition. Whatever additional materials are included, however, the CSE considers the following essential for a scholarly edition:
1.A textual essay, which sets forth the history of the text and its physical forms, describes or reports the authoritative or significant texts, explains how the text of the edition has been constructed or represented, gives the rationale for all decisions affecting its construction or representation, and discusses the verbal composition of the text as well as its punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
2.An appropriate textual apparatus or notes or both, which (1) records alterations and emendations in the basic text(s), (2) discusses problematical readings (if not treated in the textual essay), (3) reports variant substantive readings from all versions of the text that might carry authority, and (4) indicates how the new edition treats ambiguously divided compounds (if any) in the basic text as well as which end-of-line hyphens in the new edition should be retained in quoting from the text. These four kinds of information need not be presented in any specific arrangement, and not all obtain in every situation, but the CSE requires that, when applicable, they should be either in each volume bearing the "Approved Edition" emblem or otherwise available at the time of publication.
3.A proofreading plan that provides for meticulous proofreading at every stage of production so that the accuracy of the text, the textual essay, arid the textual apparatus is not compromised." (Committee on Scholarly Editions, 2003).
Unsworth (1996) discusses in influence of electronic publishing on scholarly editions. In order to understand the real importance of electronic scholarly editions, we must see electronic scholarship in its larger cultural context. Many in the academy resist the change introduced by new technologies, a stance that serves the interests of those who would like to see the least possible alteration of the property system or the role of the consumer. Unsworth discusses the resistance voiced by Sven Birkerts, whose criticisms of the digital world foreground fear of depersonalization, inauthenticity, subjugation to the mechanical, and the substitution of quantity for quality. Electronic scholarly editions will alter the course of the academic profession, but will also open new opportunities for redefining scholarly inquiry and communication. Already, communication over the networks, in a variety of modes, enhances collaboration, connection, and initiative. Primary materials are made available to a broader audience. Most important, Unsworth (1996) says, is that we have an opportunity to alter how scholars structure their relation to the general public. This restructuring may, however, not produce a real difference if it proceeds too slowly.
Literature:
Committee on Scholarly Editions (2003). Aims and Services of the Committee on Scholarly Editions. http://www.iupui.edu/~peirce/writings/cse.htm
Dahlström, M. (2004). How Reproductive is a Scholarly Edition? Literary & Linguistic Computing, 19(1), 17-33. http://www.adm.hb.se/~mad/llc.htm
Nordloh, D. J.
(1985). Aiming the canon - The Library-of-America and the publishers of
scholarly editions have their differences - They reflect different conceptions
of publishing and the role of public subsidy. Scholarly Publishing,
16(2), 109-119.
Shillingsburg, P. L. (1997). Critical editing and Center-for-Scholarly-Editions.
Scholarly Publishing 9(1), 31-40.
Unsworth, J. (1996). Electronic scholarship or, scholarly publishing and the public. Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 28(1), 3-12. [Reprint from THE LITERARY TEXT IN THE DIGITAL AGE, PG 233, 1996].
See also: Editor & edition; Source literature
Birger Hjørland
Last edited: 10-05-2006