- approved 7/08, updated 3/10 -
Introduction
Technical and (possibly) financial co-sponsorship of journals/magazines published by Sister Societies is one of the ways in which the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) can enhance its global impact in the communications community. As an example, ComSoc has successfully co-sponsored the Journal of Communications and Networks (JCN) with the Korean Institute of Communications Sciences (KICS) since its inception in 1999.
Sister Society New Journal/Magazine Technical/Financial Co-sponsorship
A Sister Society can propose to initiate a new journal/magazine, published by the Sister Society, with technical/financial co-sponsorship by ComSoc. A full proposal must be submitted to the ComSoc Director of Journals (DoJ) or Director of Magazines (DoM) for approvals in the following order:
- The ComSoc Publications Council
- The ComSoc Board of Governors (BoG)
In between BoG meetings, the BoG Operating Committee (OpCom) may also approve when it meets, with final approval by the BoG via the OpCom Consent Agenda (unless the approval motion is removed for special consideration by the BoG).
For technical-only co-sponsorship, the full proposal must contain: a statement of scope, a justification for initiating the journal/magazine, the structure and size of the editorial board, including names of the initial Editor-in-Chief (EiC) and the senior Editorial Staff members, the review process, the initial frequency of the journal/magazine, the initial target size of each issue (number of papers and pages), the individual subscription fees (Sister Society members, ComSoc members, non-members), subscription fees for institutions, plans for print and/or electronic access, including fees for each and both (if applicable), page charge policy, additional funding sources, and a timetable for launching the new journal/magazine.
Technical co-sponsorship implies no financial commitment by ComSoc. However, several items in the full proposal address financial aspects of a journal/magazine. These financial elements are critical to the survival of a journal/magazine, and are thus necessary. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the sponsoring Sister Society would expect a proposal with, at least, the financial items included above, before it would approve a new journal/magazine. Approval of the proposed new journal/magazine by the Sister Society is presumed, prior to submission of the full proposal to ComSoc for technical co-sponsorship.
ComSoc will entertain technical co-sponsorship proposals for new journals/magazines from Sister Societies that have matured in their development. Such maturity is indicated by: the age of the society; its membership population; the regularity of its sponsorship of technical events, such as conferences, workshops, and expositions; the sponsorship of published material, including conference proceedings, newsletters, magazines, and journal/magazines; the stability of its leadership; and the structure of the society. These items should be included in the full proposal.
The structure and composition of the Editorial Board of the proposed journal/magazine must ensure a high level of quality control, and exhibit an appropriate balance of editors from both the Sister Society and from ComSoc. As a guideline, approximately 40% of the Editorial Board should be primarily affiliated with ComSoc, non-native to the Sister Society. A sample structure of the Publications Board of the new journal/magazine is: an EIC, a set of Senior or Area Editors, and a group of Associate Editors. The duties and responsibilities of the members of the Publications Board are left as a variable paradigm for the proposal.
The review process of the new journal/magazine should be similar to that employed by other ComSoc journals/magazines, i.e., at least three reviews, to ensure that only archival quality papers are published. The creation of a joint oversight board or steering committee is encouraged to annually monitor the operation and performance of the journal/magazine, and to help select an EiC. A comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the technical co-sponsorship shall be performed every five years to determine if ComSoc's participation shall be continued, modified, or terminated.
For financial (as well as technical) co-sponsorship, the proposal must include, in addition to the above, a detailed budget for the first three years of life of the new journal/magazine showing its financial sustainability.
Technical Co-sponsorship of an Existing Sister Society Journal/Magazines
A Sister Society can propose technical and financial co-sponsorship by ComSoc of a journal/magazine that it publishes. One of two modes can be proposed: the Single Issue mode (only technical co-sponsorship) or the Full Volume mode.
Single Issue Mode
The Single Issue mode consists of a test-case special issue devoted to a specific topic. In this mode, a lead editor of the Sister Society journal/magazine is identified who will be responsible for the special issue. The lead editor may be the EiC. In addition, several Sister Society supporting editors are chosen, and an equal number of ComSoc editors are identified. The EiCs of the ComSoc journals/magazines can assist in identifying candidate ComSoc editors who are non-native to the Sister Society.A brief proposal must be submitted to the ComSoc DoJ (or DoM) for approvals by:
- The ComSoc Director of Journals or Magazines
- The ComSoc Vice-President for Publications
- The Comsoc Publications Council
- The ComSoc Board of Governors
The proposal should contain a preamble, providing a brief synopsis of the Sister Society, including its age, population, administrative structure, how long it has been a ComSoc Sister Society, and other pertinent information. The preamble should also include a brief overview of the target Sister Society journal, including its scope, organizational structure, age, review process, approximate acceptance rate, frequency of issues, annual page budget, number of subscribers (members, non-members, institutions), number of papers submitted per year, growth of the journal since inception, and anticipated future growth.
The remainder of the single-issue proposal should take the form of a Call for Papers (CFP), detailing the topic, its scope, the lead editor, and the supporting editors from the Sister Society and from ComSoc. It should also include a time line from announcement with the CFP to publication. Methods of advertising the special issue CFP should be identified, with provisions noted for single copy sales to ComSoc members and to non-members.
The outcome of the single-issue test case will help to determine the course of future technical co-sponsorship with the Sister Society in question, and the frequency of additional issues. For example, another special issue might be technically co-sponsored in one year, or after two years. Another scenario would be a sequence of one regular issue and one special issue technically co-sponsored over a two-year period. All follow-up cases are reviewed as Single Issue mode technical co-sponsorships. If these test cases prove viable, the venture can readily grow into a Full Volume technical co-sponsorship.
Full Volume Mode
The Full Volume mode consists of technical and (possibly) financial co-sponsorship by ComSoc of all issues of a Sister Society journal/magazine each year for a five-year trial period. A detailed proposal must be submitted to the ComSoc DoJ (or DoM) for approvals in the following order:
- The Comsoc Publications Council
- The ComSoc Board of Governors
In between BoG meetings, the OpCom may also approve when it meets, with final approval by the BoG via the OpCom Consent Agenda (unless the approval motion is removed for special consideration by the BoG).
The detailed proposal should include a preamble, as delineated in the above section on the Single Issue mode. In addition, the proposal should contain baseline fiscal information, such as individual subscription fees (Sister Society members, ComSoc members, non-members) and subscription fees for institutions, for print and/or electronic access and both (if applicable), page charge policy, and additional funding sources. This data is important for the long-term viability of the journal/magazine, even though ComSoc makes no financial commitment with technical co-sponsorship.
ComSoc will consider Full Volume technical co-sponsorship proposals from Sister Societies that have matured in their development. Such maturity is indicated by: the age of the society; its membership population; the regularity of its sponsorship of technical events, such as conferences, workshops, and expositions; the sponsorship of published material, including conference proceedings, newsletters, magazines, and journals; the stability of its leadership; and the structure of the society. These items should be included in the detailed proposal.
The structure, composition, and size of the Editorial Board for Full Volume technical co-sponsorship must ensure a long-term, high level of quality control, and exhibit an appropriate balance of editors from both the Sister Society and from ComSoc. This information must be included in the proposal. As a guideline, approximately 40% of the Editorial Board, including Area Editors and Associate Editors, should be primarily affiliated with ComSoc, non-native to the Sister Society. An effective means of promoting balance on the Editorial Board is to appoint joint Area Editors, one from the Sister Society and one from ComSoc. The review process of the Sister Society journal/magazine should be similar to that employed by other ComSoc journals, i.e., at least three reviews, to ensure that only archival quality papers are published.
The remainder of the Full Volume proposal should take the form of an announcement of the technical co-sponsorship, and a CFP for the journal, emphasizing the cooperative role of the Sister Society and ComSoc. Methods of advertising the technically co-sponsored journal/magazine should be identified, and some form of marketing should be included.
For financial (as well as technical) co-sponsorship, the proposal must include, in addition to the above, a detailed budget for the first three years of life of the new journal/magazine showing its financial sustainability.
A comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the Full Volume technical co-sponsorship shall be performed every five years by the Publications Council to determine if ComSoc's participation shall be continued, modified, or terminated.
Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)
After approvals have been obtained by the various groups or individuals noted above, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be written by the ComSoc Vice-President of Publications. The MOU should include the Objective, Participation, Implementation, Administration, and Finance, including a Steering Committee, if appropriate, and the Editorial Board, with the day-to-day management as well as the editorial policy delineated. Marketing, Subscriptions Fees and Copyright, if applicable, should be addressed in the MOU. The MOU must ensure that the subscription rate for the co-sponsored journal/magazine, for ComSoc members, is identical to the subscription rate for Sister Society members. It must also clearly state whether the Sister Society journal will be posted on IEL/Xplore or not, and, if so, how the IEL/Xplore revenues induced by it will be shared among ComSoc and the Sister Society. The MOU agreement must be signed by the President of ComSoc and the head of the Sister Society for the technical/financial co-sponsorship to be valid.