Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ELIT (Empirical study of Literature Training Network)
Reporting period: 2020-03-01 to 2022-02-28
In Europe one in five people lacks adequate reading skills. Additionally, research shows that the amount of time spend reading is in decline and becoming more intermittent and fragmented. This is alarming, since recent empirical research shows that literary reading, by virtue of its appeal to first-person experience, yields unique cognitive and emotional benefits, such as enhancing the capacity for empathy, social inference, and emotional self-regulation. To arrive at a deeper understanding of how reading literature can lead to positive societal effects, more fundamental research is needed first. We need to clarify the (neuro)-cognitive processes that are crucial to literary reading in theoretical models. Model development should go hand in hand with the elaboration of novel empirical methods to test them. In addition, we need to investigate forms of narrative engagement and types of literary texts in which empathy plays an important role. Narrative engagement is an important contributor to reading enjoyment. Once these processes and literary experiences are mapped out, we can explore the effects of literary reading on mental well-being.
To answer these questions, we have set up an European Training Network (ETN) that aims to train a new generation of innovative and interdisciplinary researchers in the empirical study of literature: The Empirical Study of Literature Training Network (ELIT). As there are currently no interdisciplinary doctoral programs available across Europe, we developed a new program that revolves around comprehensive and integrative training that emphasizes the multidimensionality of reading. ELIT stimulates true interdisciplinary research: our doctoral candidates combine theory-driven approaches with various empirical methods. We are collaborating closely with a range of non-academic partners to draw in valuable insights about how reading can fulfil certain societal needs.
To answer these questions, we have set up an European Training Network (ETN) that aims to train a new generation of innovative and interdisciplinary researchers in the empirical study of literature: The Empirical Study of Literature Training Network (ELIT). As there are currently no interdisciplinary doctoral programs available across Europe, we developed a new program that revolves around comprehensive and integrative training that emphasizes the multidimensionality of reading. ELIT stimulates true interdisciplinary research: our doctoral candidates combine theory-driven approaches with various empirical methods. We are collaborating closely with a range of non-academic partners to draw in valuable insights about how reading can fulfil certain societal needs.
In the period between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021, the ELIT Network set up the groundwork for the development of the single projects and organized the first training activities, introducing the early stage researchers (ESRs) to the tools and methods for their studies.
On 9 April 2020 we published the Call for Applications. The Call closed on 22 June 2020, after having received a total of 104 applications.
The ELIT training started on 1 October 2020, through a series of regular meetings between supervisors and ESRs, consisting in discussions on the development of the single research projects and readings of seminal papers in the field of empirical literary studies.
Between 1 December 2020 and 4 February 2021, the first Training School of the ELIT Network (“Literary theory and text analysis”) was organized by the University of Verona, open both to the ESRs and to external PhD students. The training school was composed of a total of eight meetings, with seven lectures by experts in the field and a final workshop where ESRs were asked to apply the acquired skills on a text of their choice.
On 11 February 2021, the ELIT Network also organized a seminar on Research Ethics, open just to the ESRs. Goal of the meeting was that of providing the ESRs with all the information necessary for preparing an ethics application, which is a fundamental skill as all ELIT projects will include the involvement of human subjects into surveys and questionnaires.
On 9 April 2020 we published the Call for Applications. The Call closed on 22 June 2020, after having received a total of 104 applications.
The ELIT training started on 1 October 2020, through a series of regular meetings between supervisors and ESRs, consisting in discussions on the development of the single research projects and readings of seminal papers in the field of empirical literary studies.
Between 1 December 2020 and 4 February 2021, the first Training School of the ELIT Network (“Literary theory and text analysis”) was organized by the University of Verona, open both to the ESRs and to external PhD students. The training school was composed of a total of eight meetings, with seven lectures by experts in the field and a final workshop where ESRs were asked to apply the acquired skills on a text of their choice.
On 11 February 2021, the ELIT Network also organized a seminar on Research Ethics, open just to the ESRs. Goal of the meeting was that of providing the ESRs with all the information necessary for preparing an ethics application, which is a fundamental skill as all ELIT projects will include the involvement of human subjects into surveys and questionnaires.
ELIT’s main aim is to consider and integrate methods and instruments of different sciences and scholarships bridging the gap between the humanities and the cognitive sciences. Communication between the two has so far been mostly unidirectional: from the cognitive sciences to the humanities. We believe that through the field of Empirical Studies of Literature the humanities can produce its specific knowledge on the cognitive operations involved in, and the impacts of, literary reading.
The integration of two research cultures that are commonly separated, namely the experimental cognitive sciences and the humanities, will lead to a research-based understanding of the underlying processes related to the societal benefits of literary reading, in order to develop targeted interventions. It will prepare ESRs to face current and future challenges in the field of empirical literary studies, which is in constant flux due to the influence of rapidly changing empirical research techniques (e.g. eye tracking), and contextual demands (e.g. digitization). Close collaboration with several non-academic partners (e.g. literacy associations; educational policymakers; publishing houses) will ensure that the benefits of literary reading at individual and societal levels are made available to a wide range of stakeholders as well as to citizens at large.
Innovative aspects of the ELIT programme will impact on the structuring of doctoral training capacity at the European level between the participating institutions in various ways:
- ELIT will have long-lasting effects on European graduate schools and their interaction, by promoting co-tutellage agreements.
- ELIT will serve as a model for future endeavours of this kind. When jointly teaching interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral courses, the researchers involved in the training programme will learn from each other’s best practices with respect to course content and innovative teaching strategy, and bring these back to their own Associated research schools. Our interactive and interdisciplinary course design challenges the fellows to apply the new knowledge into their projects, resulting in more effective teaching.
- The contact between the academic partners will be strengthened from the several secondments and networking activities planned in the project. Thus, ELIT will enhance future close working relationships between research institutes in Europe.
- Application-oriented training of both ESRs and supervisors of PhD theses will be strengthened by engaging industrial partners in all aspects of the training and research programme (hosting ESRs, secondments, scientific and soft-skill courses, supervision and mentoring). This will build a long-term network of academic-industrial relations for future training.
- ELIT has the potential to structure an integrated European teaching program by providing a network of excellence centres to expand the already existing institutional partnership and joint/dual degree programmes.
- Establishing a sustainable structure of training programmes, seminar series and conferences between the academic partners. The ELIT workshops will be continued beyond the project completion.
- Increasing collaboration between academic and non-academic partners on specific developments that will provide possibilities for broader competence training within specific targeting sectors (e.g. professional development for teachers, reading groups and bibliotherapy).
- In their future careers our ESRs will impact on European research training. In industry or academic positions, they will be optimally qualified to mentor junior researchers and implement their own courses.
The integration of two research cultures that are commonly separated, namely the experimental cognitive sciences and the humanities, will lead to a research-based understanding of the underlying processes related to the societal benefits of literary reading, in order to develop targeted interventions. It will prepare ESRs to face current and future challenges in the field of empirical literary studies, which is in constant flux due to the influence of rapidly changing empirical research techniques (e.g. eye tracking), and contextual demands (e.g. digitization). Close collaboration with several non-academic partners (e.g. literacy associations; educational policymakers; publishing houses) will ensure that the benefits of literary reading at individual and societal levels are made available to a wide range of stakeholders as well as to citizens at large.
Innovative aspects of the ELIT programme will impact on the structuring of doctoral training capacity at the European level between the participating institutions in various ways:
- ELIT will have long-lasting effects on European graduate schools and their interaction, by promoting co-tutellage agreements.
- ELIT will serve as a model for future endeavours of this kind. When jointly teaching interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral courses, the researchers involved in the training programme will learn from each other’s best practices with respect to course content and innovative teaching strategy, and bring these back to their own Associated research schools. Our interactive and interdisciplinary course design challenges the fellows to apply the new knowledge into their projects, resulting in more effective teaching.
- The contact between the academic partners will be strengthened from the several secondments and networking activities planned in the project. Thus, ELIT will enhance future close working relationships between research institutes in Europe.
- Application-oriented training of both ESRs and supervisors of PhD theses will be strengthened by engaging industrial partners in all aspects of the training and research programme (hosting ESRs, secondments, scientific and soft-skill courses, supervision and mentoring). This will build a long-term network of academic-industrial relations for future training.
- ELIT has the potential to structure an integrated European teaching program by providing a network of excellence centres to expand the already existing institutional partnership and joint/dual degree programmes.
- Establishing a sustainable structure of training programmes, seminar series and conferences between the academic partners. The ELIT workshops will be continued beyond the project completion.
- Increasing collaboration between academic and non-academic partners on specific developments that will provide possibilities for broader competence training within specific targeting sectors (e.g. professional development for teachers, reading groups and bibliotherapy).
- In their future careers our ESRs will impact on European research training. In industry or academic positions, they will be optimally qualified to mentor junior researchers and implement their own courses.