The value of Alexander Studies Online derives from its community of participants. There are several ways that individuals committed to the ASO project can help, and these are often simple and need not be time-consuming. Nor do you need to be an accredited Contributor.
Contributors
You'll see in the sections below that you don't need to be accredited as a Contributor to make a contribution. However, if you are a Contributor here is a brief reminder of what you can do:
- submit original material for review only (prior to publication elsewhere)
- submit original material for review and publication by ASO
- offer previously published material for re-publication by ASO
- offer formal feedback on the submissions of others via the peer review, community review, community commentary or open commentary processes
- submit comments on published material
- participate in the forums
- write short reviews of papers, books etc
- ...and importantly, any of the options listed in the sections below.
If you are interested in becoming a Contributor, or have ideas about how material you mght want to submit please email editor@alexanderstudies.org.
"Heads up" and "noted-in-passing"
At the other end of the spectrum, you can help simply by making us aware of new and interesting materials or developments that the team can highlight on the website. You can email editor@alexanderstudies.org or you can add material directly yourself (see under the Contribute menu or refer to the Contibute page).
Resource development volunteers
Some of our resources will require significant input over a considerable periods of time. A team of enthusiastic volunteers can make a huge difference. The obvious candidates here are:
- the Alexander Index
- the Bibliography
Volunteers in these areaes will need to be conscientiouus and attuned to the demands of the work, but previous experience is not required if you are committed to achieving good-quality results. You would not need to work intensively, but just as time allows. We'd hope to develop a team spirit amongst those involved.
Copy editors
If you like dealing with text there are some important roles that would help here:
- proof-reading web-pages and articles
- creating pdf versions of online material and online versions of pdf articles
- re-formatting documents into the house-style
- adding references or correcting footnotes to match the house-style
Bloggers
We would be keen to host blogs that might illuminate specific areas of interest. Amongst the obvious topic areas would be:
- "what I'm reading" - more informal than a full review and not requiring formal pre-publication review
- conducting research
- seeking funding or other support for research
- training as an Alexander teacher
- setting up an Alexander practice
- working as a teacher in specific settings
- running a training course
- teaching on a training course
We would be looking for the insightful, reflective approach that characterises good quality blogging, whilst welcoming the iconoclastic, idiosyncratic and emotionally engaging dimensions of the individual writer.
Image contributors and editors
We also need more visual material to add to the site, to make it less text-heavy. We need
- people who can sources material that is copyright-free or licensed so that we can use it (including your own pictures, of course)
- people who can perform simple editing of pictures to make them usable on the site
- people who can add pictures to particular pieces of content, such as pages, news stories etc.
Autobiographers
The Alexander Technique in Autobiography project will benefit from contributions by as wide a range of people as possible. But first we need the project team to coalesce. We'd love to hear from people who are interested in any aspect of this project.
Getting involved
For further information or for offers of help, email editor@alexanderstudies.org