Published: November 15, 2016

Join the Student Research Journal to become a better writer, gain experience, and network within iSchool.

This week, I asked Tamarack Hockin to talk a bit about the SRJ – Student Research Journal – for a couple of reasons. The first is that, as Editor-in-Chief, she’s currently recruiting editors to begin in January. The second is that I’m a copy editor on the editorial board, and I’ve found it to be an interesting and educational experience.

I began my tenure in July, along with several other newbies. Approximately every two weeks I receive a manuscript to review. Sometimes it’s the initial accept/reject step, and sometimes it’s a final edit before publication. As one of two copy editors, I correct grammar and APA mistakes, tackle clarity issues, and make suggestions to improve the style and readability (like different word choices and sentence rewrites).

It’s been fascinating to see how and what other students write about, and the SRJ training and eagle eye required for APA style have taught me a lot. Incidentally, I was a Peer Mentor for INFO 203 this fall, and the APA Module was an excellently-timed refresher for me. A big thanks to Vicki Steiner for being such a stickler!

For those readers who haven’t previously heard of the SRJ, we’re a student-run, peer-reviewed LIS journal based at the iSchool here at SJSU. The SRJ was established in 2010 and has published 11 issues — all open-access and freely available — on a wide range of topics related to library and information science, archives, and records management. Though the SRJ is based at the iSchool, our past issues include authors from universities around North America, including the State University of New York at Buffalo, Emporia State University, and the University of British Columbia.

So, I hear SRJ is looking for editors. Can you tell us about that?

Right now the SRJ is recruiting for two editor positions to begin in January of 2017: one Copy Editor and one Content Editor. These can be for-credit positions, as editors are eligible to register in 1 credit of INFO 298. Credit is optional, but it also gives students a good idea of what the commitment is: approximately 45 hours over the semester.

In light of this article, I’ve extended the application deadline an extra week; applications must be submitted by Saturday, November 19. This includes a resume, writing sample (500-1,000 words in APA), and a cover letter. The Call for Editors has full details on how to apply.

How does being a part of the editorial team help students and their careers?

Being a part of the SRJ Editorial Team gives students competitive experience working with a peer-reviewed scholarly publication. Experience as a peer-review editor is a prestige accomplishment for your résumé or CV — especially for those considering a career in academic libraries.

Editors gain relevant experience for the eportfolio, especially competencies A, L, M, and O. Additionally, you’ll be profiled on the website, named in the publication, and have the potential to earn an excellent academic reference from the SRJ’s Faculty Advisor, Dr. Anthony Bernier.

What’s been the most rewarding part of the job?

I was part of the editorial team as a content editor before advancing to the position of Editor-in-Chief. So, I’ve had a couple different views of the team, and now I have a really in-depth understanding of the roles each team member plays. Copy editors are especially well suited to those who have great attention to detail, and I find APA editing to be really similar to my previous work as a cataloger. Content editors who really excel have a solid understanding of scholarly communication and can give constructive and precise feedback. We definitely teach these things to incoming editors, and we have a great training package for new team members.

Here’s some of what our past editors have said:

“I like that I am contributing to fellow students’ academic experience, I am improving my own reading and writing skills, and I feel a sense of community with the editorial team.”

“[I’ve found] tremendously valuable experience in editing, teamwork, the research process, open access publishing, and the joys of multitasking!”

“I’ve learned a lot being a content editor on the iSchool’s Student Research Journal and have found working with Anthony Bernier and the journal’s editorial team very rewarding….I think that doing things like working on or publishing in the journal and joining student groups really enriches the already first-class education students receive at the iSchool.”

Personally, I extended my studies so that I could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief, and I’ll be graduating in June, 2017. I really love being involved in the scholarly communication process, and the SRJ has given me an opportunity to gain skills and experience that I honestly could not get at any other MLIS program — SRJ is truly unique among LIS graduate schools. My own writing and critical reading skills have improved tremendously, and I really appreciate the quality of training the Journal offers.

If anyone has questions, about the editorial team or submitting articles, please send me an email anytime at sjsu.ischool.srj@gmail.com. And visit us online at http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/slissrj/ 

Tamarack Hockin, SRJ Editor-in-Chief and MLIS candidate.