Vol. 10(3) Fall 03

From the Editor

I send greetings from the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education (JIAEE) and the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE).

Change, which results in progress, is a difficult entity to measure. There have been several changes for the Journal since our last issue. We have good news and bad news. First, the good news. JIAEE is listed officially with “Academic Keys for Agriculture.” The index may be located at http://agriculture.academickeys.com/index.php

More than 600,000 hits have been registered on academickeys.com since March 2003. Academic Keys for Agriculture is known as “The most comprehensive resource for placing professionals in academia and for providing information that is pertinent and timely to higher education.” JIAEE’s inclusion in this database of journals exposes an ever greater audience to your scholarship. We can be proud of our listing.

Now for the bad news. After an exhaustive two-year attempt to officially register the JIAEE with Thomson ISI® (founded as the Institute for Scientific Information®), our application was rejected. This outcome saddens us, but also hardens our resolve to improve the scholarship and status of JIAEE. ISI’s rejection was due to many factors, some within our control, while others are beyond our control. The factors we control include the addition of keywords, first author’s full contact information, and indication of grant-supported research. As you read this issue, you will notice that we have included keywords and authors’ contact information. Where possible, notice was indicated whether the research was grant- supported.

The factors beyond our control include JIAEE’s rate of citation, which results in ISI’s Impact Factor and Journal Ranking System. Trust me; these factors are as elusive to track down and corner as the Great Yeti in the Himalayas. However, when July 22, 2005 approaches, we will have readied our application for re-evaluation and possible inclusion into the Thomson ISI® index. As a final note, YOU can help improve the rate of citation for the JIAEE by increasing the number of subscriptions, overall exposure, and size of the research community interested in the journal's offerings. How? Start by asking all your colleagues and university/organization libraries to subscribe to the JIAEE. Can you believe that we have subscribers from over 20 countries, but only eight libraries hold subscriptions? NO, I can’t believe this either, but it is true! How many colleagues have you shared the JIAEE with in the past month? Whatever number you answer, I’ll contend it’s about 10 people to few. We can do a better job of promoting our organization, its purpose, and its scholarship. Let’s do it!

I call your attention to a very important matter. According to the bylaws, the AIAEE announces a Call for Editor for the JIAEE. Please find complete details on page 89 in this issue. A search committee has been formed, applications are being accepted, and an official announcement of the new editor will occur at our next annual conference in Dublin, Ireland. By the way, if you haven’t checked out the details for the AIAEE Conference in Dublin, do so today by visiting http://www.aiaee.org/2004.htm

Thank you to all Journal contributors (p. 91), reviewers (p. 93), and board members (p. 2-3) for assisting in the production of this Volume. Enjoy your fall issue and continue doing what you can to promote greater understanding of agricultural and extension education worldwide.

Sincerely,

Gary J. Wingenbach, Editor

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Note. The book review by T. A. Rutherford (spring, 2003, p. 81) should have referred to the book, “Contracting for Agricultural Extension: International Case Studies and Emerging Practices,” edited by William Rivera and Willem Zijp.