We are currently on a long break, but I hope we can restart the club in the future. I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

What do you think?
Do you have any thoughts on how we can improve our journal club?

(11/11)

Overall, it was highly enjoyable and educational for us. I had the opportunity to engage with the material in a way I wouldn't have been able to without the journal club.

(10/11)

They appreciated our focus on key papers and diverse perspectives. However, some found certain subjects complex, especially when reviewing multiple papers in one session.

(9/11)

We ran three feedback surveys to check how we did over the past two years. Most participants told us that it helped them improve their ability to read papers, enhance their knowledge, and generate new ideas. On average, they rated us 4 out of 5.

(8/11)

We explored various topics while striving for impartiality, paying attention to different schools of semantics (from formal to cognitive approaches). We also held summing-up sessions to converge what we'd learned and create a more coherent understanding by linking the concepts.

(7/11)

Over two years, we reviewed more than 50 papers, engaging with their critiques and responses and got used to reading at least one paper each week. Developing this habit was challenging, but we adapted, and it was helpful for our first-year students who had no prior experience with it.

(6/11)

We also created a group on social media to discuss the papers further and share newly published research in semantics. We welcomed many Iranian students (linguists and non-linguists), averaging 13 participants per session (ranging from 6 to 26).

(5/11)

We met online once a week. I held the first session in April 2022, starting with Nick Riemer's introduction to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴.

We gained new participants weekly, gradually forming a team to manage sessions, select upcoming papers and present them.

(4/11)

We needed a space to engage more with research, develop new ideas, and regain the ability to collaborate (after spending years in quarantine).
We aimed to create a supportive environment for learning through discussion, ensuring that everyone felt free to speak and share their thoughts.

(3/11)

Many MA and PhD courses taught in our department and nearly most linguistics departments in Iran are introductory, leaving little room for deeper explorations.

(2/11)