Editor's Note: "Methods and Practices"

Abstract

Editor's Note:"Methods and Practices" Joshua Piker THIS article by Sharon Block represents the initial offering in the William and Mary Quarterly's new "Methods and Practices" section, a companion to the journal's "Sources and Interpretations" section. The Article Forum that follows, "Self-Revision in Historical Writing," is intended to extend and amplify the conversation begun by Block's innovative article. Five scholars whose work intersects with the issues raised in the article have provided essays engaging with Block's work, and the Forum concludes with Block's response to those essays. Articles published in "Methods and Practices" can explore new methodologies or re-situate more familiar ones in new contexts. Alternatively, authors can use these pieces to discuss their practice as researchers and writers, experiment with new forms or styles, or point to novel paths forward for the field. These articles may be grounded in archival research, but many will not be, and the nature of an author's archive will depend on the article's goals. If the project's needs point in that direction, authors should feel free to adopt a writing style that is more conversational, interrogative, speculative, or polemical than is typical of academic articles. All authors, however, must work to situate their projects in clear and recognizable ways within the field's ongoing conversations. "Methods and Practices" articles will typically be shorter than the standard research article. We expect that most will have fewer than 6,000 words in the text and 3,000 words in the notes, although we recognize that particular projects may require a wider scope. Please consult with the Editor—as Block did in this case—if you believe that your article would benefit from a higher word count. I am grateful to the six authors in the Article Forum both for taking on this assignment under a tight deadline and for completing it with such care. I would also like to thank my colleague, Julia Gaffield, who stepped in as Interim Editor when I went on sabbatical in July 2023 and oversaw the editing process for the Forum. Joshua Piker Editor (on leave) William and Mary Quarterly [End Page 647] Copyright © 2023 Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture