REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
EDITORSHIP/PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH IN THE SCHOOLS
A NATIONALLY REFEREED RESEARCH JOURNAL SPONSORED BY THE
MID-SOUTH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
The Board of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA) is seeking proposals for the editorship/publication of its semi-annual research journal, Research in the Schools, presently in its fourteenth volume year. The Board anticipates making the editorial/publication appointment effective Spring, 2009, issue [16(2)] the first issue for which the new editor(s) will be responsible.
Proposals will be due to the Association President no later than October 15, 2008.
Proposal Specifications
Proposals are solicited from MSERA members who are affiliated with higher education institutions or other educational agencies. Proposals will be expected to address issues related to (a) co-sponsorship, (b) editorship, (c) publication, (d) other services, and (e) needs.
Co-sponsorship. Co-sponsorship should involve the participation/cooperation of multiple institutions or agencies. Institutions or agencies desiring to serve as co-sponsors must be willing to make a financial or service contribution to support the publication of the journal. Service contributions may include personnel contributions to editing and production (FTE equivalent) or other related services. Specifics as to the amount and time period for financial or service contributions should be spelled out in the proposal, including an estimated monetary value for all contributions per year for a three-year period. The proposal should include letters of support from appropriate officials associated with each co-sponsor detailing their financial and service commitments.
Editorship. The proposal should provide a summary of the credentials and experiences of all candidates proposed for editorial responsibilities. If multiple editors/support staff are included in the proposal, the duties of each individual should be specified. Curriculum vitae should be included where relevant.
Publication. The editor/publisher will be responsible for all functions required to publish and distribute the journal. One or more production bids should be included in the proposal and must address the following:
Other services. The proposal should describe logistics and estimated costs associated with subscription, mailing, and printing services, as well as other services that may be deemed necessary to the production and distribution of the journal.
Needs. The proposal should specify any information, financial commitments, or other types of assistance desired from MSERA in order to facilitate the editorial and publication process.
The Journal
Research in the Schools is a nationally/internationally refereed journal sponsored by the Mid South Educational Research Association (MSERA). A complete statement of the journal's purpose may be found on the inside cover of any issue or on line at http://www.msera.org/ritsinfo.htm. An on line edition of the Research in the Schools special issue on new directions in mixed methods research (Vol. 13, No. 1) is available at http://www.msera.org/rits_131.htm. The journal is registered with the International Standard Serial Number Center (ISSN 1085 5300), and it is indexed in Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE/ERIC).
Research in the Schools publishes original scholarly contributions in the following areas: (a) Research in Practice--empirical studies focusing on the results of applied educational research including cross cultural studies; (b) Topical Articles--scholarly reviews of research, perspectives on the use of research findings, theoretical articles, and related articles; (c) Methods and Techniques--descriptions of technology applications in the classroom, descriptions of innovative teaching strategies in research/measurement/statistics, evaluations of teaching methods, and similar articles of interest to instructors of research oriented courses; (d) Assessment--empirical studies of norm referenced, criterion referenced, and informal tests in the areas of cognitive ability, academic achievement, personality, vocational interests, neuropsychological functioning, and the like; and (e) Other--topics of interest to educational researchers.
The MSERA Board, upon recommendations of its Publication and Communication Committee, establishes policies governing publications. The President is responsible for editorial appointments, with appointments typically for a period of three years, contingent upon annual review of the editor's performance. The MSERA board assumes financial responsibility for the publication of the journal within limits specified in the Association's annual budget. Currently, the editors receive a course release for their editorial activities, which is supported by their university, although neither is paid to be an editor. The university did pay for the training of an editorial assistant/production editor which included reimbursements for travel and hotel, as well as an honorarium. The journal is currently printed by ACCUPRINT which is still willing to print the journal. For the most recent issue, they charged $3888.52 for 615 copies of a 42-page issue.
The journal utilizes a national/international Editorial Board currently comprising more than 30 scholars, as well as a Graduate Student Editorial Board composed mostly of students in educational psychology and educational research. All manuscripts are reviewed by several members of the Editorial Board. Members of the Graduate Student Editorial Board, each sponsored by a professor, provide supplementary peer blind reviews for a selection of submitted manuscripts, and receive both direct and indirect feedback of the quality of these reviews.
The calendar year serves as the Research in the Schools volume year, with two issues published each volume year. All editorial policies currently in place will continue with the change of editorship. Present policies require that authors prepare manuscripts in accordance with the stylistic rules and guidelines delineated in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed., 2001). All reporting of statistical significance must include estimates of effect size.
Effective Dates
Co Editors Tony Onwuegbuzie and John Slate have completed their one-year term as editors. The positions are now open for applications from the current editors as well as any other qualified and interested parties. The Spring, 2009 issue (Vol. 16, No. 1) will be the last issue for which they will serve as editors under the current agreement. It is the intent of the MSERA Board to make a decision regarding production/editorship at its Fall, 2008 meeting.
The new editor(s) will be responsible for editorial and production duties beginning with the sixteenth volume year (2009). Actual appointment as Editor(s) Designee will be effective during the Spring of 2009. This will allow for a period of transition focused on working with the current editors, facilitating review of manuscripts, and establishment of production processes prior to the Fall, 2009 (Vol. 16, No. 2) issue.
Proposal Submission
Individuals interested in the Editorship/Publication of Research in the Schools should submit five copies of their proposals to:
Dr. Randy Parker, MSERA President
Louisiana Tech University
Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership, WH209A
P.O. Box 3161
Ruston, Louisiana 71272
Proposals received by October 15, 2008, will be considered by the MSERA Board at its Fall, 2008 meeting. The Board reserves the right to reject any proposals submitted in response to this request.
Questions Regarding Editorship/Publication
of Research in the Schools Proposal Submission
Questions regarding the proposal submission process, proposal content, or other requests for information may be directed to: