At its heart, the governing body of EdTechnica is the Review Board, which constitutes all authors of articles and any professionals who donate their time to making the encyclopedia function. In addition to the general Review Board, a smaller Governing Board also works to streamline encyclopedia activities and to provide leadership on essential tasks. Associate editors and student interns may also be invited to support the efforts of either board.
Figure 1
Illustration of the Review Board and Governing Board
The Review Board represents researchers and practitioners who have agreed to provide reviews of articles related to their expertise. Review Board members will be acknowledged in the encyclopedia for their service, but information regarding which articles they specifically reviewed will not be shared.
Review Board members are invited to attend all official meetings and to vote on leadership decisions and any other voting items proposed by the Governing Board. Generally, Review Board meetings are held twice each year, and all members are invited to attend and to vote on items.
Authors of accepted articles will automatically be invited to join the Review Board after initial acceptance of their first article. This will help to diversify and expand the Review Board over time. Members of the Governing Board may also invite new Review Board members.
The Review Board is intended to be a highly democratic organization, and there is no limit to its possible size.
There is no time limit to Review Board membership provided that the member remains active in the field and with the encyclopedia. If a Review Board member does not participate in the board for a year or longer (i.e., does not complete any reviews and does not attend any meetings), then they may be removed from the Review Board by the Governing Board with a letter of thanks. Former Review Board members may be invited to rejoin the Review Board by the Governing Board.
Through the Inclusive Contribution and Equity Strategy, the Governing Board also seeks to ensure that the Review Board is both representative of the field and diverse.
Any researcher or practitioner with expertise related to educational technology may request to join the Review Board by emailing the Governing Board and attaching a curriculum vitae. Generally, to serve on the Review Board, an individual should be actively engaged in the field either as a scholar, practitioner, or graduate student and have sufficient professional or research expertise. Some indicators of suitability to serve on the Review Board may include the following:
Reviews are blinded, meaning that authors will not know who reviewed their individual articles, but reviewers will be acknowledged for their participation with the overall volume by inclusion on the Review Board page and with a certificate of appreciation.
The Governing Board represents researchers and practitioners who have agreed to provide editing, leadership, and strategic support to the encyclopedia. Each member is elected to serve a 3-year term, and the size of the Governing Board is limited to six (6) people (though this may be adjusted by a Review Board vote). In its first year of operation, the two Governing Board members with the most votes will be elected to a term of 3 years, the next two will be elected to a term of 2 years, and the final two will be elected to a term of 1 year. This allows for staggering of elections and continuity of leadership. There are currently no limits on the number of terms an Governing Board member may serve, but each term must be decided by election.
Table 1
Current Governing Board Members
Name | Affiliation | Dates of Service |
---|---|---|
Maha Bali | American University in Cairo | 2022-TBD |
Aras Bozkurt | Anadolu University | 2022-TBD |
Camille Dickson-Deane | University of Technology Sydney | 2022-TBD |
Royce Kimmons | Brigham Young University | 2022-2025 |
Jill E. Stefaniak | University of Georgia | 2022-TBD |
Melissa Warr | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 2022-TBD |
Governing Board members are nominated and elected by the Review Board. Voting on open Governing Board membership positions is conducted in a proportional ranked-choice voting manner. Any Review Board member may nominate themselves or another Review Board member to serve on the Governing Board. Nominations should be made prior to the biannual meeting when voting will occur so that the Editor-in-Chief may privately see if nominees accept nominations prior to voting.
The Editor-in-Chief is elected by the Governing Board via a simple majority vote and serves until the end of their Governing Board term. In the case of a tie, the selection of the Editor-in-Chief must be decided by the Review Board. Nominations are accepted from current Governing Board members. If re-elected to the Governing Board, the former Editor-in-Chief may be considered for additional terms as Editor-in-Chief.
All Governing Board members are considered to be editors of the encyclopedia, even though specific editorial and administrative duties may vary by position. In addition, all encyclopedia activities and decisions should be approached in a collaborative manner and in a spirit of cooperation. So, although each editor leads specific efforts associated with the encyclopedia, they can and should constantly collaborate with other editors.
The Governing Board will have a scheduled meeting each month, but meetings may be canceled at the discretion of the board if there are no agenda items or due to other circumstances. These are not public meetings, but Review Board members may be invited by an Governing Board member to attend Governing Board meetings as observers.
The Governing Board has the authority to make all decisions related to the encyclopedia and its personnel provided that decisions are unanimous. Given the small size of the Governing Board, this ensures that each member has an equal and powerful voice and prevents the development of factions or groups within the board. Any vote requires the presence of a majority of Governing Board members to be valid, and any vote conducted in the absence of an Governing Board member may be brought to a revote by that member.
Whether or not a decision requires a board vote is determined by the board itself, and if any Governing Board member requests a vote on any matter, then the matter must be decided by a vote.
If the Governing Board cannot achieve unanimity in a decision, then the decision must be made by the Review Board, who must decide by a majority vote how to proceed, either during a biannual meeting or via email (with a two-week opportunity to vote). It is expected that these instances will be rare, but in such cases, the Editor-in-Chief will provide the Review Board with an explanation of the voting item and a list of the Governing Board members’ votes on the matter including a short rationale from each member explaining their vote.
The Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Governing Board member is responsible for making agendas, taking notes of all meetings, and distributing them to members in a timely manner.
Each Governing Board member ensures that the governing practices of the encyclopedia are ethical, equitable, and inclusive and also that the resulting encyclopedia itself reflects these values. The Governing Board constantly updates and engages in an Inclusive Contribution and Equity Strategy to ensure that these values and effective practices are interwoven into all aspects of the encyclopedia.
Designated Governing Board members conduct initial reviews of submitted articles to ensure that they fit the encyclopedia’s aims and scope and that they follow necessary guidelines and conventions.
Designated Governing Board members provide necessary support to authors of articles both in the pre-publication phase and the post-publication phase. This may include technical support, stylistic guidance, data interpretation, and other forms of assistance.
Designated Governing Board members organize, invite, and remind reviewers and make final determinations on article publishability, notifying authors of decisions. The Governing Board also solicits and manages requests for new articles, solicits article contributions, and releases calls for proposals.
Designated Governing Board members manage Micro-Revisions to existing articles and the inclusion of Additional Resources. The Governing Board also initiates and administers usability and accessibility testing on articles and corrects technical problems as needed.
Designated Governing Board members or an assigned committee manages the publication of proposed Translations.
Designated Governing Board members manage the consideration of Major Updates to existing articles and also engage in ongoing Continuous Improvement efforts to correct and improve the content, veracity, practicality, and timeliness of articles.
The Governing Board should manage email lists and announcements to the Review Board and authors and should also engage in an active Social Outreach and Marketing Strategy. The Governing Board should also manage official social media, email, and other accounts.
Supporting Editors are invited by the Governing Board to fulfill specific duties related to the encyclopedia.
Table 2
Current Associate Editors
Name | Affiliation | Role |
---|---|---|
Bohdana Allman | Brigham Young University | Associate Editor |
Fanny Eliza Bondah | Brigham Young University | Assistant (Student) Editor |
Monalisa Dash | Brajrajnagar College | Associate Editor |
Rebecca Peacock | Boise State University | Associate Editor |
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