By Megan Gorby
[megangorby@my.unt.edu]
Associate Chair, SfAA Podcast Project
University of North Texas
By Yumiko Akimoto
[yumikoakimoto@my.unt.edu]
Chair, SfAA Podcast Project
University of North Texas
Yumiko Akimoto and Megan Gorby
This is an exciting time for the SfAA Podcast Project, as we work together as a team to get ready for the 2012 Annual Meeting! This year, we are innovating the Project by formalizing the roles of the team members and assigning specific responsibilities to each one of them. Our Session Selection Coordinator, Brittany Donnelly, and Chair, Yumiko Akimoto, have worked closely together on the creation of the online session selection survey, solicitation of suggestions, and finalization of session selection. (Thank you for everyone who sent in suggestions!) Our Communication Coordinator, Jo Aiken, and Associate Chair, Megan Gorby, are in the process of contacting session speakers to request their permission to include their presentations in the Project’s 2012 podcast series.
In mid-January, our Social Media Coordinator, Steve Wilson, and advisor, Jen Cardew Kersey, along with Yumiko and Megan, held a teleconference to discuss the future of our social media efforts. We are pleased to announce that we will be working together to renovate the website, http://sfaapodcasts.net, and our social networks, including our Twitter account, http://twitter.com/sfaapodcasts.
And last, but not least, we would like to introduce the newest member of the team, Jo Aiken. Jo is a master’s student at the University of North Texas and will be the team’s Communication Coordinator. Later this month, we will be accepting applications from students in the Baltimore area to join the team as well. To learn more about this year’s team members, please visit http://sfaapodcasts.net/sfaa-podcast-team/. Or to find out how students from the Baltimore area can apply to be a part of the team, please visit www.SfAAPodcasts.net. Along with this update, we have also included a Q & A segment. We hope that this information will provide some insight into our efforts and progress!
Q&A
Q: What exactly is the SfAA Podcast Project?
A: The SfAA Podcast Project is continuing for its sixth year at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Baltimore, MD from March 27th – 31st, 2012. The University of North Texas Department of Anthropology co-sponsors the Project with the Society for Applied Anthropology through an agreement that was officially established in 2010. Both sponsors provide financial support in addition to volunteer hours. Additionally, our professional audio recorder, Tommy Wingo, provides us with an excellent service and it make the podcasts great. For more information, please visit http://sfaapodcasts.net/about/.
Q: Where can the website be located?
A: It can be located at http://sfaapodcast.net.
Q: How many podcasts are currently available?
A: There are over 70 sessions available from the 2007-2011 Annual Meetings.
Q: How often is the website visited?
A: The SfAA Podcast Project website has had over 50,000 views since 2007. The busiest day was May 10, 2010 with 437 views!
Q: What countries are the website’s visitors from?
A: While the majority of visitors are located within the United States, the website has been accessed from over 140 countries in all. For a list viewers by state or by country, please visit this link: http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://sfaapodcasts.net#totals
Q: What have been the most popular podcasts?
A: The top 10 viewed podcasts from 2007-2011 are listed below. They are ordered in relation to number of views, in descending order. You can check them out my clicking on the links.
- The Scholar-Practitioner in Organizational Settings (2008, 913 views)
- Anthropology Engages Immigration Reform (2008, 903 views)
- SMA Plenary Session: The Political Construction of Global Infectious Disease (2008, 887 views)
- For Love and Money: Employment Opportunities in Medical Anthropology (SMA) (2008, 825 views)
- Creating Sustainability in Culture: Real-Time Applied Anthropology (2009, 764 views)
- Preparing Applied Anthropologists for the 21st Century, Part I (2009, 759 views)
- Without Footnotes: Writing Creative Ethnography (2009, 754 views)
- Anthropology of the Consumer (2008, 752 views)
- Public Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, and Ethically Engaged Ethnographic Writing (2009, 733 views)
- Preparing Applied Anthropologists for the 21st Century, Part II (2008, 595 views)
Q: What are the most popular podcast topics?
A: Out of the top 30 viewed podcasts from 2007-2011, the most popular topics were as follows.
- Medical & Biological Anthropology
- Applied Anthropology Training (preparation for becoming applied anthropologists, etc.)
- Business Anthropology
- Anthropology of Violence
- Anthropology of Education
Q: What podcasts / other topics are available?
A: Besides the topics listed above, our podcasts also include the following topics.
- Applied Anthropology (theoretical discussion on the field/discipline/practice)
- Policy
- Ethics
- Organizational Anthropology
- Design Anthropology
- Migration & Border Studies
- Environmental Anthropology
- Military Anthropology
- Linguistics
- Archaeology
- Malinowski Lecture (2007, 2010, 2011)
Q: How are sessions selected for recording?
A: Once the program for the SfAA Annual Meeting is posted, a survey is sent out to gather information on which sessions are in popular demand. Final selection ensures that “hot” topics or those of widespread interest are covered from a broad range of study areas and include well-known speakers, as well as student speakers.
Q: Which sessions will be recorded at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the SfAA and when will they be available?
A: There will be about18 sessions recorded at the 2012 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. The podcasts will begin to be made available in early April. For more details, please check our website at http://sfaapodcasts.net.
Q: Is there a way to be notified when new content is added to the SfAA Podcast Project website?
A: Yes and it’s free! You can receive updates of new blog posts and new podcasts via RSS or email, please click the link of your choice to learn more.
Q: How can you become more active with the Project?
A: You can give us your input by sending your ideas/comments to the Project’s email at SfAAPodcasts@gmail.com and by participating in our discussion boards.
Thank you for reading this update from the SfAA Podcast Team. Stay connected to the Project by visiting www.SfAAPodcasts.net. We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore!
