Textpraxis # 1

Textpraxis. Digitales Journal für Philologie is the journal of the Graduate School Practices of Literature at the University of Münster. Textpraxis wants to be a forum for the scientific dialogue between and within varying philology. We thereby understand philology in the wide sense: We are interested in textual phenomena relevant for cultural studies as well as in theoretical modelling of literature and new developments in the literary industry or other aspects of the non-scientific practice.

Although there was the idea of paper and ink at the beginning of the project concept, it soon became clear that the advantages of publishing in the internet are unbeatable and that they support the realisation of our intentions the most. Textpraxis is digital and in the sense of open access accessible to all.  Textpraxis wants to publish articles of high quality but to be open for different voices at the same time. The electronic publication makes this possible and creates a space for interaction and dialogue, cooperation and collaboration.

Textpraxis wants to support collaborative working and is itself the product of a collaboration: The six-member editorial team managed all stages of the developing process together, made decisions together and found way to share success in work in spite of a plurality of obligations and workloads. The six inventors, publishers and editors (in personal union) however would not have been able to translate their ideas, whose core originated in February 2009, into action without working together with yet others:

Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf and Sophie Wennerscheid, lecturers at the Graduate School Practices of Literature, have supported the project with scientific advices and reviewing guidance. Susanne Hefti of the SAFIR – Antragsberatung für Drittmittelvorhaben helped to draw the concept up to an application. Stephanie Klötgen from the service management of the University and State Library contributed to the fact that Textpraxis has been integrated in existing structures of electronic publishing from the beginning. Olaf Grabienski (buerobackbord in Hamburg) has become an essential part of Textpraxis  as web designer who is versed in literary studies.

In cooperation of these participants the journal before you was generated. We sincerely invite you to its exploration. And exploration here means on the one hand: the reading of the articles. Natalie Moser, Dominik Schreiber and Steffen Dürre decided to send their texts with Textpraxis on maiden voyage and we are very happy to already span a multisided panorama with these three authors in the first issue. Our first reviewers, Walter Gödden, Eckard Rolf, Stefan Tetzlaff and Marcus Willand also admitted to an experiment, who we would like to thank for their willingness to resume the first reviews for Textpraxis.

You also are very welcome to participate! Textpraxis wants to reflect on the fact that scientific work always means communication, dialogue and interaction. Every article published in Textpraxis can be commented on by our readers if you would like to give notes to the authors, to ask questions or to call problems into attention. There is also space for extensive reactions: you are able to submit independent articles as responses to texts published in Textpraxis anytime. We hereby hope to give a dynamic space for development to the theses and topics here presented and to completely use the advantages of digital publishing.

We look forward to working with you!

Your Textpraxis Editorial Team