We wish to define 'public scholar' broadly, to capture the breadth of scholarship possible at the doctoral level. Public scholars may be said to engage in scholarship that entails mutually beneficial partnerships of university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to contribute to the public good through: enriching knowledge, scholarship, creative activity, intellectual curiosity, and wonder; enhancing curriculum, teaching and learning; preparing educated, engaged citizens; and/or addressing and helping solve critical problems.
Examples of a publicly engaged scholarship in the context of dissertation research may include:
- Collaboration with a government office to carry out research in an area of mutual interest. A policy paper may be a chapter of the dissertation, as may communication material for specific audiences.
- Collaboration with a performing arts organization, gallery, museum, archive, library or literary magazine in the preparation of a festival, exhibition or special issue. Artefacts from these activities, and their evaluation, could comprise part of the dissertation.
- Collaboration with a teaching faculty member (at UBC or elsewhere) to develop and implement course material in the student’s area of study. A chapter of the dissertation could include a syllabus and student assessment results, with relevant scholarly background and reflection.
- Translation of basic research to a relevant external audience. This may involve development of intellectual property in an industrial context, or knowledge mobilization to the media, communities, or other groups standing to benefit from the research. The processes, methodologies, and end products of these activities, with their evaluation, could comprise part of the dissertation.