Innovations+in+peer+review

Download a PDF of this page ** Innovations in peer review: Expanding the boundaries for community-engaged scholarship ** Sherril Gelmon, Professor and Chair, Division of Public Administration, Portland State University [gelmons@pdx.edu]

Cathy Jordan, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Consortium, University of Minnesota [jorda003@umn.edu]

Susan Gust, Community Activist, Past-Chair, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health [Sgustsrc@aol.com]

Cathy Burack, Senior Fellow for Higher Education at the Center for Youth and Communities, BrandeisUniversity [burack@brandeis.edu]


 * Keywords:** Peer review, non-traditional products, feedback, participant engagement, action agenda


 * Conference track:** Organizational change and sustainability


 * Format:** Symposium

This symposium addresses increasing interest in reconsidering peer review of community-engaged scholarship (CES) through interactive engagement between a panel and the audience. Work in recent years has stimulated discussions about ways to broaden the notion of peer review. This might include the definition, theory, practice, venue for review, venue for publication, and expertise of the reviewers. The topic is highly relevant to IARSLCE members and others in the field since peer review is often the gatekeeping requirement for facilitating transmission of research findings to a broader community.
 * Summary**

The purpose of this session is to launch a research and action agenda to expand the concept of peer review. A core element of “connected knowing” - the theme of the 2012 IARSLCE conference - is the dissemination, sharing and discussion of products of CES. While there are many positive aspects to peer review, scholars producing CES often find the process debilitating. It may be slow and cumbersome, and may not provide constructive feedback. It is often viewed as more receptive to the established scientific method, rather than accommodating of community-based endeavors and products that may not fit the tradition of publication in peer reviewed journals.

Participants will be invited to share their experiences around peer review. Session leaders are seeking to document perceptions of peer review within various sectors, as well as innovative practices that are already underway.

Following the conference, session leaders will craft a working paper under the auspices of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health and the paper will be reviewed by conference participants expressing interest. From this paper, we will develop a research and action agenda, a “manifesto” or some similar publication, or other dissemination vehicles, which could then seed research proposals, other conference sessions, etc. Further information will be available after the conference at www.rethinkingpeerreview.org

Jordan, C.M., Gelmon, S.B., Ryan, K., & Seifer, S.D. (2012). CES4Health.info: A web-based mechanism for disseminating peer-reviewed products of community-engaged scholarship: Refections on year one. //Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement//, //16//(1), 47-64.
 * References**

Jordan, C., Seifer, S.D., Gelmon, S.B., Ryan, K., & McGinley, P. (2011). CES4Health.info: An Online Tool for Peer Reviewed Publication and Dissemination of Diverse Products of Community-Engaged Scholarship. //Progress in Community Health Partnerships//, //5//(2), 189-199.

Jordan, C., Seifer, S., Sandmann, L., & Gelmon, S. (2009). CES4Health.info: Development of a peer-reviewed mechanism for dissemination of innovative products of health-related community-engaged scholarship. //International Journal of Prevention Practice and Research//, //1//(1), 21-28.

Jordan, C. (2011). CES4Health.info: A mechanism for peer-reviewed publication of innovative products of community-engaged scholarship. //Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice//, //1//(3). Retrieved from http://www.gjcpp.org/en/past-issues.php.

Jordan, C. (2010). Redefining peer review and products of engaged scholarship. In H. Fitzgerald, D. Zimmerman, C. Burack, & S. Seifer (Eds.), //Handbook of Engaged Scholarship: Contemporary Landscapes, Future Directions//: //Volume I// (pp. 295-308). East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.


 * To access materials from this session please click on the file link(s) below:**

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