The Call for Papers for the IGEL 2023 conference is out! Read it here.
The International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature (IGEL) supports efforts to apply, or facilitate the application of, scientific methods to study the structure and functions of literature as well as the reception of literature. Amongst the functions of literature that researchers in our community investigate, are healing, social cohesion, education, entertainment, meaning making and its aesthetic function. Literature is broadly defined as all cultural artefacts that embody literary devices, such as narrative genre, stylistic variations, and figurative language. The domain includes novels, short stories, and poetry, but also theatre, film, television, and digital media.
The aim of this website is to offer information about IGEL as a society and about the field of Empirical Studies of Literature. If you want to learn more about the history of IGEL, you can check out the About us page. If you want to learn more about where and when the next IGEL events will take place, you can click on Events. SSOL will take you to the webpage of our society’s journal Scientific Study of Literature. If you are looking for teaching material or research resources you can check out our Research Coalitions page. For more interactive participation in discussions and conversations about all things empirical literary studies, visit our Concordance platform. Alternatively, you can also use the search bar.