When do we reach the end? When have we learned enough? While the answer to these questions may be different for each individual, if the desire to move forward remains, the real answer is “never”. As George Weah once said, “Education is a continual process, it’s like a bicycle… If you don’t pedal you don’t go forward.”

As an industry we continue to see continual process of growth, revision, and transformation. Some ways we experience this as academic and textbook authors are in the research methods we use, the peer review process, and how we handle rejection. We also see more systemic changes through diversity, inclusion, and digital transformation practices.

This week, keep pedaling. The goal is forward. As individuals and as an industry. Happy writing!

Embodied Inquiry as a Research Method

Embodied Inquiry is an approach to research that privileges the lived, embodied experiences of the researcher and the researched. A fairly simple sentence to write for us, who have lived, breathed, worked on and in Embodied Inquiry, and utilised it as a research approach for years. However, for the uninitiated we are very aware that even in that one sentence there are many words that seem like jargon, or have ambiguous meanings, with the result that it is hard for a researcher to know if what they are doing is actually Embodied Inquiry or not. This is true even more if you are new to the whole idea of doing research and what research actually looks like or feels like.

The Votes Are In! Announcing This Year’s Peer Review Week Theme

Peer Review Week, September 20-24, a yearly global event celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality, will this year center on the topic “Identity in Peer Review.” Throughout the week, participating organizations will host virtual events and activities exploring the multifaceted nature of identity; how personal and social identity influences peer review practices and experiences; and what’s needed to foster more diverse, equitable, and inclusive peer review processes.

The Peer Review Process: What Sets University Presses Apart

When an author submits a book proposal to a university press, in a best-case scenario the acquiring editor will think the project is promising and want to go ahead with peer review of the proposal and some or all of the book manuscript. At some publishers, acquisitions editors present projects they are excited about to other press staff and are then approved by an internal committee to proceed with peer review. At other presses, editors can proceed with peer review at their own discretion. Peer review is a practice that distinguishes scholarly presses from other types of publishers, so it’s key for authors to understand how it works and what expectations will fall to them as a result.

Handling Rejection

So you’ve done it. You’ve sent in the application, submitted the piece, started the blog. You’ve overcome what you’ve thought was the abyss —the fear, the procrastination—and finally started on your hero’s journey. You’ve tried your very best, and now you sit back and wait to reap the results. But then…Your application gets rejected.

‘Far to Go: Diversity and Inclusion in Social Research’

The Young Foundation and the UK-based Social Research Association launched the first- ever study on diversity and inclusion in the social research profession, and their report is now available online. Download the report here.

Digital Transformation Requires Cultural Evolution

Our industry has been wrestling with many challenges related to technological disruptions and demands for publishing innovations for some time now. On the surface, the work required to bring print journals into the digital world appears to be largely technological. However, a comprehensive and lasting transformation from a print-centric business to a digital-first business requires equal investment in the technological as well as the cultural. Digital innovations are more of a human science than computer science.