American Archivist Editorial Board
I. Purpose
The Editorial Board advises and assists the Editor of the American Archivist in the editorial production
of the journal and in establishing and implementing editorial policies and
procedures for peer review of submitted manuscripts. The Editorial Board also
assists with the evaluation of the Journal Editor as requested by the Executive
Director, Council, and Elected Officers. In order to maintain the editorial
independence of the journal as a peer-refereed professional journal, the Editor
manages the manuscript review process and makes final decisions for publication.
II. Board Selection, Size, and Length of Terms
The Editorial Board consists of eight individuals appointed for four-year
terms that are staggered so that one-fourth of the members are appointed each
year. An individual may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Board members
are nominated by the American Archivist Editor and appointed by the
Council and Elected Officers. The Editor submits a list of nominees to the
Vice President. In the event that the majority of Council and Elected Officers
fail to appoint a person nominated by the Editor, the Vice President will ask
the Editor to nominate another person for appointment by Council.
Individuals serving on the Editorial Board are selected because of their knowledge
of archival theory, methodology, and practice; expertise in research strategies
and methodologies; and experience in archival research and publication. The
Editorial Board will also reflect a diversity of archival institutions and
functional expertise and the demographic and geographic breadth of the profession.
The Editor of the American Archivist is responsible for coordinating
Board activities.
III. Duties and Responsibilities
The Editorial Board assists the Editor in developing and implementing editorial
policies and procedures, in soliciting manuscripts to be considered for publication
in the American Archivist, in recommending other reviewers, and in reviewing
manuscript submissions for possible publication in the journal. The Editorial
Board also assists with the annual review of the performance of the Editor
(as described in Sections VII and VIII below) and may assist in the search
for and nomination of a new American Archivist Editor.
The Editorial Board shall meet at least annually during SAA's Annual Meeting.
The chair of the Publications Board will serve as an ex-officio member
of the American Archivist Editorial Board. The Editor of the American
Archivist, the American Archivist book review editor, the SAA Publications
Editor, Executive Director, and Managing Editor customarily participate in
all meetings of the Editorial Board.
IV. Editor's Term of Office
The Editor's term of office, assuming satisfactory performance of editorial
duties, is three years. The Editor is appointed by Council when it meets at
SAA's Annual Meeting. The term of office will customarily begin on or about
January 1; however, the exact date on which the individual selected assumes
the responsibilities of editorship will be negotiated by the individual and
the Executive Director. An incumbent editor may be re-appointed for one additional
term as Editor. An individual may not serve more than two consecutive terms,
but may apply for the position at a later time.
V. Editor Selection Process
In years in which the incumbent editor is eligible for reappointment, see
Section VIII below.
In years in which the incumbent editor is not eligible for reappointment,
a selection process will take place. In January of the year prior to the expiration
of the incumbent editor's term of office, the Executive Director will:
- Form a selection committee that will consist of the President (who will
serve as chair of the committee), the Council liaison to the American
Archivist Editorial Board, the chair of the Publications Board, a member
of the American Archivist Editorial Board selected by the President,
the Executive Director, and the Managing Editor.
- Consult with the selection committee regarding appropriate text for a call
for applicants. The deadline for initial applications should be no later
than May 15.
- Prepare advertising for the position for:
- Placement in Archival Outlook and, depending on the publication
schedule, in American Archivist;
- Posting on the SAA Web site and on electronic mail lists; and
- Dissemination via broadcast email to the SAA membership.
- Consult with the selection committee to identify other venues for promoting
the position and/or identifying prospective candidates who might be encouraged
to apply for the position.
The selection committee will review the applications and make recommendations
to Council prior to the SAA Annual Meeting. Should the selection committee
believe that there are no qualified candidates, or that additional qualified
candidates would be desirable, the committee is empowered to solicit additional
nominations to supplement those already received.
Council, with due consideration of the committee's report but without requirement
that it act in accordance with the committee's recommendations, will select
an editor during the SAA Annual Meeting.
The following timetable is suggested:
January–May: Advertising of position.
May 15: Application deadline.
May 22–June15: Selection committee receives applications
and begins review process to identify 3–5 candidates to proceed to
the next stage.
June 15–July 15: Selection committee conducts phone
interviews with 3–5 candidates and prepares report for Council recommending
candidates to interview in person during the SAA Annual Meeting.
July 20: Council invites candidates to interview during
the Annual Meeting.
August: On the day prior to the first Council meeting,
interviews are conducted by the selection committee, which ranks candidates
and prepares a recommendation to Council.
August: On the day of the first Council meeting, the selection
committee delivers its recommendation to Council, Council deliberates and
either passes a resolution endorsing the recommendation or agrees on a process
and timeline for further solicitation and review of candidates. Selection
committee chair notifies candidates.
September: Executive director executes contract with editor.
January 1: New editor officially assumes duties.
VI. Qualifications of Editor
The Editor of the American Archivist should possess the following qualifications:
- Demonstrated leadership skills that allow him or her to present a vision
of the journal that places it at the center of the profession's intellectual
dialog.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and nurture relationships with authors,
both established and newly emerging, to encourage them to explore interesting
questions and submit material to the journal.
- Ability to nurture interesting but not completely satisfactory submissions
to successful publication.
- Ability and willingness to pay special attention to the need to develop
ideas in newly emerging areas of the profession and support the thoughtful
re-examination of past professional insights, and address issues of particular
relevance to historically under-represented populations.
- Excellent personal communication and writing skills, including the ability
to edit scholarly material, the ability to communicate successfully with
those who make submissions, and the ability to report to those in the Society
with oversight responsibility for the journal.
- Sufficient financial skill to manage the journal within the budget established
for it.
- Sufficient time-management skills to complete tasks in an acceptable manner
and, most importantly, to publish the journal at appropriate and regular
intervals as established within the annual budget work plan.
Section VII. Reporting Procedure
The Editor of the American Archivist reports to the SAA Council. Council's
oversight responsibility is accomplished primarily through review of the Editor's
annual performance evaluation. Council's responsibility is facilitated by the American
Archivist Editorial Board and the Executive Director, with the Board bearing
primary responsibility for editorial matters and the Executive Director bearing
primary responsibility for administrative and financial matters.
The Editor of the American Archivist will use the American Archivist Editorial
Board listserv as the principal means of communication with the Editorial Board.
The Editor will submit bimonthly reports to the Editorial Board on editorial
activities, including, but not limited to, statistical summary of submissions
and decisions about submissions, negotiations for special issues, special achievements,
problems and needs, and suggestions for Editorial Board policies. The Editor
of the American Archivist will prepare an annual report to the Board
at least four weeks in advance of SAA's Annual Meeting, summarizing the Editor's
activities, the production of the journal, issues and concerns, and needs for
editorial policies and procedures.
VIII. Performance Evaluation Process for Editor of the American Archivist
The following procedures will be followed for the purpose of conducting an
annual performance evaluation of the Editor of the American Archivist, based
on performance criteria, goals and objectives, and a formal review process.
The purpose of this process is to form a basis for considering renewal of the
Editor's contract, to provide feedback to the Editor, to discuss issues of
common concern, and to recognize achievements. The Executive Director will
establish a schedule for this evaluation process, based on a timetable for
renegotiation of the contract with the Editor's institution.
The Editor and Executive Director will prepare a statement of criteria for
performance evaluation, stipulating elements that will be considered as appropriate
and relevant for evaluating the Editor's performance on an annual basis. This
statement must be reviewed and approved by Council.
The Executive Director will form an evaluation committee, which shall consist
of the President, the Council liaison to the Editorial Board, and the Executive
Director.
At the beginning of each evaluative period, the Editor, in consultation with
the Editorial Board, will submit to the Executive Director an annual statement
of personal goals and objectives. This statement will be organized according
to the criteria for performance evaluation as drafted by the Executive Director
and the Editor and approved by Council. The Executive Director will forward
the statement to the evaluation committee, which will have responsibility for
its approval.
By October 30 of each year, Editorial Board members will submit to the Executive
Director a completed performance appraisal that has been compiled by its designee
from the Editorial Board. This appraisal form addresses the Editor's work with
the Board and encourages inclusion of comments received from Editorial Board
members and other SAA members concerning the quality of the journal, its editorial
policies, the Editor's performance, and related concerns.
By November 30 of each year, the Editor will submit to the Executive Director
an annual summary of activities and accomplishments, with clear reference to
the current year's goals and objectives, as well as a completed self-appraisal
form.
The evaluation committee may solicit written or oral comments on the Editor's
performance from the Managing Editor, the Chair of the Publications Board,
those who have recently published in the journal, and others who are in a position
to provide useful perspectives. The committee will also consider comments received
from SAA members, or any other information that the committee deems appropriate.
Submission to Council of information solicited or obtained by the evaluation
committee, other than that found in the reports of the Editor and the Editorial
Board, will be at the discretion of the evaluation committee.
The Executive Director will compile comments from Editorial Board members,
staff, and others, prepare a written performance appraisal, and disseminate
this information to the evaluation committee and to the Editor. The Executive
Director will then meet with the Editor to discuss the performance evaluation
and self-evaluation materials. Based on this discussion and written materials,
the evaluation committee will prepare a report for Council review at its winter
meeting. The evaluation committee's report to Council will include, in addition
to its own recommendations, copies of the reports submitted to the Executive
Director by the Editor and the Editorial Board.
At its winter meeting, Council will review the Editor's annual report, the
report of the Editorial Board, the report of the evaluation committee, and
any additional comments the Editor may choose to submit, take such actions
as are deemed advisable, and convey its conclusions to the chair of the evaluation
committee.
The chair of the evaluation committee will review Council's conclusions and
the evaluation report with the Editor. This annual evaluation will be considered
in preparing revised goals and objectives for the Editor for the coming year.
Annual evaluations will be taken into consideration during periodic discussions
concerning renewal of the Editor's contract.
In years in which the incumbent editor is eligible for reappointment, the
Executive Director will contact the incumbent editor to determine if he or
she is interested in serving a second term. If the Editor expresses such an
interest, the matter will be referred to the evaluation committee. That committee,
after reviewing the Editor's annual performance reviews and consulting such
individuals as it deems appropriate, will make a recommendation to Council
regarding reappointment of the Editor. Council, meeting in executive session,
will review the Executive Committee's recommendation and either vote to reappoint
the Editor to a second term or direct the Executive Director to implement a
search for a new Editor as outlined in Section V.
Approved by SAA Council, February 5, 2005
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