Call for NDE Publication Editors

Date: Monday, February 14, 2022

Call for Applications: Co-Editors-in-Chief

New Directions for Evaluation (NDE)

Application Deadline: June 6, 2022

New Directions for Evaluation (NDE), a quarterly sourcebook, is an official publication of the American Evaluation Association. NDE publishes empirical, methodological, and theoretical works on all aspects of evaluation. NDE issues may focus on any topic relevant to evaluation as a practice, profession, or discipline. The following illustrate potential foci for NDE:

Evaluation practice such as approaches, methods, or techniques that can be applied. For example, the use of templates, case studies, or survey research;
Professional issues of importance for the field of evaluation. For example, the use of evaluation, evaluation capacity, means for promoting social justice, professionalization of the field;
Societal issues that explore the implications of intellectual, social, or cultural developments for the field of evaluation. For example, poverty, disparities, or globalization;
Exemplars that advance and celebrate excellence in evaluation practice, scholarship, or teaching;
Evaluation theory including the philosophical groundings of evaluation or conceptual issues in evaluation. For example, the bases for justifying evaluative conclusions or explications of core concepts like validity.

Editor’s responsibilities and duties include soliciting proposals for guest-edited issues, accepting and rejecting proposals and manuscripts based on their quality and suitability for NDE given reviewer feedback, appointing an Editorial Board to review NDE proposals and provide periodic advice on the direction of the journal, guiding proposals for issues through a peer-reviewed process, overseeing revisions to proposals and issues, and working with the publisher on production matters. The Publisher is responsible for all production aspects of NDE.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Editor (or Co-Editors) of New Directions for Evaluation engage in several important activities to ensure high-quality issues are published on a quarterly basis. Following are the key tasks for this role:

Identify and invite esteemed professionals to serve on the journal’s Editorial Board;
Provide key updates to the NDE Editorial Board on an as-needed basis;
Actively solicit NDE proposals from the evaluation community (and beyond);
Review pre-proposals (typically 1-page) from individuals who have an idea for a future NDE issue. Arrange for and host virtual meeting with these individuals to discuss the appropriateness of the topic for NDE, and if appropriate provide advice on how they may want to approach the full proposal;
Review full proposals submitted for consideration to determine their appropriateness for the journal and whether the information contained is sufficient to move forward to a full review;
Identify and invite qualified experts to review submitted proposals. This includes inviting individuals from within, and occasionally outside of, the NDE Editorial Board;
Develop a written synthesis of reviewer feedback that includes a determination as to whether the NDE proposal may move forward to production, requires revision (and specifically what needs to be revised), or is rejected;
Consult with guest editors throughout the writing process to answer questions and ensure the full issue is submitted in a timely manner;
Review and provide line-edits on final draft issue;
Work with guest editors to upload issue into Scholar One, perform all required checks within the system, and submit in a timely manner for production to Wiley Publications;
Consistently maintain a schedule of planned and upcoming issues;
Coordinate with Wiley Publications on an ongoing basis – sharing information about upcoming issues and discussing changes to the journal as they arise;
Communicate with AEA President and Executive Director to keep them appraised of any significant changes occurring with the journal.

Term:

Three years, beginning January 1, 2023
the new editor/co-editors will be selected in early 2022 to afford an opportunity to work alongside the current co-editors so they fully understand the processes and procedures associated with this role prior to January 2023.

Compensation:

$5,000 per year (if one editor; $2,500/year/person if two editors)

Criteria:

AEA Member for at least five (5) years;
Have a record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals or scholarly books;
Have a record of evaluation practice;
Possess strong managerial and organizational skills;
Demonstrate a commitment to AEA’s values;
Have relevant experience in the editorial process, such as serving as a guest or section editor for a book, journal or other scholarly publication or service as an Editorial Board member;
Provide proof of adequate institutional support to host journal operations by providing the applicant with needed accommodations to fulfill the duties of the role.

We welcome applications from individuals or from a pair of colleagues who wish to serve as coeditors. Applicants may be asked to submit supplemental materials or to participate in an interview.

Because NDE is a thematic journal, it has an extended lead time between the review of a proposal for an issue and its publication. Thus, we are seeking considerable overlap between the current and new editor to allow both for transfer of process knowledge as well as shepherding of issues throughout the process by the new editor that will be published under her or his tutelage.

Application Deadline:

Application materials must be submitted by Monday, June 6, 2022 to AEA’s Executive Director, Anisha Lewis (alewis@eval.org). Packets must include a cover letter that addresses the applicant’s qualifications for the role and describes the institutional support available to fulfill it, a curriculum vita, and the names and contact information for three references who can speak to the applicant’s ability to perform the required editorial duties. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide evidence of institutional support for fulfilling the role of Editor-in-Chief, given the substantial commitment of time required to edit a prestigious scholarly journal like AJE. Applications will be reviewed by a Publications Task Force and an appointment will be made by the Board of Directors by May 15, 2022.