November 2021 - Virtual Meeting

Society of American Archivists
American Archivist Editorial Board

Zoom Meeting | November 19, 2021 | 10:00am – 11:00am CT

AGENDA

I. Announcements

A. Click here for my November 8, 2021, report to the Council.  In particular, note that 84:2 is on target to be published in early December.  All content for 85:1 is set, and I am currently reviewing and accepting material for 85:2.

B. Some “to dos” are still outstanding from our July meeting – Haven’t lost track of them! I will be following up with individuals and small groups soon.

C. Excellent turn out for the "Write Away Forum on SAA Publishing Opportunities" on November 5. There were 291 registrants (with 140 actual attendees). The virtual program will be repeated in the spring.  I’ve seen an uptick in reviewers registering on PeerTrack, but so far haven’t had anyone reaching out to discuss potential articles.  Has anyone else?

D. Peer Review Session is still being planned for early 2022.  This will be an opportunity to discuss the process with potential reviewers. 

• I am grateful for Board members who have engaged me in really valuable conversations about the Peer Review process.  Please feel free to let me know if you’d like to chat about reviews that you are doing, or one on one about the process in general.  I’m glad to chat!

E. Reviews Editor:  Interviews have been completed and Executive Director Jackie Price-Osafo is in the process of sending invitations to two individuals, which will allow us to bring Reviews fully into our new digital format. Stay tuned for announcements, introductions, and more information! 

II. Discussion
Working to support Special Sections in the journal. (Click here for Karen Trivette’s original proposal document for the Special Section on Design Records, 84:2).

A. As engagement of sections is a stated goal of the Editorial Board, Special Sections provide an opportunity to work with component groups (Sections, Committees, etc) to highlight special topics of concern to theory and practice.

B. Has the potential to strongly support our work for DEIA, and we should look for these opportunities.

C. Note that the original prospectus was submitted in 2018, and the Special Section is JUST BEING PUBLISHED this fall.  A Special Section is a long term commitment on the part of the guest editor, the authors, reviewers, and Editor. 

D. Needs for Special Sections:

• Guest Editor – this could be a Board member or a member of the Section.  It could be two people sharing the responsibilities.
• A prospectus for the Section
• Once prioritized, collaboration with Publications Team to set a schedule for publication, including deadlines for article submission, review (guest editors and editor), acceptance, revision, final editing, copyediting and layout.
• A call for papers – this would be written by the guest editors, in conjunction with the editor.  Prospectus will designate the target group for authors, including regional, national, and international contributors.
• Training in PeerTrack system for Editors

E. I want to encourage transparency with potential guest editors about the process, the time commitment, and the need to stay on schedule.

F. Special Sections need to be prioritized – there is a lot of potential interest (Ethics; Accessibility and Disability; BLM are three potential topics that I’ve had expressed interest in during my first year as Editor). 

• How often do we think we can / should publish a Special Section?
• How do we meet these goals, and not strip the resources of the Board?
• How do we engage membership who are interested in working on these projects?

G. How do we make sure that “Special Sections” retain a uniqueness and high level of interest in a digital environment?