Voice Research Reflections: Tips for the Artist-Scholar

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Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. A) Peer-reviewed articles are the most academic and scholarly in the journal; these articles create new ideas and drive the academic literature forward. These articles are often cross- disciplinary, using theories or research methodologies to explore an element of the voice field or voice pedagogy. B) Forum articles provide relevant commentary on current topics in voice. Forum pieces are often based on personal experience and use anecdotes and quotations as evidence to back up assertions. Writing for this section is often pragmatic, focused on solving problems, and is typically inspired by a coaching or teaching experience. C) Reviews are short, analytical responses to a book, piece of software, or app.

2. Please see “A Guide to Publishing in the Voice and Speech Review” for the full discussion, including ways to structure articles and general tips for publication (Sansom 2018a).

3. For example, natural and social science journals tend to significantly favor empirical studies. Humanities journals rarely publish empirical studies and focus instead on theory articles. This observation is a generality, of course, and individual journals may vary.

4. For examples, see Sansom (2018a) under the Performing Arts Research and Social Science and Natural Science Research sections.

5. Literature reviews do not necessarily relate to the field of English literature. In academic journals, the word “literature” refers to all books and writings published on a particular academic subject.

6. For examples, see Sansom (2018a) under the Humanities Research section.

7. I use the term yoga loosely as a simple way to show examples of articles. Yoga is, of course, an immensely complex practice/discipline with great depth, variation, and use.

8. Theory articles do not necessarily have to include a curriculum. This is just one of many ways that a theory article could function.

9. Even though forum articles are not peer-reviewed, the Editorial Board always gives editorial feedback during the editing process. Book reviews also fall into this category; they are not peer-reviewed, but they do undergo an editing process.

10. The VSR allows authors to use the first person throughout the journal, but the VSR ensures strict review of methodology for all original research articles in order to avoid bias and to increase a study’s validity and reliability.

11. Given that certification pedagogies tend to have a single founder, I wonder if they may fall under the research concept of hermeneutics. This concept describes research that comes under a single paradigm and/or text, and this functions as a methodology of singular interpretation. To any researchers interested in educational philosophy and voice training, this topic may be fertile ground.

12. I am using the terms “certifying pedagogy” and “voice method” interchangeably. I am referring to a kind of voice teacher training that has been codified in some way, usually through teacher certification. Certainly, these terms can be dissected, but that is beyond the scope of this article.

13. While this list is not necessarily exclusive, I do feel it frames the breadth of the research, at least as I have observed it in the VSR thus far.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rockford Sansom

Rockford Sansom, PhD, MFA, is a voice teacher and communication coach. As a coach, he has worked with actors Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, Fortune 500 executives, UN delegates, and members of the US Congress. As an actor, he performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and in international and national tours. He was the Editor of the Voice and Speech Review, and he has published the books The History of Voice Pedagogy and Vocal Traditions. With Christina Shewell, he is the co-author of Voice Work (2nd ed.), a textbook about voice training used worldwide. VASTA Lifetime Distinguished Member. AEA, SAG-AFTRA.