Find an Expert – Submission Form

Introduction

Help journalists and other members of the media find you for their stories. Use this form to add information about your particular areas of expertise in the study of folklore. 

“Find an Expert” is not limited only to journalists; anyone may use it, including scholars looking to collaborate, and people interested in knowing more about a particular topic. 

Please be sure to consider the public nature of this database as you enter your information. 

Already have a profile? Log in

Guidelines

Help make this an effective and current outreach tool for the field of folklore by adhering to the following guidelines:

  • Be an Active Member of AFS: You can only complete this form if you are an active AFS member. Contact AFS at info@afsnet.org if you need assistance with your membership.
  • Be Open to Interviews: Complete this form only if you are willing to be interviewed by the media. 
  • Provide a Timely Response: If a member of the media contacts you, reply immediately. Most are on very tight deadlines. This is true if you are declining the interview as well. If you don’t think your expertise is a good fit for the story, direct them to someone else. 
  • Highlight Expertise Only: The goal is to highlight the best work being done in folklore today. Though you may study widely, focus on those areas where you have real expertise. 
  • Use terms journalists use: Remember that journalists may lack your expertise, and are likely to plug a few familiar words into a search engine. Anticipate how your expertise connects to  contemporary and perennial news stories and issues. 

Update frequently: This database will be effective only if the terms you include match current news issues and stories. You should update your profile at least every 6 months.

Your Profile

Find an Expert
Are you a current AFS member?
Only current AFS members will be listed in this database. Please login to check the status of your membership if you aren’t sure, or join AFS or renew your membership now.
If you want to include a middle name or middle initial, include it after your first name.
If you only use one name, please enter it in this field.
Include your title and, if relevant, the institution where you hold that position, i.e. “Director, American Folklore Society”

Maximum file size: 4MB

Optional – upload a photo of yourself to be the profile image on your listing. Note that images will be cropped to square. Files must be less than 4MB.

Preferred Contact Information

You must provide an email address to be able to update your profile in the future. You must be willing to display at least one method of contact publicly in order to participate in the Find an Expert database.
Contact Information to Display *
List the platform(s) and then your username(s), i.e. Twitter: @afsfolklorists, or provide a URL for your profile(s).

Current location

Where you are currently located
Please include the state where you are currently located if you are in the US
Where you are currently located

Expertise Highlights

Enter one to three terms, separated by commas, that describe your main area of expertise. These will show up on your profile preview in the search results; the topical, ethnic, and geographic terms you select below will be displayed on your detailed profile.
Willing to answer general questions?
Often journalists want to speak to someone local. Are you willing to answer more general questions about folklore and folkloristics?

Topical Expertise

Identify 1 to no more than 3 areas of established and significant expertise from the menu above. Hold down the ctrl/command key to select multiple items on the list.
Add topics that more specifically describe your expertise. Consider terms that journalists might use that relate to your work as well as terms that show up in the news as current or perennial issues. For example, in addition to “legend,” you could include “clown scare,” “conspiracy theory,” and “moral panic.” In addition to “pottery,” include “face jugs,” “apprenticeship,” and “handmade.” Be as comprehensive as you can, but do not exceed 50 terms. Use a comma or semi-colon to separate terms.

Ethnic and Geographic Focus

Please select all that apply from these options. Hold down the ctrl/command key to select multiple items on the list.
Add groups and locations that more specifically describe your expertise. Consider terms that journalists might search for that relate to your work. For example, in addition to “U.S. Midwest,” include specific states (e.g. Florida), areas (e.g. the Keys), and descriptors (e.g. rural). For groups, be similarly specific (e.g. “the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians,” or “Italian Americans”). Be as comprehensive as you can, but please do not exceed 25 terms. Use a comma or semi-colon to separate terms.

Fellow Experts

If you are not available to comment on one of your topics of expertise, who else would you recommend journalists speak with? Please indicate the specific expertise with each name you include.

Biographical Information

Capture your expertise in a single sentence that journalists will see first when they search for experts.
Include a brief biography that highlights your expertise on your subject. Summarize your relevant publications, programming, presentations, and media appearances. Be thorough but efficient. Biographies should be no more than 300 words.
Journalists look for people who can speak from the perspective of a particular group. Highlighting your formal or informal memberships and affiliations can help them find you. Examples include professional memberships, board memberships, volunteer organizations, social organizations, communities of which you are a member, etc.
Please include a brief sample of your most significant publications, including books (monographs and edited), academic articles, book chapters, popular press articles, other.
Be comprehensive of all major publications; your tally need not be restricted to the brief sample above. This tally will not appear on your profile, but will help AFS direct journalists to the most relevant or experienced experts for their inquiry.
Please include a brief sample of your most significant programs and exhibits.
Be comprehensive of all major programs and exhibits; your tally need not be restricted to the brief sample above. This tally will not appear on your profile, but will help AFS direct journalists to the most relevant or experienced experts for their inquiry.
Please include a brief sample of your recent media appearances with a sentence explaining what it was and a link to the content if possible. If you’ve already been in the mass media, journalists may see you as a solid source, familiar with their expectations.
Be comprehensive of all major media appearances; your tally need not be restricted to the brief sample above. This tally will not appear on your profile, but will help AFS direct journalists to the most relevant or experienced experts for their inquiry.
This tally will not appear on your profile, but will help AFS direct journalists to the most relevant or experienced experts for their inquiry.