Because The Peer Review’s bylaws are stated within IWCA’s bylaws and are fairly broad and unspecific in some cases, the TPR bylaws task force recommends that we create an internal policies and procedures document to help guide, transition, and ground us as an organization. The following policies and procedures are to be voted on by the current TPR board and will be adopted if the majority of the quorum accepts them.

We fully expect that this document will be updated and amended as TPR continues to grow and evolve. When it is time for such changes, the proposed amendments should be drafted and presented to the board for a vote before being implemented.

I. Mission

Rebecca Hallman and Sherry Wynn Perdue outlined The Peer Review’s mission in their editor’s introduction of issue zero:

“As the founding coeditors of The Peer Review, we are privileged to launch a new venue for writing center scholarship: a peer reviewed, open access, fully online, and multimodal journal to showcase the best scholarship of our field. What are the characteristics of this scholarship? When we presented the editorial team with this question, it didn’t take us long to assemble the following descriptors:

grounded in theory (or working toward one);
framed by the extant literature (when appropriate);
supported with data (collected and analyzed by any number of qualitative or quantitative means); and
presented in a medium that best represents the work.

While we gave significant attention to what would fill the pages of TPR, the journal was conceived to engage, to prepare, and to promote the next generation of writing center scholars/researchers. We understand that rigorous scholarship must be intentionally sponsored, so TPR targets emergent scholars—new professionals, graduate students, undergraduate students, high school writing consultants—and their collaborators. With this publication, we are making a commitment to scaffolding in the form of a two-part review system—the first provided by members of the editorial team and the second conveyed via double blind review—regular works-in-progress sessions, and our inaugural volume, Issue Zero, which anticipates our contributors’ questions and models the scholarship we seek.

Our review process, paired internal and external reviews, reflects another component of our mission: to facilitate collaboration. This collaboration is demonstrated in many forms:

between novice and experienced scholars;
between authors and designers; and/or
between multilingual and multinational authors.

By placing collaboration at the center of this publication, by modeling it in the editorial structure, and by showcasing it in most contributions to Issue Zero, we seek to challenge the primacy of the single author study penned by a scholar who creates art/science in isolation.

Yes, we’ve committed to an ambitious undertaking and some (including both editors’ dissertation supervisors) have cautioned us to protect our time, but having studied the field and gotten to know our audience’s potential for knowledge making, we are confident that the pages of TPR will be filled with provocative, rigorous scholarship that will further center writing center studies at the heart of academic inquiry.”

II. Roles, Job Descriptions, and Duties

The purpose of this section is to define the different roles available in TPR as well as the descriptions and duties expected of all volunteers.

Professional Co-Editor

The professional editor should occupy the role of a writing center professional.

The following duties are taken from the IWCA by-laws:

“Editorial Duties. In the process of compiling each issue and serving as noted above, editors are expected to:

Track and report expenditures annually to the IWCA treasurer;
Serve as ex-officio as need;
Exercise autonomy for publishing and other journal-related decisions;
Ensure both internal and external blind peer review–with the exception of the co-editors’ participation in the internal review process–to uphold the integrity of the journal;
Work with the editorial team to mentor entering graduate, undergraduate, and high school reviewers;
Prepare external reviewers to mentor a student reviewer;
Promote the visibility of the journal
1. Via a web presence, social networking, relationships with regional and state IWCA organizations’, and editors of other WC publications
2. By attending and presenting at IWCA, Collaborative, and affiliate conferences;
Maintain digital access to the journal for future audiences; and
Archive historical materials to pass along to future editors.” (Section 2, Subsection D)

Additional duties:

Collaborate with graduate co-editors to create board meeting agendas
Collaborate with graduate co-editors to run board meetings
Correspond with authors throughout the publication process
Meet with authors to offer feedback and coaching as necessary

Logistics:

Term length is three years
Term begins in January and ends in December (ex. January 2010-December 2012)

Requirements:

Must currently work as a writing center professional
Experience publishing in the writing center field
Demonstrate strong online communication skills
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

B. Graduate Co-editors

As the mission states, TPR is a graduate student-friendly publication–both in terms of publishing graduate students’ work as well as mentoring them through the process of publication. The graduate co-editor position is one way that TPR seeks to serve graduate students. As per the IWCA by-laws, there should be two graduate student co-editors with writing center experience and/or coursework.

The following duties are taken from the IWCA by-laws:

“Editorial Duties. In the process of compiling each issue and serving as noted above, editors are expected to:

Track and report expenditures annually to the IWCA treasurer;
Serve as ex-officio as need;
Exercise autonomy for publishing and other journal-related decisions;
Ensure both internal and external blind peer review–with the exception of the co-editors’ participation in the internal review process–to uphold the integrity of the journal;
Work with the editorial team to mentor entering graduate, undergraduate, and high school reviewers;
Prepare external reviewers to mentor a student reviewer;
Promote the visibility of the journal
1. Via a web presence, social networking, relationships with regional and state IWCA organizations’, and editors of other WC publications
2. By attending and presenting at IWCA, Collaborative, and affiliate conferences;
Maintain digital access to the journal for future audiences; and
Archive historical materials to pass along to future editors.” (Section 2, Subsection D)

Additional duties:

Collaborate with professional editor to create board meeting agendas
Collaborate with professional editor to run board meetings
Correspond with authors throughout the publication process
Meet with authors to offer feedback and coaching as necessary

Logistics:

Term length is two years
Term begins in January and ends in December (ex. January 2010-December 2011)
Terms should be staggered to ensure editorial continuity
Graduate co-editors may renew for an additional year
The search for a new editor should commence in the spring during the current editor’s final year. The incoming editor will shadow the existing editors as they compile a fall issue before commencing their own term in January.

Requirements:

Demonstrate an understanding of the current landscape of writing center scholarship
Must maintain graduate student status while serving as graduate co-editor
Demonstrate strong organizational skills
Demonstrate strong online communication skills
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

C. Managing Editor

The managing editor’s primary responsibility is to ensure efficiency and quality of the journal and the publication process.

Duties:

Manage email account and submissions, including correspondence with writers
Manage social media outlets
Work with the editors to streamline review process
Maintain accurate records of the status of each submission
Create marketing materials
Facilitate submission recruitment by
- Reaching out to regional board members at opportune times (like before and after conferences)
- Regularly updating social media platforms
Work with writers to get their texts in the format appropriate for the journal’s online platform (minimal coding knowledge may be required)
Help distribute copy editing work for all accepted manuscripts
Review final proofs before publication

Logistics:

Term length is 1-3 years
Term begins in January and ends in December (ex. January 2010-December 2010, 2011, or 2012)
The incoming managing editor should be selected with enough time for the out-going managing editor to participate in their training before the end of the out-going managing editor’s term.

Requirements:

Demonstrates strong organizational skills
Demonstrates strong online communication skills
Demonstrates excellent customer service skills
Demonstrates strong editing skills
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

D. Graduate Student Reviewer

As the mission states, TPR is a graduate student-friendly publication–both in terms of publishing graduate students’ work as well as mentoring them through the process of publication. The graduate student reviewer (GSR) position is one way that TPR seeks to serve graduate students. The number of GSRs on the board should appropriately reflect the amount of work available at any given time so that GSRs are neither overworked nor underutilized.

GSRs both serve as inside reviewers in our double-blind, two-step review process and represent graduate students on the TPR board.

Opportunities:

Be mentored by leaders in the writing center and composition/rhetoric fields
Learn from an insider perspective about the publication process
Guest edit a special edition
Experience working as part of a board
Design your own experience: We love new ideas and people with initiative. Pitch us your idea and we’ll try to make it happen!
Shape the future of our field by mentoring up and coming scholars
Develop your professional peer reviewer skills
Participate in multimodal website development and social media marketing

Duties:

Read and offer written feedback on submissions as called upon
Promptly reply to all correspondence
Attend all board meetings, contribute to conversations, participate in board decisions, and serve as a graduate representative on the board
Promote the journal at conferences and professional gatherings
Support efforts to recruit submissions

Logistics:

GSRs have a two year term limit
Term begins in spring semester (specific time may vary) and ends at the end of the second consecutive spring semester (ex. March 2010 – May 2012)
GSRs may only publish reviews and interviews in TPR, but not their own scholarship or research while serving in this role

Requirements:

GSRs must be graduate students at the time of application
Demonstrate an understanding of the current landscape of writing center scholarship
Demonstrate strong organizational skills
Demonstrate strong online communication skills
Demonstrate a willingness to learn, be coachable
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

E. Professional Board Member

Professional board members serve in both an advisory capacity as well as reviewers for the journal.

Duties:

Read and offer written feedback on submissions as called upon
Mentor graduate student reviewers thoughtfully through the review process
Promptly reply to all correspondence
Attend all board meetings, contribute to conversations, and participate in board decisions
Promote the journal at conferences and professional gatherings
Support efforts to recruit submissions

Logistics:

Term length is two years
Term begins in spring semester (specific time may vary) and ends at the end of the second consecutive spring semester (ex. March 2010 – May 2012)
Professional board members may reapply for a second term
Professional board members may only publish reviews and interviews in TPR, but not their own scholarship or research while serving in this role

Requirements:

Demonstrate an understanding of the current landscape of writing center scholarship
Experience publishing in the writing center field
Demonstrate strong online communication skills
Demonstrate strong mentorship abilities
Be a current writing center professional
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

F. External Reviewers

External reviewers are expected to uphold the mission of the journal when called upon to review.

Duties:

Read and offer written feedback on submissions as called upon
Mentor student reviewers thoughtfully through the review process
Promptly reply to all correspondence

Logistics:

External reviewers are expected to remain available to TPR for at least one year
Editors may choose to invite back external reviewers after their year term is complete
There is no limit on the number of years an external reviewer may be invited to serve
Invitations to return should occur early in the fall semester, however external reviewers may be added at any point in the year

Requirements:

Demonstrate an understanding of the current landscape of writing center scholarship
Experience publishing in the writing center field
Demonstrate strong online communication skills
Demonstrate strong mentorship abilities
Demonstrate that they value the TPR mission

III. Recruitment, Application, and Selection Procedures

This section will outline the current process for recruiting, soliciting applications, and evaluating applications for each position. Recruitment, applications, and the selection process should be conducted in a professional, equitable, and methodical manner for all positions.

A. Professional Co-Editor

Recruitment for the professional editor should begin at least a year to a year and a half before the current professional editor’s term ends. In other words, recruitment should begin half way into the current professional editor’s term. However, a formal call for applications should be made public early in the spring semester prior to the end of the current professional editor’s term.

As the IWCA by-laws state: “The IWCA president will appoint the current or a former TPR editor to form and head a search committee, which will include the Graduate Student Representative as well as members of the editorial team, the IWCA leadership team, etc. as needed.” (Section 2, Subsection B)

The application should include the following, though the search committee may choose to ask for more:

Cover letter describing why they want the position and what their qualifications are
CV

The search committee may also choose to narrow the candidate pool by conducting interviews.

Furthermore, the professional editor should be selected in the spring semester in order to shadow the editors as they complete the fall issue.

B. Graduate Co-editors

Recruitment for the graduate co-editors should stagger so that there is always an incoming and outgoing editor. Because this position is open every year, recruitment should be a fairly ongoing process. A formal call for applications should be made public early in the spring semester prior to the end of the current out-going graduate co-editor’s term.

The application should include the following, though the search committee may choose to ask for more:

Cover letter describing why they want the position and what their qualifications are
CV
Letter of recommendation

The search committee may also choose to narrow the candidate pool by conducting interviews.

Furthermore, the incoming graduate co-editor should be selected in the spring semester in order to shadow the editors as they complete the fall issue.

C. Managing Editor

Due to the flexibility in the term lengths, recruitment for the managing editor should occur on an as-needed basis.

The managing editor will be selected by the co-editors of TPR and work closely with at least one editor.

The application should include the following, though the search committee may choose to ask for more:

Cover letter describing why they want the position and what their qualifications are
CV
Letter of recommendation

The search committee may also choose to narrow the candidate pool by conducting interviews.

The incoming managing editor should be selected with enough time for the out-going managing editor to participate in their training before the end of the out-going managing editor’s term.

D. Graduate Student Reviewer

Recruitment for the graduate student reviewer should occur on an ongoing basis. New GSRs should be selected in early spring.

GSRs will be selected by a task force including at least one graduate co-editor, one current GSR, and one professional board member.

Applications should include the following:

Cover letter describing why they want the position and what their qualifications are
CV
Letter of recommendation

E. Professional Board Member

Recruitment of professional board members should occur on an ongoing basis. New professional board members should be selected in early spring.

Professional board members will be selected by a task force including at least the professional editor, one current professional board member, and one current GSR.

Applications should include the following:

Cover letter describing why they want the position and what their qualifications are
CV
Letter of recommendation

F. External Reviewers

Recruitment of external reviewers should occur on an ongoing basis. Editors may add external reviewers at any point in the year, however, invitations to return for another year should occur early in the fall semester.

While there is no formal application process for external reviewers, editors should gather the following information about external reviewers:

Areas of expertise
Do they currently have students interested in participating in the review process with them?
Number of reviews they can commit to in the academic year

IV. Onboarding Procedures

Each new volunteer should be given a copy of this document to help orient them to their role as well as the other positions they will be working with. Furthermore, someone currently in a specific position should provide an orientation meeting for incoming volunteers of that position. This meeting should give them an overview of their new responsibilities as well as give them an opportunity to ask questions about the position and hear from someone who has experienced it first hand.

In addition to reminding incoming volunteers of TPR’s mission, all incoming reviewers should be briefed on the quality standards TPR strives for in each publication. Though we don’t expect all submissions to meet those standards immediately, by the time a piece reaches external reviewers, the manuscript should be close enough for a rubric to be appropriate. Therefore, all reviewers should be oriented to the evaluation rubric.

Furthermore, there are a few role-specific onboarding procedures that should be followed for each role:

A. Co-Editors

Both the professional and graduate co-editors should spend the fall semester before their terms officially begin shadowing the current editors and learning how an issue is produced.

B. Managing Editor

The incoming managing editor should be brought on with enough time in the current managing editor’s term to be trained on the procedures of the position.

C. Graduate Student Reviewers

Graduate student reviewers should be given an opportunity to practice reviewing an article and given feedback on their reviews prior to reviewing an actual article.

Furthermore graduate student reviewers should be paired with a professional board member and/or external reviewer for each article review.

D. Professional Board Members

Professional board members should be oriented to the mentorship expectations of TPR. They should be given examples of GSR reviews and an opportunity to practice responding to a GSR review in a productive way. Furthermore, professional board members should be presented with options for guiding the GSR through the review process.

E. External Reviewers

External reviewers should be oriented to the mentorship expectations of TPR. They should be given examples of student reviews and an opportunity to practice responding to a student review in a productive way. Furthermore, external reviewers should be presented with options for guiding students through the review process.

V. Mentorship and Review Process

The Peer Review’s review process is unique in that it also seeks to mentor students on the inner workings of academic publishing. Both the internal and external reviews should incorporate mentorship when possible. The following describes the double blind mentorship and review process:

Author submits manuscript
Managing editor sends confirmation to author (within 1-2 business days)
Managing editor sends manuscript to editors (within 1-2 business days)
Editors read manuscript and decide if it goes on to internal reviewers (one month)
Internal reviewers are identified based on strengths, specialities, and availability. (Note: editors should limit the number of times an internal reviewer in called upon)
Editors notify internal reviewers that a manuscript is ready for them to review
Internal reviewers read and respond (8 weeks)
1. Internal professional board members and graduate student reviewers touch base to establish their preferred method of mentorship and reviewing
2. In order to maintain both reviewers’ perspectives, we recommend that professional board members and graduate student reviewers read and respond separately
3. Professional board member and graduate student reviewer have a conversation about how to review appropriately (may be dependent on where the GSR is in their development as a reviewer)
4. Reviewers send their reviews to the editors
Editors compile reviews and send to author(s). Author(s) should be given our “Working with and Managing Reviewer Feedback.” (2-3 business days)
1. Professional board members may choose to reveal their identities to the authors and invite authors to contact them directly if they have questions
2. GSRs should remain anonymous
Author(s) are given 4-6 weeks to revise and resubmit.
Editors offer to meet with author(s) during this revision time to talk through revisions.
Author(s) resubmit
Editors read through again and decide if it’s ready to go to external reviewers (one month)
1. If not, editors can choose to send it back to original internal reviewers or respond themselves depending on the level of revision they think is needed
2. If so, editors identify external reviewers, send them the manuscript, the rubric, a deadline, and a gentle reminder about mentorship opportunities.
External reviewers respond (8 weeks)
1. If mentorship opportunities are available with a student at their institution, then external reviewers should feel free to include them in the process.
2. We can also pair a GSR with an external reviewer
Editors compile reviews and send to author(s) (2-3 business days)
Author(s) choose to revise
1. 4-6 weeks to revise
2. Can meet with an editor again to talk through revisions
Author(s) resubmits final draft

VI. Special Issue Procedures

Board members may choose to propose a special issue. Topics for special issues should be as kairotic as possible and offer a publication opportunity not currently available among the other journals in the field.

Editors should also strive to balance the number of special issues with general submission issues in a year so as to best provide adequate publication opportunities to emerging scholars.

To propose a special issue, a board member should propose a CFP and timeline to the co-editors. Co-editors should then review the CFP and timeline individually before meeting to discuss:

Is this an appropriate topic for a special issue?
Is this an appropriate time for this topic and/or for a special issue?
If yes to both, what revisions/suggestions do you have for the special issues editors?

To ensure that the special issue publication process runs smoothly, a current co-editor should serve as one of the special issue co-editors. Non-board members may serve as a special issue co-editor as well.

Editors of special issues should update TPR editors on a regular basis about the status of the issue.