Scholarly Publishing Journals and Your Career

Publishing CareerBuilder: Scholarly Publishing Journals and Your Career
Friday, March 22, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Eventbrite: RSVP

As publishers, we develop expertise in publishing the work of others, in acquisitions, editorial management, peer review, and in myriad roles that add value to authors and extend scholarship. In our upcoming Publishing CareerBuilder, we will explore the impact of getting involved with and contributing to publishing journals. We’ll discuss the benefits of writing for and publishing an article in publishing journals, serving as a peer reviewer, serving on an editorial board or as Editor-in-Chief. Join us as we explore the impact these activities can have on one’s career and the impact these journals have on the publishing ecosystem. Our webinars in the popular Publishing CareerBuilder series focus on career opportunities, publishing roles and sectors, and job search strategies. Publishing your research and articles about publishing forces, issues, and best practices contributes to the advancement of the publishing ecosystem and has a positive impact on your career.

EIC’s and managing editors of the Journal of Electronic Publishing, Learned Publishing, Publishing Research Quarterly, and the student-managed GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing will share their experience as well as ways that you can get involved.

Panelists

  • Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle, Co-Editor, Journal of Electronic Publishing; Cluster Co-Facilitator, INKE Partnership
  • Tia Gracey, Managing Editor, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; Associate Editor, American Political Science Association
  • Jocelyn Hargrave, Editor, Publishing Research Quarterly; Lecturer in Publishing, University of Derby
  • Lois Jones, Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; Peer Review Director, Journals, American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Jodie Martire, Associate Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly, Ph.D. candidate, University of Queensland
  • Michelle Urberg, PhD, MSLIS, North American Editor for Learned Publishing, on behalf of Society for Scholarly Publishing; Client Success Manager, LybLynx

This event is sponsored by GW’s Graduate Program in Publishing,is free of charge, and is open to current and prospective students, alumni,and members or aspiring members of the publishing, library, and scholarly communication community.

Co-moderated by Nicole Mintzand John W. Warren

Bios

Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle (she/her)

Dr. Alyssa Arbuckle (she/her) is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Electronic Publishing and a researcher with the Implementing New Knowledge Environments Partnership, where she co-facilitates its Connection cluster. Until 2024, Alyssa served as Co-Director of the Electronic Textual Cultures Lab at the University of Victoria as well as Co-Director of the Digital Humanities Summer Institute. Alyssa holds an interdisciplinary PhD from the University of Victoria; her dissertation focused on open social scholarship and its implementation.

Tia Gracey (she/her)

Tia Gracey (she/her) is the Managing Editor for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing and the Associate Editor for the American Political Science Association. She has recently earned her Master’s in Professional Studies in Publishing at George Washington University and, before that, earned her Master’s in Liberal Arts at McDaniel College. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and has recently picked up studying Japanese in her free time.

Jocelyn Hargrave (she/her)

Jocelyn Hargrave (she/her) is an Australian-born Lecturer in Publishing at University of Derby. Her research intersects book history (early modern to nineteenth century), editorial theory and practice, and contemporary publishing studies, with particular focus on educational and academic publishing. She is the author of Teaching Publishing and Editorial Practice: The Transition from University to Industry (Cambridge University Press, 2022), The Evolution of Editorial Style in Early Modern England (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), and numerous articles published in international journals such as Publishing Research Quarterly, Journal of Scholarly Publishing, Media History and Logos. Jocelyn is a practising editor, with more than twenty-five years’ experience working in the publishing industry; in July 2023, she was appointed Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly.

Lois Jones (she/her)

Lois Jones (she/her) is Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, and Peer Review Director for the Journals Department at the American Psychological Association (APA), where she oversees the peer review strategy and operations for 90 journals. Lois is focused on ensuring a transparent and ethical peer review process for authors, while providing reviewers and editors with the exceptional support they need in the constantly changing landscape of scholarly publishing. She is a 2014 graduate of the MPS in Publishing from GWU and a 2017 Early Career Fellow for SSP.

Jodie Martire (she/her)

Jodie Martire (she/her) is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland. Her doctoral research focuses on minority-language publishing in Australia and its role in communities’ defense of their linguistic human rights. She has over 20 years’ experience in the book trade as a writer, translator, editor, publishing manager, and bookseller, and she is currently the Associate Editor of Publishing Research Quarterly (responsible for book reviews).

Michelle Urberg (she/her)

Michelle Urberg (she/her) is a publishing professional, a trained librarian, and a musicologist. She has deep knowledge of metadata standards, metadata creation in the library and publishing software industries. She has worked in academic libraries, as a metadata librarian for the ExLibris business unit of ProQuest (Clarivate), and an Implementation Project Manager for ESBCO Information Services. She is currently an independent consultant and the Client Success Manager for LibLynx and the North American Editor of Learned Publishing. Recent research projects include identifying options for standard identifiers and metadata exchange of audio-visual content and improving metadata for digital humanities projects. Michelle holds a PhD in Music History and a MS in Library and Information Science. She was previously active with Metadata 2020. She is currently active in SSP, NISO, and ACRL. She is an active member of NISOs VAMD working group.

Special Call for Papers: GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing invites publishing professionals, academics, and students to submit articles, case studies, or presentations for our upcoming special edition issue. We are specifically looking for articles addressing publishing ethics in University Press institutions and publications.

Deadline to submit for special issue: August 1, 2023.

  • Salaries/compensation/openness
  • Sustainability of presses
  • Accessibility
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Inclusive practices in language editing and design
  • Community-centered peer review practices
  • Multilingualism
  • Demographics of university publishing—staff, authors, reviewers, & editorial boards
  • Author outreach and education
  • Free speech and censorship
  • New university presses & their relationship to established university presses
  • International partnerships between presses in developed & developing economies
  • Ethics in accounting for publishing costs
  • Ethical considerations of AI in UP publishing
  • Author integrity (plagiarism, et cetera)
Cover of GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, Vol 1, Issue 1. Image of GW Templetto.

If you are interested in writing about other topics that you think would be a good fit for the journal, such as AI, DEI, accessibility, the peer review process, and sustainability, please review our Instructions for Authors or reach out to our Editor-in-Chief, Lois Jones (lijones@email.gwu.edu). While these topics may not be considered for the special issue, we are always accepting new submissions for the journal.

Please submit your paper HERE or email to lijones@email.gwu.edu.

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing is an online, open-access journal managed by students in our Master of Professional Studies program.

Lois Jones Appointed as new Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

Lois Jones (pronouns: she/her) is Peer Review Director for the Journals Department at the American Psychological Association (APA), where she oversees the peer review strategy and operations for 90 journals. Lois is focused on ensuring a transparent and ethical peer review process for authors, while providing reviewers and editors with the exceptional support they need in the constantly changing landscape of scholarly publishing. She is a 2014 graduate of the MPS in Publishing from GWU, a 2017 Early Career Fellow for SSP, and a member of the inaugural editorial board for GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing. Lois will serve as Editor-in-Chief of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, effective October 2022.

Lois Jones, MPS, New Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

Congratulations on becoming Editor-in-Chief of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing—and thank you! You’ve served for the past two years on the inaugural Editorial Board. How has serving on the board informed your plans and strategies as the new Editor-in-Chief for the journal?

Thank you! I’m very excited to continue with the journal in this new capacity. At this point, the plan is to build on what we have set up by iterating our process and increasing content. Starting a journal during the pandemic was challenging, but we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from the student members about what they’d like to see next, which is another major priority. A huge part of this journal’s goal is to provide students with practical experience in editorial, peer review, publishing, and marketing.

I have three major areas of focus as I start my term: student experience, fine-tuning our existing process, and publishing more content.

While we were starting up, the outgoing Editor-in-Chief formed a series of student-led committees that formed the basis for different aspects of the journal: strategy and sustainability, marketing, editorial, and e-publishing. Those teams worked hard to get us where we are. They’ve recommended that all committees stay updated on what the other groups are working on. Early on, I think we didn’t want to burden everyone with too much information, so now we’ll work on finding a middle ground. We also want to figure out what worked best for students and increase opportunities for even more involvement.  

The second goal is to work on our process. I want to streamline our existing process and make sure that individually we’re all clear on what we’re doing in between meetings. This is a natural second step that comes after creating a new process but could be easily skipped. This is another great learning experience for students, so they get into the practice of reassessing workflows and documenting what they’ve created.

From the content standpoint, I want to start publishing more often, which is a typical goal of a newer journal, and ensure that we’re giving a platform for different ideas and career levels. I’m especially interested in ideas that push against the standard viewpoint or provide a deeper assessment of an existing issue. Fresh perspectives are incredibly important, which is another benefit of this being a student-led journal.

What have you appreciated of the impact of the journal for GW publishing students, in your interactions with them on the board, such as Aimar Galarza? What are some of your goals and expectations for students moving forward, as EIC?

I really appreciate their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives. During initial meetings, I would find that they’d question the basic assumptions of peer review and publishing, which made me reassess and either confirm or question my own approach. I’ve worked with a lot of newer graduates and early career professionals, and I find that their perspectives are a great way to never become complacent. Their ideas often push us forward in innovation and equity efforts. It’s hard to just accept things because “that’s how it’s always been” when you have smart people questioning you regularly.   

Aimar, Ashley Warren, and Gabrielle Bethancourt-Hughes were integral for keeping the core journal functions moving. Their persistent work was valuable in pushing the journal forward and communicating the ideas and decisions between teams.

There are, as you know, thousands upon thousands of journals—your organization, APA, has nearly one hundred journals—and there are also several well-respected scholarly journals covering the field of publishing. What do you see as the special role or niche of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing?

I see this as a great fit for several types of articles. We’re focused on getting good ideas out there, even if they’re not the typical type of article you’d see in a journal. I want people to write articles even if it hadn’t occurred to them to write about publishing before. There are numerous topics that might not seem original or interesting, but that would be fascinating to read about. This is also a great destination for articles by newer career professionals, because we have students and experienced professionals focused on helping authors and reviewers learn the process.

What are some of the challenges—and opportunities—for a student-managed journal, to produce a professional quality scholarly publication? For example, in publishing graduate students’ capstone projects along with research written on ethics in publishing by other members of the publishing community.

One of the primary opportunities is that most of the people working on this journal are newer to the field. Their primary interest might not even be in scholarly publishing, so they aren’t necessarily focused on journals long-term. That can be a challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity to view a journal from an entirely fresh perspective. Similarly, with newer career people managing the journal, each new group of students are in the process of learning how to run and manage a journal. That could be a challenge, but like I said before, it’s also a fantastic pressure to continue reassessing the process as you go.

An original goal of the journal identified by the outgoing editor, Randy Townsend, was to ensure long-term quality. One of the committees he established was Strategy and Sustainability. That student-led committee is responsible for figuring out how to ensure that the quality of the journal remains high while also having groups of students come and go. As the journal progresses, we will continue to add to the resources to support continued student engagement.

In terms of producing high-quality content, we have a mix of both student and experienced reviewers assessing each article. The reviews are then assessed by a member of the editorial board for suitability within the journal. As with all peer reviewed content, this mixture of assessment allows for several unbiased approaches to the submissions. Once accepted, the article is then edited and prepared for publication by dedicated students.

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned in your role at APA that will be helpful to you in leading the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing?

Things are always evolving. Within science, research keeps building on itself and correcting misconceptions. I find it useful to see some parts of publishing as a snapshot in time or a reality for some publishers but not all. The industry is ever-changing, so there will always be new facets to examine and discuss. Previous assumptions might not hold true within five years or even two.  

I’ve helped build different projects and launch many new services and processes, while also managing a range of personalities and skillsets. My goal is to continue forming a good process for students and authors, while encouraging both groups to think broadly.

You were a student in the MPS in Publishing program. What are some of the reasons you decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree? Why did you choose GW specifically?

I’ve always been interested in publishing and a colleague at APA had graduated from the program. I began pursuing my degree prior to working publishing, so it was exciting to talk to others also interested in publishing. GW’s classes cover a wide range, including areas where I didn’t have as much interest or where I had no real skill, specifically design. Even those classes were useful in that they provided me with a foundational understanding of how complex the topic was and the basics.

What advice would you give to new or prospective students to the MPS in Publishing program? And why should students consider volunteering to work on managing the journal?

Take broad classes that you wouldn’t normally gravitate toward. I’m weak when it comes to design, but I enjoyed the class. It was educational to spend time in a subject that I’m not as comfortable with. The program also gives you an idea of what part of the industry you’re most interested in pursuing and educates you on the challenges in the different aspects of publishing. Digital publishing has been a massive topic in publishing for over twenty years and the death of print has been a worry for years and years. Getting the long-term perspective from the class readings, discussions, and professors’ experience is invaluable when trying to understand the past and future of publishing.

Working with this journal is a great crash course in journal work, from peer review principles to editing and then actually releasing the content in the world. This is a wonderful hands-on method of seeing the ethical principles and general process in action.

What have you found to be the long-term value of the MPS in Publishing degree; how has it impacted your career at APA? 

I appreciated that it gave me a glimpse into all the areas of publishing. I took classes in marketing, copyright, editing, and journal management. I don’t use all of the skills daily, but the basis of understanding the different areas has helped me understand the different roles I interact with. Almost universally, graduates I’ve worked with have referred to the copyright class the most. It’s a sticky topic and I still refer to the texts we used.

12th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference

Registration is open for the 12th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference. You can find the conference schedule below.

The 12th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference, with the theme of Ethics in Action, will be held Friday, October 14th, 2022, 9:00 am to 5:15 pm EST, in a hybrid format, with in-person and online presenters and attendees.

Registration is free of charge, both in-person and virtual.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful lineup of speakers and topics on the theme of Ethics in Action, on topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, gatekeeping in publishing, representation, open access, mentorship, and more. Our plenary will feature Kimberly Ayers Shariff, Executive Vice President, Director of Strategy for Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Penguin Random House, in conversation with Tina Donnelly, recent graduate of the MPS in Publishing program. Members of the Association of University Presses, Society of Scholarly Publishing, Library Publishing Coalition, and Association of American Publishers, as well as students and alumni of both the MPS in Publishing at GW and the MA in Book Publishing at Portland State University are among our presenters. We hope to see you there.

Please RSVP for the in-person event only if you plan to attend in-person in Washington, DC.; seating is limited and we will form a waiting list after 80 RSVPs.

In-person conference location:

National Churchill Leadership Center
Gelman Library, George Washington University

Free of charge

RSVP In-Person Event

RSVP Virtual Conference

Courtyard in Fall at GW Campus
Fall on the GW Campus

Schedule subject to change; all times listed EST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022 | 9:00 am – 5:15 pm

9:15 am – Welcome and Opening Remarks

Puja Telikicherla, Licensing and Subsidiary Rights Manager, American Psychiatric Association

John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, Publishing, George Washington University

9:15 am – Plenary

Equity in Action: From Corporate Initiatives to Team Practices

Kimberly Ayers Shariff, Executive Vice President, Strategy for Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Penguin Random House

Moderator: Tina Donnelly, MPS, Managing Editorial Assistant, Penguin Random House

10:15 am – Representation and Editorial Boards

Building an Open Editorial Board

Anand Balasubramani, Journal Development Editor, American Society for Microbiology

Adrianna Borgia, Managing Editor, American Society for Microbiology

Not Checking a Box: Establishing DEI as a Foundation of the American Urological Association’s Flagship Journal

Jennifer Regala, Director of Publications/Executive Editor, American Urological Association

11:00 am – Access and Open Monographs

A “Third Way” to Sustainable Open Access Publishing

John Sherer, Director, University of North Carolina Press

Sharla Lair, Senior Strategist, Open Access and Scholarly Communication Initiatives, LYRASIS

Rebecce Seger, Vice President, Institutional Participation and Strategic Partnerships, ITHAKA

Lisa Croucher, Executive Director of the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN)

11:50 am-12:50 pm – Lunch Break

12:50 pm – Afternoon Welcome/Remarks

Liesl Riddle, PhD, Dean, College of Professional Studies, George Washington University

1:00 pm – Action in Accessibility

An Intersectional look at Disability in the U.S. Publishing Industry Workplace 

Rachel Done Cubillas, MA (expected June 2023) Book Publishing, Portland State University

Publishing Accessibility Support Systems

Isabella Greene, MPS (expected June 2023), Project Manager, Pubvendo

Accessibility and the Idea of Belonging

John G. Samuel, Co-Founder and CEO, Ablr

2:15 pm – Gatekeeping and DEIA

Ethical Mentorship: Bringing Early-Career to the Table (Paths in Publishing)

Rachael Levay, Editor-in-Chief, University Press of Colorado

Allegra Martschenko, Acquisitions Editor, University Press of Colorado

Brian Halley, Executive Editor, University of Massachusetts Press

Taking Action to Interrupt Racism in the Scholarly Publishing Industry (C4DISC)

Alejandra Mejía, Assistant Acquisitions Editor, Duke University Press 

Martha A. Anderson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Head of Digital Services, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Libraries

3:15 pm – Peer Review and Preservation

Reducing Bias in Peer Review Through Automated Authorship Checks

Cynthia Hudson Vitale, Director, Scholars & Scholarship, Association of Research Libraries; Co-Founder, Ripeta

Journal Preservation: What Should be Included?

Johanna Meetz, Publishing and Repository Services Librarian, Ohio State University 

4:15 pm – Gatekeeping and Trade Publishing

Gatekeeping in Publishing 

Tina Donnelly, MPS, Managing Editorial Assistant, Penguin Random House

Systemic Barriers That Exclude BIPOC Authors From Literary Awards and the Proposed Solutions to Evoke Change

Devyn Yan Radke, MA, Communications Manager, WildBlue Press

5:00 pm – Closing Remarks

HOSTED BY:

Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program at the George Washington University

SPONSORED BY:


  GW Ethics in Publishing Conference 2021 image

CONFERENCE CO-ORGANIZERS:

See also the Call for Papers for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing.

Alumni Profile: Aimar Galarza, MPS 2022

Aimar Galarza, originally from Villalba, Puerto Rico, is an outstanding graduate of the MPS in Publishing program, a talented writer and voice actress in both English and Spanish, and a book publicist at Pubvendo.


What advice would you give to new or prospective students to the MPS in Publishing program?

My advice to new or prospective students to the MPS in Publishing program would be to try attending most, if not all, the events that the program offers throughout the semesters, such as the Publishing CareerBuilder webinars. Also, try connecting through LinkedIn with all the guest speakers that you meet; this helps you open doors to many opportunities ahead.

One piece of advice: If you can come to GW in person, do so! It’s so rewarding to be able to engage in other GW communities and events in Foggy Bottom that you wouldn’t experience being online. I have made so many friends from different parts of the world, and I have also met fellow Latinos that I can relate with too! I’ve learned a lot from their different paths in life, and I was able to be part of lovely communities such as the GW Catholics community.

All in all, don’t be afraid of the unknown. You will never know which doors you might open.

What is the most challenging aspect of the MPS in Publishing program? What is the most rewarding?

I would say that the most challenging aspect of the MPS Publishing Program is knowing how to balance your time between full-time work and evening studies to be able to do your best in turning in projects of varying difficulties (depending on each course) every week.

The most rewarding aspect of the program is the fact that you have opportunities to network with guest speakers, classmates, and GW staff who are professionals in varying fields of the publishing industry or other types of industries. This gives you the opportunity to have a unique learning experience and opens doors to getting a job in the publishing industry.

Aimar Galarza, MPS in Publishing 2022

If you can come to GW in person, do so! It’s so rewarding to be able to engage in other GW communities and events in Foggy Bottom that you wouldn’t experience being online. I have made so many friends from different parts of the world, and I have also met fellow Latinos that I can relate with too!

What do you hope to do after graduating from the MPS in Publishing program?

Now that I have graduated from the program, I will be focusing on my job as a Book Publicist and continue learning as much as I can from the publishing industry through books, articles, and the experiences that my job provides me with. I’m excited to keep in contact with all the wonderful people that I have met throughout my GW journey, and I’m also excited to read lots of books and comics on my free time. Furthermore, I will have a wedding to plan; therefore, I’m looking forward to that next stage in my life!

What are some of the reasons you decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree? Why did you choose GW specifically?

There were various reasons that I decided to pursue the MPS in Publishing degree specifically in GW. One of the first reasons was the diversity of courses on the business side of publishing when comparing the curriculum to other publishing programs. I knew I liked the creative aspects of the design or the development of a story but learning about how the production side of things works, how to acquire books, and even learning about how copyright works really caught my attention. Due to the constant guidance from Director and Associate Professor John Warren in explaining how the program works, this became my second reason to attend the GW MPS in Publishing. He helped me through the transition of moving to DC with helpful information on both the program and the Virginia/DC areas, which I will forever be grateful for. The third reason was knowing that Washington, DC is a great hub for networking with professionals working in different career paths that you can learn from.

Who has made the biggest impact on you during your time at GW?

Everyone that I have met during the program were big inspirations to me, such as Nicole Mintz, classmates, and professors of each course. I have learned a lot from each and every one of them, and I will forever be grateful for the knowledge and support that they have offered.

[Program Director and Professor] John Warren has made a great impact on me during my time at GW. His dedication to what he does, his guidance, and his help throughout my GW journey as a student and professional has helped me get to where I am today.

What have you found to be the value of the MPS in Publishing degree, and how are you using what you learned, as a rising publishing professional? 

The value of the MPS in Publishing degree—apart from the networking side of things—is that courses provide projects and tools that anyone can use in the present for careers in publishing, marketing, or just business in general. For example, I was able to use the Strategic Prioritization tool from the Marketing Strategies course in one of my job interviews.

Aimar Galarza, College of Professional Studies Commencement, 2022

How are you using what you learned in your publishing courses in your day-to-day work at Pubvendo?

As a Book Publicist at Pubvendo, I am using the general knowledge of how book publishers work in their field that I learned during the first courses in MPS, such as Book and Journal Publishing, E-Pub, and Business of Publishing. I have also applied knowledge learned from my Book Publicity and Promotion course for writing pitch letters and knowing how to reach out to a specific audience.

Also, as the Editorial Committee Lead and Board Representative in the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, I have applied the knowledge of how to reach out to peer reviewers into my day-to-day job of reaching out to influencers or bloggers when marketing books. Every tool and piece of knowledge that the program offers are essential to succeeding as a professional.

Aimar Galarza on LinkedIn. Aimar’s Personal/Professional Website

MPS in Publishing Program at George Washington University Launches New Journal

Announcing the inaugural issue of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

WASHINGTON D.C.— The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Publishing program, George Washington University, is pleased to announce the inaugural issue of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing. This new online journal is managed by students in the MPS in Publishing program, and led by Editor-in-Chief Randy Townsend, Director of Publishing Operations, PLOS, and an editorial board of publishing leaders.

Cover of the Volume 1, Issue 1, of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing. Image shows the GW Tempietto on the campus of the George Washington University.

EIC Townsend, the editorial board, and MPS students and faculty have established a vision emphasizing equity and quality for theGW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, with an exceptional peer review process involving leading publishing, library, and scholarly communication professionals, scholars, and researchers. This new scholarly journal explores efforts to enable and implement equitable, inclusive, and accessible publishing. The editorial board includes:

  • Gabrielle Bethancourt, Assistant Editor, Wiley
  • Lois Jones, Peer Review Director, American Psychological Association
  • Josephine E. Sciortino, Managing Editor, Canadian Science Publishing
  • Julie Vo, Editorial Manager, JAMA Pediatrics
  • Aimar Galarza, GW Editorial Board Student Representative

Core to its mission, the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing (GWJEP) seeks to provide a platform for students and other industry professionals to discuss often-ignored realities of the publishing industry. GWJEP welcomes scholarly articles, case studies, and GW Ethics in Publishing Conference presentations from scholars, students, and publishing professionals on topics including diversity and inclusion, accessibility, peer review, open access, sustainability, publishing metrics, equity, and other issues of publishing ethics. The Journal of Ethics in Publishing’s first issue is set to advance ethical conversations within the industry and challenge traditional “business as usual” approaches to safeguarding content, representing contributions from both students and professionals.

GWJEP provides MPS in Publishing students an opportunity for hands-on experience managing a professional-level journal, provides a forum for students to publish their Ethics in Publishing capstone projects, and involves the wider community of publishing, library, media, and scholarly communication professionals and scholars as board members, peer reviewers, authors, and readers. This student-managed publication is an open-access resource, free for anyone to access online, and is free from submission fees or article processing charges, providing opportunities for publication from underrepresented voices.

Four student-led committees include Editorial (led by Aimar Galarza, and previously by Giuliana Macaluso); Marketing (led by Donna Prideaux, and previously by Emily Hatcher); E-Publishing (led by Julie McClenahan, and previously by Jeremy Ottley); and Strategy and Sustainability (led by Madi Neuner, and previously by Ashley Warren). Graduate student Ashley Warren serves as Managing Editor.

MPS in Publishing Director and Associate Professor John W. Warren conceived of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing and serves as publisher. GWJEP is published on the Manifold Scholarship platform, developed by the University of Minnesota Press, the CUNY Graduate Center’s Digital Scholarship Lab, and Cast Iron Coding, with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) is a sponsor of the journal.

To read GWJEP’s inaugural issue, and to submit articles for consideration, please visit: https://gwpress.manifoldapp.org/projects/journal-of-ethics-in-publishing.

About the GW Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program:

The Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program, College of Professional Studies, at George Washington University, is the leading graduate-degree program for current and aspiring publishing professionals. Current publishing professionals sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge through high-level coursework, while other students include post-bachelor and post-graduate students who have earned their degrees in other disciplines but desire careers in publishing. Coursework emphasizes “real-world” learning, participation, and group work utilizing creative and analytical approaches. Skills and topics include acquisitions, editing, copyright and permissions, business and management, marketing, design, production, and digital technology. Created in 2006, with the addition of a flexible, online program in 2012, more than 450 alumni work as leaders in the field in all publishing sectors and specialties. The program’s curriculum is taught by internationally-recognized leaders in publishing, who help to prepare students for managerial and leadership positions across all segments and specialties in the publishing industry.

For media inquiries about the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing, please contact Donna Prideaux, Media Lead, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing at gwpress@email.gwu.edu.

For more information, and media inquiries, about the MPS in Publishing program, please contact John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, at jww@gwu.edu.

GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing: Meet the Student Committees

The Journal of Ethics in Publishing is excited to introduce the four student-led committees working to help launch the journal. Each of these four committees deal with different aspects of the journal: Editorial, Marketing, E-Publishing, and Strategy and Sustainability. We recently asked the four committee leads to describe what their committees are charged with, what they’ve accomplished thus far, and what role they will play as the journal continues to evolve and work towards publication.

Giuliana Macaluso

Editorial Committee

Lead: Giuliana Macaluso

Editorial Committee members: Christine Benson, Aimar Galarza, Kaitlyn Longstaff, Mariko Hewer, Olivia Haase, Ashley Elizalde

Editorial Board Liaison: Josephine Sciortino

The Editorial Committee of the Journal of Ethics in Publishing has been charged with stewarding the fair, unbiased double-masked peer review of journal submissions; identifying opportunities to recognize referee contributions; and developing guidelines to maintain journal integrity.

The committee has been hard at work establishing processes to optimize its operations. With the ethical imperative of the journal ever on our minds, the committee’s regular meetings involve discussion around best practices for peer review. We’ve also engaged in research and leveraged professional networks to identify peer reviewers whose expertise and values align with the mission of the journal. In preparation for the first issue of the journal, our inaugural articles have been identified and sent to peer reviewers to solicit feedback—and we’ve already received a reviewer report!

I look forward to seeing the Editorial Committee’s role in the journal continue to solidify and evolve as we move toward the journal’s launch—and over the coming years. This is an integral and enthusiastic committee that affords members experience that will be useful in any publishing profession. And we’re always looking for new members! If you’re interested in learning more about the editorial side of journal publishing, I highly encourage you to join!

Emily Hatcher

Marketing Committee

Lead: Emily Hatcher

Marketing committee members: Sarah Godlin, Corrine Gosling, Abby Norton, Caitlin Monday, Haley Mullins, Nicole McConnell, and Donna Prideaux.

The Journal of Ethics in Publishing’s first marketing committee has been tasked with strategizing, designing, and implementing marketing strategies for the journal. Throughout the past couple of months, the committee has met weekly to brainstorm ideas, discuss content strategy, and begin to establish the journal’s identity as a whole. So far, we’ve created a customer persona, social media strategies, and a content calendar, and we’re continuing to work on setting up social media accounts and starting a weekly email newsletter.

This group is extremely passionate and energetic and I’m so excited to see how the committee will continue to celebrate and amplify the journal.

Jeremy Ottley

E-Publishing Committee

Lead: Jeremy Ottley

E-Publishing committee members: Taryn Boss, Melody Johnson, Lismarie Cuevas, Tyana Anglin, Stephanie Luna

The E-Publishing Committee for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing has been charged to develop and maintain the online journal presence, ensuring discoverability, appropriate indexing, and successful implementation of industry standards. So far, we’ve been developing a taxonomy for our content to support an indexing strategy, a set of author guidelines to better prepare manuscripts for the platform, as well as a Corrections and Errata policy. Lately, we’ve begun to discuss how to present special collections and how to enhance the user experience.

I look forward to continuing to build a strong digital foundation for George Washington University’s newest born-digital publication.

Ashley Warren

Strategy and Sustainability Committee

Lead: Ashley Warren

Strategy and Sustainability committee members: Ambriah Underwood, Julie McClenahan, Elizabeth Von Mann, Madison Neuner, Maeve Hayden, and Sydnie Koetje-Simin

Board Liaison: Lois Jones 

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing’s Strategy and Sustainability Committee has been charged with being the Journal’s moral compass, guiding it through industry disruption while establishing and protecting a legacy of excellence and a tradition of quality. We strive to ensure the Journal serves its readers and the publishing industry for many years to come, while never compromising its values or integrity. 

Currently, the Strategy and Sustainability team is working to develop the initial processes that will provide the Journal with critical assets for the future.  In sub-committees,  members are developing student volunteer recruitment and retainment methods; evaluating the competition and searching for potential hurdles; considering long-term peer reviewer relationships; creating data matrices; and actively working to find grants and other funding opportunities.

Our committee looks forward to working together, and with future student volunteers, to help the Journal of Ethics in Publishing find perennial success.

The four committee leads work closely with our Editorial Board Student Representative, Gabrielle Bethancourt-Hughes, to help drive initiatives and establish a solid foundation for the journal.

While there have been many accomplishments, there is still so much work to be done! If any of the above committees interest you, we will be accepting new members in the fall; we will send out a request for volunteers when the time comes. This is a great opportunity to gain real-world experience, work more closely with your peers, and help to publish important content.

Gabrielle Bethancourt Appointed to GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing Editorial Board

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing proudly announces Gabrielle Bethancourt to the Editorial Board as the student representative to the board’s founding membership. 

Gabrielle Bethancourt - photo
Gabrielle Bethancourt

Gabrielle is a second-year student in the MPS in Publishing program at GW. She holds a Certificate in Editing from the University of Chicago, and taught high school English for five years before assuming her current role as a technical writer/editor. Gabrielle obtained her BA in English from Tulane University and served as an Editor for the Tulane Literary Review. She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband and one-year-old daughter.

“It is an honor to be selected as the student representative on the editorial board,” says Bethancourt. “My time in GW’s MPS in Publishing program has already supplied me with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the publishing world, but this is a unique opportunity to advance industry standards in ethics. It is also a great privilege to work with such accomplished professionals in the field. I look forward to serving my student community as a representative and the publishing community at large with this new journal.”

Gabrielle joins board members Josephine E. Sciortino, Lois Jones and Julie Vo, who were announced earlier this month as inaugural members of the editorial board by Editor-in-Chief Randy Townsend.

“To successfully launch this journal, strong editorial leadership is critical, and it’s imperative to have student representation on the editorial board, working alongside publishing experts,” says John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor of the MPS in Publishing program, College of Professional Studies. “Gabrielle’s contributions were important, as well as those of her peers, to the launching of this journal, and her accomplishments in the program make her a natural fit for joining the board. My vision for the journal has always been to provide opportunities for our students to learn the ends and outs of journal management, while contributing to the research and literature of ethics in publishing. Student support and enthusiasm for the journal has been remarkable.”

In addition to Gabrielle’s editorship, the journal is also launching student-run committees to target 4 key objectives.

  • Editorial, led by Giuliana Macaluso, will steward the fair, unbiased double-masked peer review of journal submissions, identify opportunities to recognize referee contributions, and develop guidelines to maintain journal integrity.
  • ePublishing, led by Jeremy Ottley, will develop and maintain the online journal presence, ensuring discoverability, appropriate indexing, and successful implementation of industry standards.
  • Marketing & Promotion, led by Emily Hatcher, will cultivate a strategy to raise visibility of the published content, helping further ethical discussions presented by authors, and ensuring the journal brand consistently reflects values of integrity, equity, transparency, and scholarship.
  • Strategy & Sustainability, led by Ashley Warren, will be the moral compass guiding the journal through industry disruption while establishing and protecting a legacy of excellence and a tradition of quality.

“With Gabrielle joining the editorial team and the formation of these four committees, we are honoring our commitment to offer real-world experience and leadership opportunities to the publishing students, strengthening and adapting skills to the development of the journal,” says Townsend. “These committees will help establish the journal’s personality and characteristics. I am inspired by the enthusiasm surrounding the journal and looking forward to publishing great content.” 

The Journal of Ethics in Publishing, managed by students in the GW Publishing program, welcomes articles, case studies, and conference presentations from scholars, students, and publishing professionals on topics including, but not limited to, diversity and inclusion, accessibility, peer review, open access, sustainability, publishing metrics, equity, and other aspects and issues of ethics in publishing. If you are interested in submitting to the journal, please see the Call for Papers for more information.

GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing announces Editorial Board

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing is proud to announce that Lois Jones, Josephine Sciortino, and Julie Vo have joined Editor in Chief Randy Townsend to form the journal’s founding editorial board.

Lois Jones, MPS
Lois Jones, MPS

Lois Jones (pronouns: she/her), a 2014 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Publishing program at the George Washington University, is Peer Review Manager for the Journals Department at the American Psychological Association (APA), where she co-manages the Peer Review program, which includes 90 journals and 20 Peer Review Coordinators. Lois is focused on ensuring a transparent and ethical peer review process for authors, while providing reviewers and editors with the exceptional support they need in the constantly changing landscape of scholarly publishing.

“I’m very excited to join the first editorial board for the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing,” says Jones. “I look forward to helping build the journal and am eager to see the different topics that arise from authors. I love learning about new ideas and experiences, so I can’t wait to get started.”

Josephine Sciortino, MPS
Josephine Sciortino, MPS

Josephine E. Sciortino is Managing Editor at Canadian Science Publishing, the largest nonprofit scientific journal publisher in Canada, where she manages a team of scientific publishing and production editors for eight scientific journals. She has worked in scholarly publishing for over 20 years with various biomedical societies in the management of their specialty journals, including the Canadian Urological Association Journal (as the inaugural managing editor) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal. She graduated from the GW MPS in Publishing Program in May 2019, and currently teaches the program’s The Professional Editor course.

“This new journal will fill a gap in the literature with its focus on ethics in publishing,” says Sciortino. “We have a lot to cover and we’re keen on making this journal a home to this research and on contributing to the overall conversation.”

Julie Vo is the Editorial Manager for JAMA Pediatrics and has been working in peer review management and journal editorial processes in scholarly publishing for seven years. Previous to working with the American Medical Association, she worked on three journal titles with the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and as the Associate Managing Editor on STEM CELLS with AlphaMed Press. Julie is a member of the Council of Science Editors (CSE) and currently serves as a Director on the CSE Board; and is a member of the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE), having served on the North American Conference Programming Committee in 2018 and 2019.

Julie Vo
Julie Vo

“I am thrilled to be joining this elite team of editors under Randy’s leadership,” says Vo. “The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing presents a great opportunity to work with students of the Master of Professional Studies in Publishing as an educational tool for developing hands-on skills and advance communication among scholarly publishing professionals on ethical issues. Ethical publishing promotes better science and maintains the integrity of scholarly research; the open-access Journal will be an important addition to the existing conversation and hopefully will serve as a resource as our field navigates various topics in ethics.”

The journal is currently recruiting a student member to complete the editorial board. “This is an exciting time for the journal,” says Townsend. “Julie, Lois and Josephine will help establish a solid foundation for the journal built on principles of integrity, equity, transparency and scholarship. Together, we will develop a publishing experience strengthened by student contributions and enriched by strategic partnerships to advance discussions around ethics in publishing.”

“This strong, dynamic and talented Editorial Board is precisely what we need to develop the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing into a leading voice in the field,” says John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor of the MPS in Publishing program. “Along with Randy Townsend’s expertise in ethics, diversity, peer review, and journal management, Lois Jones, Josephine Sciortino, and Julie Vo are leaders in the field of ethics and publishing and will bring a strong editorial vision to the new journal.”

The Journal of Ethics in Publishing, managed by students in the GW Publishing program, welcomes articles, case studies, and conference presentations from scholars, students, and publishing professionals on topics including, but not limited to, diversity and inclusion, accessibility, peer review, open access, sustainability, publishing metrics, equity, and other aspects and issues of ethics in publishing. If you are interested in submitting to the journal, please see the Call for Papers for more information.

GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing announces Randy Townsend as Editor-in-Chief and Society for Scholarly Publishing Sponsorship

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing is excited to announce Randy Townsend, MPS, as the journal’s inaugural Editor-in-Chief (EIC), along with sponsorship of the new journal by the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP).

Randy Townsend, MPS

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing is hosted by the Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing program, within the College of Professional Studies at The George Washington University. This student-managed publication, which will be an open-access resource, free for anyone to access online, welcomes articles, case studies, and conference presentations from scholars, students, and publishing professionals on topics including, but not limited to, diversity and inclusion, accessibility, peer review, open access, sustainability, publishing metrics, equity, and other aspects and issues of ethics in publishing.

As EIC, Townsend will be responsible for setting the vision for the Journal of Ethics in Publishing, developing peer review strategy and working with peer reviewers, soliciting and overseeing submissions, maintaining high editorial quality, and collaborating with faculty and students of the Master of Professional Studies in Publishing at the George Washington University.

“I am excited to serve the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing as the inaugural Editor in Chief,” says Townsend. “I have spent much of my career focused on varying aspects of ethical considerations and the impacts of misconduct and have remained engaged as the publishing industry embraces equity, inclusion and diversity. The unusual circumstances of today have revealed new challenges to the moral compass of the publishing landscape and opportunities for both personal and organizational growth. The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing will help navigate through grey areas of uncertainty and lead discussions of introspection and evolution.”

The Society for Scholarly Publishing will be an official sponsor of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing. SSP is a nonprofit organization formed to promote and advance communication among all sectors of the scholarly publication community through networking, information dissemination, and facilitation of new developments in the field.

SSP will support the work of the GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing through mentorship of SSP members with GW publishing students; guest posts authored by GW students and faculty involved with the Journal in the SSP’s acclaimed The Scholarly Kitchen (TSK) blog (https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/); and potential programming opportunities to highlight journal content and/or the student experience at the SSP annual meeting, webinars, or regional events.

“The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing perfectly aligns with SSP’s goal of developing scholarly communications professionals for the future,” said Melanie Dolechek, SSP Executive Director.  “We are excited to be in a position to offer mentorship to the GW students and provide access to important resources for the publishing leaders of tomorrow through this collaboration. Now more than ever, a journal of this scope is critical and we look forward to fostering rich dialogue about the ever-increasing ethical challenges facing scholarly communications.”

Randy Townsend (pronouns: he, him), is a graduate of the MPS in Publishing program, in 2011, as a member of cohort 5. Townsend has worked for the American Geophysical Union for more than 14 years, with an outstanding career focuses on the execution of the Publications Department’s strategic goals, and the performance and development of an expanding portfolio of scholarly journals, requiring oversight of peer review operations and content integrity. He has been a leader in policy implementation and manages allegations of misconduct and ethical violations. Randy served as a judge for the EXCEL Awards and is on the Advisory Board for the Association Media & Publishing. He is a member of the Council of Science Editors, the International Society of Managing and Technical Editor’s (ISMTE) Programming Committee and serves as Co-Chair on the Society of Scholarly Publishing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

The GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing has a Call for Papers from publishing and library professionals, scholars, faculty, and publishing students. Topic areas include ways to ensure publishing is inclusive; making sure diverse voices are part of the conversation about inclusion, equity, and accessibility; work to ensure peer review, authorship, editing, publications metrics, etc., are equitable and free of bias; efforts to increase diversity, for example, within the Association of University Press (AUPresses), Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), and other publishing institutions; financial equity and sustainability, including institutional support, and access to research and publications, as ethical issues; accessibility as an ethical issue and how publishers can ensure publications are more accessible.

About the GW Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program:

GW’s Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program, since 2006, is a leading graduate-degree program designed for current and aspiring professionals. Current publishing professionals can sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge through high-level coursework, while other students include post-bachelor and post-graduate students who have earned their degrees in other disciplines but desire careers in publishing. The master’s degree in Publishing integrates print and digital publishing topics, including editorial acquisitions, production and design, copyright law, marketing, distribution, technology, management and business. The program’s curriculum is taught by nationally and internationally recognized leaders; students master the skills required for traditional print publishing as well as online and electronic publishing.

 More information at https://www.cps.gwu.edu/publishing-master-professional-studies.

Contact: John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor
Master of Professional Studies in Publishing Program
College of Professional Studies, George Washington University

Email: jww@gwu.edu / Phone: (310) 463-4658

About the Society for Scholarly Publishing

The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), founded in 1978, is a nonprofit organization formed to promote and advance communication among all sectors of the scholarly publication community through networking, information dissemination, and facilitation of new developments in the field. SSP members represent all aspects of scholarly publishing—including publishers, printers, e-products developers, technical service providers, librarians, and editors. SSP members come from a wide range of large and small commercial and nonprofit organizations. They meet at SSP’s annual meetings, educational seminars, and regional events to hear the latest trends from respected colleagues and discuss common and mutual (and sometimes divergent) goals and viewpoints.

Contact Melanie Dolechek, Executive Director | info@sspnet.org | 303-422-3914