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Hello! You have probably heard (a lot) about tomorrow's 11th Annual Conference of the Social Science, including a plenary speech at 9:30 in the University Auditorium by Dr. Patricia Hill Collins. But, you may not have noticed the wealth of workshop opportunities throughout the day, Saturday, March 19th. Browse the list and find one that's right for you. Manuscript Workshops (8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.) Dr. Stephen Perz Turlington 2334 Publishing research is a critical component of any academic's profession, but the publication process is often a novel and intimidating process for students just beginning their careers. Join Dr. Stephen Perz in a workshop on the ins and outs of getting your work to press. The workshop will provide the basics on writing for publication in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, featuring the social sciences. Dr. Perz will cover topics such as manuscript acceptance and rejection rates, what journals want, writing for journals, the peer review process, and issues such as co-authorship. If you plan to publish your own research in the future, this is a workshop you don't want to miss! This workshop will be offered three times tomorrow (once starting at 8, once starting at 11:15, and once starting at 1:30). Come to either session. Teaching Roundtable (11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) The Aggregate, Sociology Graduate Student Organization Turlington 2346 This roundtable will be an informal discussion meant to promote dialogue among all those in attendance. We invite graduate student teachers and teaching assistants to discuss their experiences and share stories, strategies and teaching resources. We further invite inexperienced and upcoming teachers to ask questions and share their concerns. We hope that in hosting this roundtable, we can foster an environment for growth and peer-mentorship, as well as provide support for all our graduate student teachers as they develop and refine their approaches to the classroom environment and to the students they guide. Come to listen, ask questions, and share experiences at 11:15! Communicating Your Research to Drive Change (11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) Annie Niemand and Lauren Griffin Workshop hosts, Annie and Lauren, are graduate students and important actors in the frank gathering hosted annually by the University of Florida's Department of Journalism. Frank is described as a "a community of movement builders and change makers who use strategic communications to drive positive social, institutional and behavioral change" (http://frank.jou.ufl.edu/what-is-frank/). This workshop mimics the frank mission by equipping student researchers with the communication skills necessary to put their work to use. Join workshop organizers at 11:15 as they discuss the science behind science communication, how to tell stories about research, and how to use these skills to drive change. The Lack of Relevancy in Social Science and What to Do About It (1:30 p.m - 2:45 p.m) Social Science Works Turlington 2346 In 2002, political scientist Ian Shapiro published an article in which he criticized the practices of the social sciences as method- and theory-driven instead of focusing on actual social problems. This criticism has been shared and rearticulated by many other critics since then (Lawrence & Skopcol 2006, Scott 2007, Burawoy 2005 and others). In this presentation, I depict recent developments in the social sciences and analyse the causes of the relevancy decline. This decline resulted from the attempt to imitate the 'hard sciences' in its methods, and by that sacrificing a value-informed and problem-driven approach towards social research. The prestige-focus in academia often furthers the malevolent trend of irrelevancy. As long as high numbers of publications are considered an indicator of success, the incentive to 'publish for the sake of publishing' will pertain. In the end, I suggest some "ways out" and provide promising examples. Phronetic research (Flyvbjerg 2001, 2012), Public Sociology (Gans 2002) and a rising number of academic bloggers provide good examples on how to tackle the disciplinary problems. The main argument presented in the talk can be found in the academic position paper of Social Science Works. Find out "what to do about it" at 1:30! Grant Writing (1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.) Yulia Strekalova Turlington 2322 Graduates with grant writing skills are in high demand, but starting to draft first proposals can be intimidating. This workshop will demystify the process of proposal development and show the participants how to formulate the statement of need, proposal objectives, and logic model.Come get enlightened so you can get funded at 1:30! Alert a friend; bring a friend! A final thank you to each of the organizations, departments, programs, centers, and individuals who have made these events possible. See especially our cosponsors below. Student Government College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Office of Research African American Studies Program Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere Department of Anthropology Department of History Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs Samuel Proctor Oral History Program See you there. Florida Society of the Social Sciences (F3S) http://f3s.soccrim.clas.ufl.edu/