This week, ending in September 11 2014:
Today's thread is for open discussion of:
History in the academy
Historiographical disputes, debates and rivalries
Implications of historical theory both abstractly and in application
Philosophy of history
And so on
Regular participants in the Thursday threads should just keep doing what they've been doing; newcomers should take notice that this thread is meant for open discussion only of matters like those above, not just anything you like -- we'll have a thread on Friday for that, as usual.
This will be my second attempt applying for a PhD in History. While I am aware of the competitive nature of the application process, last year's zilch-score was definitely demoralizing. My Masters thesis supervisor as well as my other teachers have encouraged me to reapply.
How relevant are current references for an application process? My referees have a good standing within the field, and they have agreed to submit recos again. Also, I have been tending to my farm over the last year. The only academically relevant activity was presenting two papers in separate international conferences. Would my "unproductive" year go against my application?
(Thought this query may be relevant to this thread ["History in the academy"], if not I shall repost as the mods suggest.)