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Telecon March 17 Agenda:

Date:  Monday, March 17 at 11am Eastern

Toll Free Number: 866-757-4161

Toll Number: 1-517-968-4405

Passcode: 5807653

Notes from the telecon are in blue.  Beg pardon for typos, poor grammar, incomplete sentences, missed comments, etc.

Agenda:

1. Louis Lanzerotti:  Editorial Report on continued production of SWJ and SWQ.  Last issue of Quarter for 2013 has been finished and distributed.  First issue of Quarterly is being prepped now.  A few articles are still in prep and we are waiting for the quarter to close to finish off and distribute. Some internal AGU staff is changing but looks to be smooth and will not interrupt.  Nancy asked if Mohi Kumar, an AGU staff member, has been able to contribute to the journal as she is enthusiastic about the Quarterly and has had many good ideas.  Brooks would need to talk with her about contributions in the future and, of course, this will be part of the current broader discussions about use of staffing and how all scientific fields would be covered via EOS or other publications. The kinds of things that used to be in Quarterly have suffered as a result of staffing changes and all of this is being discussed as part of the higher level review.  Several folks on the telecon seconded and endorsed Mohi Kumar's contributions and we hope in the future that Mohi's leadership could be brought to bear in the future.
   
   1. Distribution list for quarterly was given "some" scrubbing.  Thanks to Lexi and other staff at AGU for updating the list for staff members and aids!
2. Thanks to Nancy Crooker!   Article in EOS    In the next year or two, we will all want to think of ways to bring attention to the Journal/Quarterly as a help to the new editor.  Excellent example of "what to do"!
   
   1. additional thanks to Barbara Richman and Mohi Kumar, both of whom are Space Weather supporters from the past.   
3. Thanks to Delores Knipp!  Working the Journal/Quarterly into the classroom.  Hopefully this model could be written up as an idea for other universities to use in their courses.  Excellent example of "what to do" as an editorial board member!  This is a followup on her initiative to increase visibility and utilization: a SWJ version of Astrobites ("SWxbites").  Astrobites is a daily astrophysical literature journal written by graduate students in astronomy. Their goal is to present interesting papers in a brief format that are accessible to undergraduate students.
   
4. AGU, AMS, and the Space Weather Journal/Quarterly.  The door appears to be open for collaboration/cooperation.  Dan Baker also connected with Bill Gates.
   
   1. Bob McCoy engaged Bill Gail, new president of AMS
   2. Bill Gail reached out to Lou Lanzerotti re jointly supporting the Quarterly with AGU
   3. Lou introduced Bill to Brooks. 
   4. Bill's bottom line:  "I speak only for myself at this point and my interest in seeing space weather well supported as an emerging discipline.  I would have to speak with our publications team if there is any request for AMS support, but I would be glad to do so.  The level of collaboration between AGU and AMS is growing.  We are glad to explore any opportunities that strengthen that collaboration and ensure the health of communities like space weather.  Please let me know what I can do."
   5. As an aside and included in the referenced email chain, here is a great picture of Lou and Don Carpenter at the recent Yosemite Conference.  Don is apparently working on a "history of VLF" paper, which must be very interesting as Bill Gail's email to Lou is the third time I've heard it mentioned.  Also, everyone loves the "Full Solar Cycle" theme for the Journal this Year.
5. Search for the next Editor in Chief has begun.  The search committee has met a couple of times. 
   
   1. when does the nomination period close?   End of this month, or into April.  Our group is encouraged to speak to candidates and/or apply ourselves. Folks have looked very carefully into whether there may be issues, legal or otherwise, with the EIC being a civil servant. The conclusion is that there should not be a concern with that, given appropriate care on the part of the editor in question and appropriate support from AGU and government agency general counsel.
      
   2. timeline for when new editor can reasonably be expected to begin their work? Early to mid summer?  Could be earlier?
      
6. Recommended Terms of Reference from the Editorial Board
   1. zeroth order draft circulated from our subgroup
   2. markups from Louis to consider and work in.  
   3. Comments made at telecon: Lou's markups are helpful. AGU's name is ... role of EIC has been more advocacy, this appears to more passive, written in receive mode or transmit mode.  Tirelessly advocate for SWJ/SWQ.  Want to ensure we give lots of latitude to the new editor.  Job announcement doesn't capture the full breadth of the job.  Hope this document can be used by the search committee to help inform editor candidates.  Brooks thinks this can be helpful to search committee; agrees with comment about constructing an editorial team will be helpful and having proactive editor is important, encouraging content to be submitted, writing editorials, etc.  Also, advocacy means appropriate relationships between AGU, AMS, societies, engagement with other journals and societies.  On page 3 or so, editorial roles and responsibilities, add a few sentences along these lines.  CHANGE THE TITLE (TOR sounds like something that has a specific purpose or definition that you should be able to look up in a dictionary. Barbara apologizes profusely for NASA HQ jargon seeping into our work.  Recommended Roadmap for the Future?  Nancy had another suggestion but I didn't manage to capture the thought. Or was it Delores?).  Number of the subeditors recommended is currently vague, being left to the new editor.  AGU is trying to get at least two per journal as a minimum, good to have more than two.  Brooks can see up to four for the amount of content.  Growth of international content means we should have an international editor.  Add more words in this area of the document to reflect growth of field, growth of content.  Probably need more in general somewhere in the document regarding our international reach and process for further engagement (Hermann, Paul, you could help us there!).  A concern was expressed on point four on page four, EAB members may be discontinued ... wording seems a bit harsh.  SWJ has an editorial board at the discretion of Lou, AGU doesn't officially recognize these and so in general, they do serve at the discretion of the EIC.  Should there be something more formal, we can propose that.  Since the journal was different, content is broader, the editorial board has a special function.  Don't know what the process would be within AGU to formalize.  AGU has the structure of "focus groups" to make connections; how might this function in that form?  Should we work in that manner?  Brooks feels all Editors should have a process to get feedback from the community and get critique as to how the journal is going ... how to connect with the community.  Question.  What about the quarterly expanding through the use of electronic means; what does that sentence really mean/imply, can we rewrite that to make our thoughts clearer? These comments will be addressed in the next version of the document and be circulated by email.  Please keep the helpful suggestions and comments flowing!
   4. Addition from Nancy Crooker:  I have read through Lou's edited version of the document and do not have much to add.  One minor addition in the spirit of Dan Baker's comment is to insert "soliciting" before "receiving, reviewing, and selecting articles for publication" in the list of EIC duties, line 4 of #1 on p. 3, in order to make that duty explicit up front, even though it is mentioned further down (where, for consistency, the verb should be "solicits" rather than "will solicit").
      
   5. SPECIAL THANKS to Bob Robinson, Howard Singer, and Bob McCoy for putting out this first draft. It's not an easy task to clearly and succinctly synthesize the many thoughts and opinions of what the Journal and Quarterly are and the road the publications and editorial process should take in the future. 
      
7. Are there any other actions we can take now to be helpful?  We ran our of time before addressing this agenda item.  We agreed to continue working by email for now and may well schedule another telecon if that is encouraged by the group.
   
   1. is it time to step back and prepare to support the new editor as that person may request?
   2. are there actions that would be supportive to make their transition smoother?
      1. something re the Full Solar Cycle theme?  How about an article summarizing the first solar cycle of Journal/Quarterly?
      2. drafting of a proposal to the agencies that they could use/no use as deemed helpful?
      3. drafting of "Quarterly hardcopy mailing list" plan? including priorities for receipt of hardcopies, further work on email list, roll out plan for moderized e-copy version to expand access?
      4. draft a list of article/feature suggestions for Journal/Quarterly?  including lists of suggested interview subjects, tutorials, reviews, special issues, etc.
         
         

Telecon January 29 Agenda:

Toll Free Number: 866-757-4161

Toll Number: 1-517-968-4405

Passcode:  5807653

Agenda:

1. Louis Lanzerotti:  Editorial Report on continued production of SWJ and SWQ.   
2. Nancy Crooker:  Potential submission to EOS as followup to her suggestion at the AGU Luncheon.   
3. Discussion about AGU/AMS and other partnerships
4. Brooks Hansen:  Progress on work to define Terms of Reference / Editorial Search Committee
5. Brooks Hanson/Barbara Giles:  Progress on work to provide visual prototype of SWQ using new Wiley special section software features.  
   
   

Telecon January 17 Agenda:

Toll Free Number: 866-757-4161

Toll Number: 1-517-968-4405

Passcode:  5807653

Agenda:

1. Louis Lanzerotti:  Editorial Report on continued production of SWJ and SWQ.  Last issue of the Quarterly for 2013 is underway and is basically finished.  Very nice editorial this month introducing the solar cycle anniversary concept.   Louis reports that the editorial side of the work is going well.  Continues to solicit and receive non-technical material.  The citation index continues to increase and we believe it will continue to do so as we are all being more viligant with activities that affect the index.
2. Delores Knipp:  Followup on her initiative to increase visibility and utilization: a SWJ version of Astrobites ("SWxbites").  Astrobites is a daily astrophysical literature journal written by graduate students in astronomy. Their goal is to present interesting papers in a brief format that are accessible to undergraduate students.  Delores is going to try this out on her students this semester!  The class has 28 aerospace engineers enrolled.  In addition to HW, they will review SW paper and try to write "astrobite" type of summaries.  Four or five paragraph summary.  Here is an example written by one of the more advanced students. 
   
3. Howard Singer/Dan Baker:  Summary of Discussions at AGU Editorial Board Luncheon (cryptic notes taken during the meeting are here).  WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE SPECIAL SECTION WILEY FEATURES, were not able to cover that in sufficient detail.  There is a difference between 'special issues' and 'special collections".  We were not able to explore any potential links between this journal and AMS and any connections with IEEE Explorer. 
4. Nancy Crooker:  Potential submission to EOS as followup to her suggestion at the AGU Luncheon.  Barb will circulate Nancy's message; all will reply back with further suggestions and encouragements.
5. Paul Cannon:  Ensuring the "mission statements" or "scope statements" for Radio Science, Space Weather Journal, and JGR-Space Physics are consistent and clear.  Paul encourages an ~100 word description, with the aim to ensure little to no cross-over as much as that is possible.  This is the text that goes in the OVERVIEW area of the journal's website.
6. Barbara Giles/Brooks Hansen:  Progress on work to define Terms of Reference.  A template has been created and our subcommittee of Bob, Bob, and Howard will proceed with a draft.
7. Brooks Hanson/Barbara Giles:  Progress on work to provide visual prototype of SWQ using new Wiley special section software features.  Hope to have this for our telecons by April?  May be able to have something earlier than April.  All agree that more discussion is needed as we are all uncertain as to how this should proceed.
8. Besides status on the various initiatives, what should be the focus for next telecon?  Bob McCoy reporting on AGU/AMS partnership to support also partnerships with IEEE Explorer?  More information on the "special collections" / "special issues" software and features, and how SWJ/SWQ could take advantage. 

Re Distribution List:  We need to scrub that.  Louis will help with that, AGU has already taken a pass wrt congressional staff, Howard will help too. 

AGU has started organizing the confidential search committee for a new Editor-in-Chief and hope to have the announcement out soon.  Having this group involved will be very important.  SEND suggestions for members of the search committee to Brooks. It is essential that everyone in this group be proactive in encouraging appropriate members of our community to apply.

In other news:

Starting to keep a list of suggestions for articles, interviews, tutorials , etc.

Peter Chi, editor of the SPA News, pointed to the Wiley online library subscription service specially noting the Space Weather Journal. Thanks for the "shout out" Peter! To ensure folks remain aware of the need to subscribe, we will add a "notes to the editor" page to remind future editors to post subscription information to the newsletters at least once/twice a year.

Now working to set two telecons in January