Vol. 13(1) Spring 06

From the Editor

Welcome to another edition of the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education (JIAEE). We begin 2006 with a flurry of activity in the JIAEE. Dr. Mohammad Chizari, Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, Iran has availed his leadership in researching the assorted journal indexing services worldwide. We are making significant progress toward having the JIAEE indexed and/or abstracted in all possible services. The more notable services being targeted include CAB International, ERIC’s Current Index to Journals in Education, ARL’s Directory of Scholarly Electronic Journals, and possibly AGRIS. Of course, we are diligent and remain hopeful about our current evaluation process with Thomson ISI Web of Science®. We will report additional information about the indexing process as it becomes available.

As a service to those who wish to keep track of such statistics, the following data were compiled from the recently completed Volume 12 (2005). Seventy-seven manuscripts were submitted for peer review and possible publication in the JIAEE. Of those, 25 were accepted for publication, resulting in an acceptance rate of 32.5%. Please note that all manuscripts are subject to peer and/or editorial board review, therefore our acceptance rate is based on the outcome for all manuscripts. We do not distinguish between Feature articles, Tools of the Profession, or Commentary articles since all that are published are considered “refereed” publications. Our three-year average acceptance rate is 33.9%, which we believe is quite competitive, even leading, when compared to peer journals. While some novice writers may feel intimidated by this statistic, do not fear; Ms. Laura Hartstone, an undergraduate student from the University of Arizona, is one of the featured contributors to this issue. My advice to all first-time authors contemplating JIAEE contributions is to submit materials and let the peer review process unfold.

A few other interesting facts about the JIAEE include our readership, which exceeds 200 subscribers annually, and our peer review process. As most of you know, after submitting a manuscript for review, peer reviewers have three weeks to complete the assigned task (through our online process). I am very proud to report that all 77 manuscripts submitted for Volume 12 averaged just 15.04 days in the peer review process; a very impressive feat! To those reviewers, I extend my sincere congratulations for your extremely valuable and timely service to the JIAEE. Finally, the JIAEE online manuscript submission and peer review process saved our association over $3,000 in paper, envelope, and postal charges for Volume 12. The total savings for similar charges, since initiating the online process, is over $9,000.

The 22nd Annual AIAEE Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida promises to be a great time for increasing your knowledge base, learning about current research, and adding to your network of colleagues. AIAEE conference planners have prepared an exciting assortment of activities, and as always, it is a great time to renew friendships throughout the profession. I wish you all safe travels to Clearwater Beach. Please remember to promote greater understanding of agricultural and extension education worldwide!

Sincerely,

Gary J. Wingenbach, Editor

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education