Planning for an Open-Access, Online Encyclopedia of Appalachia

FAIN: PW-290541-23

East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN 37614-1710)
Ronald R. Roach (Project Director: July 2022 to March 2025)
Jeremy A. Smith (Co Project Director: February 2023 to March 2025)

A Foundations project to plan for an updated and interactive online edition of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia. The work would include creating a list of articles and potential authors, documenting standard operating procedure for editorial work and content creation, developing a sustainability plan for future support and updates, and designing a website.  

East Tennessee State University's Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services (CASS) seeks $49,600 in funding to support the development of a revised, open-access, online version of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia, which first appeared as a print publication through the University of Tennessee Press in 2006. The online edition will include a major revision of the print volume that will account for developments in the field of Appalachian Studies over the past sixteen years. It will incorporate a range of full-color photographs, streaming audio and moving image files, and additional interactive content including mapping features based on GIS data and various timelines that are not possible in print volumes due to size and technological constraints. This project will result in free, global access to a highly-respected and widely-used resource; one that remains the only comprehensive encyclopedia on the Appalachian region.