Call for Expressions of Interest for new editors of ‘Journal of Australian Studies’

The International Australian Studies Executive wishes to appoint a new editor or editorial team to the Journal of Australian Studies (JAS) to take over the leadership of the journal from Maggie Nolan (ACU) and Julie Kimber (Swinburne) who will be stepping down at the end of 2019. 

JAS is the journal of the International Australian Studies Association (InASA) and is published by Taylor & Francis. Founded in 1977, JAS is a fully refereed, international journal that publishes four (4) issues per year and frequently hosts guest-edited special issues on a range of topics. It has established itself as a leading venue for the publication of high-quality interdisciplinary scholarly articles and reviews on Australian culture, society, history, literature and politics. JAS has been assigned a multidisciplinary code in the ERA exercise. 

JAS is seeking an editorial team with a distinctive vision for the future of the journal that will build on this past success to take the journal forward. The new editors would work closely with the existing editorial committee and editorial board, and the journal’s managing editor, Amber Gwynne. The successful editorial team will be expected to serve for three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further three years.

The InASA Executive welcomes expressions of interest from editorial teams located in any Australian university or universities. Ideally the editors would be from different institutions and parts of Australia, and each would offer distinctive disciplinary expertise, preferably in history, literature or cultural studies. Preference will also be given to teams that have a proven track record of collaboration and substantial prior experience in an editorial role. 

  • Time commitment: These roles require roughly six hours of work per week (each), and require that at least some time is committed to journal tasks every couple of days. 
  • Start date: We hope to have the new editors in place by the end of 2019 and the handover period will take place in the first half of 2020. 

EOIs should include: 

  • a CV for each proposed editor 
  • a short (1–2 page) statement outlining relevant experience and an editorial vision for the journal 
  • a list of three referees for each applicant who might be confidentially contacted to offer an informal assessment of suitability 
  • a short (half-page) statement on any support that the applicants’ institutions are able to make 

The current editors are happy to discuss with potential applicants what the position involves, and interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Maggie Nolan (maggie.nolan@acu.edu.au) or Julie Kimber (jkimber@swin.edu.au) with any questions about this process. 

EOIs should be emailed to Maggie Nolan by 10 November, 2019