Membership Benefits
NCIS exists to help independent scholars in a variety of ways. Compare benefits here or see below for details.
Affiliation: All NCIS members may use the organization’s name as their affiliation. At Academia.edu, choose NCIS as your affiliation. Wherever possible, use the NCIS logo in email signatures, websites, blogs, and social media.
Member profile page: Members may create a free, easily updated personal webpage on the NCIS website, including a profile, resume, and photo.
NCIS.org email address: Apply for an @ncis.org email address through membership@ncis.org.
NCIS letters of introduction are available to access collections or other resources; request at info@ncis.org at least three weeks in advance.
Resources: The Members Only area includes information on building or refining academic skills such as turning research into presentations and articles, publishing books, and translating work into other languages. By attending and participating in NCIS events, you’ll also find help on much more, including how best to present conference papers and chair sessions.
Logo and use policy: Members may use the NCIS logo for noncommercial purposes and only with regard to personal research. Click here for more details and to access the logo.
JSTOR journal access: Discounted JPASS journal access through JSTOR. Go here to register. (Member login required.)
Nota Bene software for academic writing and research. Excellent (30%) discount across all products. Go to Nota Bene and enter the group code here.
Professional writing and translation services: Discounts on professional services offered by NCIS members. Editors offer general manuscript critique, proofreading, and in-depth content editing. Translators specialize in academic texts.
Academic Opportunities
Peer-reviewed journal: The Independent Scholar (TIS) is the peer-reviewed, open-access online journal of NCIS. All NCIS members and members of NCIS-affiliated groups are eligible to submit manuscripts. A call for papers is issued at various points during the year, but submissions may be sent to tis@ncis.org at any time. See submission and review guidelines.
Book reviewing: Members are encouraged to submit their academic books for review and to offer their services as reviewers. Contact reviews@ncis.org.
Funding
Grant awards available to NCIS members:
Special Research Support Grants (up to $150)
Conference Support Grants ($599)
David Sonenschein Award ($599)
Elizabeth Eisenstein Essay Prize ($350) jointly funded by NCIS and the family of Professor Eisenstein.
Grant opportunities: News about grants open to independent scholars is posted regularly on the NCIS Facebook page. See our Grants page or contact grants@ncis.org
Research Resources
Access to research resources is a perennial issue for independent scholars. Becky Nicolaides’ blog post “My Journey through the Research Access Crisis” is an excellent read on the subject.
Free, virtual programs available from the UK-based Hay Festival
Project Muse: Open access
“Study Buddy” platforms help you stay focused and achieve your research goals. Team up with one or more researchers for writing sessions:
- FocusMate: 50-minute 1-2-1 sessions. Can specify preferred gender of study partner. Up to 3 sessions per week for free.
- MoocLab Study Buddy
If you know of other free resources for independent scholars, please let us know at info@ncis.org.
Ethical Approval for Independent Scholars
We are frequently asked about ethical approval, and although we have not been able to offer this ourselves, we are pleased to share this link to a post by Dr Helen Kara which will answer many questions
Networking
H-Scholar is a public forum administered by NCIS, part of the H-Net Commons, where you can exchange and find information.
Interactive discussions on Facebook, active, moderated public discussion space with posts of interest to independent scholars.
Collegial support services: Need a critique of your article, book chapter, or grant proposal before submitting it to a publisher or grant agency? Swap your paper with an NCIS member and receive a peer review of your work. Collegial support is offered by one NCIS member to another without charge.
NCIS conferences: Our most international conference, on the theme “Making Connections,” was held in June 2019 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Since then, NCIS has since held online conferences, and sponsored and co-hosted the 2023 “Creative Research Methods Conference” in Manchester, UK.
To learn more about these benefits, make a suggestion, or volunteer, email info@ncis.org.