Two BYU Linguistics professors published their research on the history and future of editing and publishing programs worldwide.
The written word has been studied for centuries, but the field of editing and publishing (E&P) is relatively new. In light of this disparity, BYU linguistics faculty Holly Baker (Editing and Publishing) and Jacob Rawlins (Editing and Publishing) recently coedited a special issue of Programmatic Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal about professional, technical, and scientific communication. The issue highlighted their recent work exploring the history of E&P at BYU and analyzing similar programs around the globe.
The Idea Behind the Issue
The process began with a single article. In 2023, Baker and Rawlins started analyzing how E&P curricula are taught in different institutions across the English-speaking world. They collected data from institutions in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and India, comparing the classes each institution taught and looking for commonalities.
In many other disciplines, “you can expect to have certain core courses that won’t change from institution to institution,” Baker says. “But editing and publishing doesn’t really have that kind of disciplinary identity . . . we’re all teaching something quite different.”
Baker and Rawlins wanted to identify universal principles among E&P programs. “We wrote this paper in search of a core identity, trying to establish editing and publishing as its own unique discipline,” Baker explains.
Baker later presented the paper at the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC) conference in 2024. After her presentation, the editor in chief of Programmatic Perspectives approached Baker about collaborating on a special issue of the journal focused on E&P programs.
Baker and Rawlins spent the next year assembling the special issue. They started with a call for papers, contacting as many programs as possible, and looked through countless submissions of research papers and programmatic showcases, which provide insight into how different institutions run their E&P programs. After about a year of work, Baker and Rawlins submitted the issue for publication. “It was really exciting to have all of that work finally pay off,” Baker reflects.
In addition to their efforts to compile the issue, Baker and Rawlins coauthored the introduction and each published an article highlighting their recent research.
Editing in the UK, Publishing in Provo
Baker’s article focused on her study of E&P programs in the UK. She traveled to England last summer for several weeks to attend conferences and meet representatives from nine institutions housing notable E&P programs. She collected insight on the way programs structure their curriculum, the courses they teach, the events their students attend, the ratio of international students to those from the UK, and how many students work in the industry after graduation.
From her research, Baker observed that almost all the faculty in the UK programs had direct ties to the E&P industry, which proved advantageous to their students. “Being really connected to the industry helps them to see how best they can advise students and prepare them for when they’re on the job market,” Baker explains. Understanding what UK institutions are doing in their classrooms influences what she does in hers, helping her “learn more and expand my own vision for what an editing and publishing program can be.”
BYU: Leaders in Linguistics
Rawlins’s article features the history of the E&P program at BYU, and what makes it stand out in comparison with other institutions. “The goal was to show what is unique about our program here,” Rawlins says, explaining that BYU is distinctive for housing its E&P program in the Linguistics Department. “We’re the only program that does that. Most editing and publishing programs are in communications, English, or business departments,” Rawlins says. “We have a foundation of Linguistics classes that are interwoven with our editing and publishing classes.”
Rawlins says that, though the overall goal of the issue was to highlight E&P programs worldwide, his individual article showcased the program at BYU specifically, making it “visible to the world.”
The Future of E&P
Rawlins says BYU is a forerunner in the efforts to make E&P a distinct field of study, and both he and Baker look forward to helping the program grow. “We’re really excited that editing and publishing is becoming an academic discipline on its own,” he shares, because “it has been a sub discipline for a long time.” Rawlins hopes that the work that he and Baker have done on the special issue of Programmatic Perspectives will aid in the continuation of this effort.
Learn more about the editing and publishing major here.