This is a request for applications for the position of Editor(s)-in-Chief of the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ). Editing NVSQ is an exciting opportunity to help shape the growing field of nonprofit research through leadership of a top-ranked journal. NVSQ is the flagship journal of the interdisciplinary field of research on nonprofit organizations, civil society, voluntarism, and philanthropy, now in its 50th year of publication. NVSQ is owned by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and published by Sage Publications. ARNOVA is an international interdisciplinary association that fosters and disseminates research through NVSQ, its annual research conference, and other publications and events. Applications are welcome from individual applicants or teams of applicants – see instructions below. The future editorial team will play a leadership role in academic publishing as well as the field of nonprofit and voluntary action research.
Responsibilities of the Editor or Editorial Team
- Provide overall leadership and direction for the content of the journal
- Ensure submissions of high quality manuscripts to the journal
- Arrange thorough and constructive peer reviews of manuscripts
- Maintain an efficient and fair peer review process and adequate reviewer pool
- Respond to authors in a timely way, communicating effectively with them, reviewers, editorial board members, other members of the editorial team, publishers staff, and other important journal stakeholders
- Ensure that journal issues of appropriate length appear on time
- Work productively with the journal’s publisher, Sage Publications
- Oversee the Managing Editors workflow and responsibilities
- Proactive about encouraging interdisciplinarity and encouraging quality submissions from across the humanities and social sciences relevant to nonprofit studies
- Convene and work with an Editorial Board to help set the direction for the journal and establish major editorial policies. Refresh and diversify the Editorial Board as needed
- Maintain and strengthen the scholarly reputation of the journal and its impact
- Network, travel, and advocate on behalf of the journal within the research community, including attending the ARNOVA conference annually and convening the editorial board meeting there
- Serve as non-voting board members, report to the ARNOVA board twice a year, and attend board meetings
Preferred Qualifications for the Role of Editor or Editorial Team
- Candidates should be established scholars in the nonprofit research field, currently employed in a tenure-line or equivalent faculty position
- Extensive experience as a researcher and peer-reviewer
- Familiarity with NVSQ’s aims and scope, and previous involvement with the journal as an author, reviewer, or editorial board member
- Familiarity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research
- Proven leadership, administrative, and interpersonal skills
- Open to different approaches to research both in terms of discipline as well as methods
- Clear plan for how to increase diversity in the journal with respect to race/ethnicity and gender, and be responsive to the fact that NVSQ is an increasingly international journal. Editorial teams that are diverse in regards to race, ethnicity, gender, and country of origin are highly encouraged to apply
- Experience with editorial roles, as evidence through experience editing special issues, serving on editorial boards, or assistant or associate editor experience
Workload and resources
NVSQ is currently receiving about 400 original submissions per year. In 2020, NVSQ published 57 research articles, a 13% acceptance rate. ARNOVA’s current contract with Sage ends on December 31, 2021. A new contract is currently being negotiated.
The future Editor(ial team) will be expected to mobilize significant financial support in the form of course releases, staff and material support from its host institution. The term of this position is three years, with the possibility of a renewal for an additional three years on mutual agreement of ARNOVA and the Editor(ial team).
Timeline
Applications should be submitted by July 15, 2021 for full consideration. The search committee will ask for candidates on the short list to participate in a video conference interview in the first week of August, 2021. The ARNOVA Board will appoint the next NVSQ editor at its November 17, 2021, pre-conference meeting. Through June 30, 2022, the new Editor(ial team) will work with the current co-editors, Chao Guo, University of Pennsylvania, Susan Phillips, Carleton University, and Angela Bies, University of Maryland. The new Editor(ial team) will assume full responsibility on July 1, 2022.
NVSQ website: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/nvs
ARNOVA: https://www.arnova.org/
Application instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following materials:
1) an editorial plan, including a vision for the journal, a proposed editorial structure, a statement on research integrity and publication ethics, and an indication of the level of support that will be committed by the Editor(ial team)’s host institution(s), no longer than 2,500 words.
2) the curriculum vitae of the Editor(s). Applications may be from individuals or small teams. For multiple editors, the curricula vitae can be combined into one PDF file or uploaded separately.
While not required, interested candidates are encouraged to contact ARNOVA’s executive director, Lynnette Cook (lcook@arnova.org) to express their intentions to apply for the Editor(ial team) position. Questions may also be directed to Lynnette Cook. Applications should be submitted electronically to the NVSQ Editor(ial team) Search Committee via NVSQsearch@arnova.org. All applications will be treated confidentially.
NVSQ Blog 