The publication of critical essays and the presentation of conference papers constitute initial steps in an academic career for the departmental doctoral candidates who undertake them. The graduate faculties in French and Spanish strongly support each of these professional activities, and pledge editorial and other assistance to those Ph.D. students who wish to undertake either. It is, however, important that graduate students think carefully about the exposure they will gain through either publications or conference papers, and that they submit only work whose quality clearly identifies them, in the eyes of the established academic community, as professionals in their fields. (Poorly written papers are not trial runs; they remain on a student's CV, and are not forgotten by other academics whose departments may have future job openings.) Students should carefully review the following Romance Languages and Literatures policy regarding graduate professional papers; it supersedes any previous policy statements on conference and published papers.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

1. Doctoral students are advised to discuss well in advance (8 months to a year), with faculty advisors in their chosen field of specialization which professional conferences are likely to provide the most productive forums for their work. The professional prestige, networking possibilities, and range of areas covered in conferences vary greatly, and students should devote their efforts to those that will prove the most beneficial to their chosen scholarly specialization.
2. Prior to submission of an abstract for a conference, each student should fill out the departmental form for conference participation. This form, along with both the abstract and a completed copy of the paper itself, should then be submitted to two faculty advisors (one of whom may be the Director of Graduate Studies), for approval. Time should be allowed for possible suggested revisions prior to the conference application deadline. (Faculty members are under no obligation to approve papers presented to them just prior to the actual conference date and long after a student's abstract may have been accepted for a particular conference; students should be aware of the negative professional consequences of their having to withdraw at last minute from sessions in which their participation is expected, as well as of the negative effects of delivering papers drafted at last minute, without sufficient revision time, to an audience of scrutinizing professionals.)
3. When the conference form and attached paper have been approved in writing by two faculty members, the graduate student may present them to the Chair for travel funds. Although most graduate programs support one conference paper per doctoral candidate in the final stages of his or her graduate career, Romance Languages and Literatures will provide support for two doctoral-level conferences, providing that the conditions above are successfully met. Limited departmental funds will he made available for two conferences to doctoral candidates only, for papers written on topics in their primary dissertation research area. The purpose of this funding is to allow them to establish themselves, even prior to receiving the Ph.D., as promising scholars in their fields, and to enhance their competitiveness for employment.
4. Students who do not apply for, or do not receive, departmental approval for conference participation may not use the Romance Languages and Literatures affiliation in conferences they may decide to attend on their own. (For students' own good, we recommend strongly against their attending conferences under such circumstances.)
5. In exceptional cases, when students have received funding for two conferences already and have had a paper approved by two graduate advisors for submission to an additional meting, the Chair will petition the Graduate School for funding assistance. In the past, the GS has been fairly generous in such cases.

PUBLICATIONS

1. Doctoral candidates should discuss with faculty advisors in their chosen field of specialization which publications are likely to provide the best placement for essays that they would like to submit for acceptance. Not all journals are equally selective or highly regarded, and some are more field-specific in their scope; published conference proceedings and encyclopedia-type volumes do not have the same professional weight as do journals and anthologies. Students are also encouraged to consult the MLA Directory of Periodicals for information about different journals, the usual length of time for submission consideration, number of evaluators per article, the length of essays accepted, styles preferred, etc.
2. Prior to submission of an essay for consideration by a journal or other publication, the student should have two faculty members read a revised draft, both for content and editorial detail, and should do final improvements after reading their comments for further polishing or revision. (This is done regularly among professors also, since disinterested readers can often lend useful suggestions.)
3. Before submitting the essay, the student should be certain that s/he has followed the editorial style required by the journal and has formatted the accompanying diskette, if required, according to specifications of the journal. (Improper style or format may delay publication even if the essay is accepted.)