We all owe gratitude to Dr. Chuck Hodges for the impressive job he has done over the last ten years (!) in nurturing and elevating the status of TechTrends, which I consider to be one of two flagship AECT journals. Dr. Hodges  has recently decided to resign his position as editor-in-chief, and AECT is inviting applicants to fill in those big boots. The application for that role appears below.

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Thank you for considering being a candidate for the position of TechTrends Editor-in-Chief. This position is a three (3) year term that is renewable upon recommendation by the AECT CEO and ratification by the AECT Board of Directors. AECT is seeking candidates with good reputations and networks at the international level for this flagship journal. A full description of TechTrends and the role of the Editor-in-Chief can be seen on the last page of this application.

Role and Responsibility of the TechTrends Editor-in-Chief

Housed under the Center of Excellence for Publishing, and reporting to the AECT CEO or (at CEO discretion) his/her designee, The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the overall content of the journal, including soliciting and selecting manuscripts; editing or supervising the editing of manuscripts; developing, adding, or removing standard features, including columns and departments; securing, appointing, supervising, and terminating staff and contract workers; directing and approving the layout and design of the journal; managing the peer-review process; completion of the annual end-of-year report; addressing the fiscal health of the journal; and other responsibilities consistent with the position or assigned by the AECT Board (See full description on last page of this application).

The responses to the application items below need to be returned to the AECT CEO, Nolan Gruver by December 6, 2023. Please submit your application as an attached MS-Word Document to the AECT CEO at ceo@aect.org.  The Search Committee will review all applications and recommend a candidate for TechTrends Editor-in-Chief to begin January 22, 2024. The recommended candidate will be ratified by the AECT CEO and the AECT Board of Directors.

Please respond to these application items:

  1. Brief description of your education and professional background.
  2. Your experience with TechTrends and other editing experiences which highlight your international presence or network.
  3. Your vision for TechTrends as a growing international journal based with a U.S. Organization.
  4. A plan for recruiting papers
  5. Statement of support from your department chair or next level administrator 

TECHTRENDS

TechTrends is a peer-reviewed publication, and submitted manuscripts are reviewed without bias by a panel of consulting editors and other professionals with expertise in the topics presented in the manuscripts. Any manuscript considered appropriate is reviewed anonymously. Reviewers are asked to provide detailed comments for the author(s), and these comments are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief before the final review is sent to the author(s).

You will find this information online here under “Instructions for Authors”:

https://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/journal/11528

Editorial Policies

Purposes: As AECT’s flagship practitioner journal, the bimonthly TechTrends embodies its

tagline philosophy: “Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning.” The journal addresses the informational needs of multiple, often interconnected audiences of members, prospective members, and interested readers in the United States and elsewhere–particularly where AECT has international affiliates, K-12 and university educators, readers interested in personal knowledge acquisition and professional development, teachers of teachers and trainers of trainers, and education and training supervisors. Thus the purposes of this professional journal are:

  1. To publish research- and experience-based information that has been peer reviewed and adds to the knowledge base within the broad field of communications and technology for teaching and learning;
  2. To provide a forum for the exchange of peer reviewed views and expert opinion regarding principles and practices related to communications and technology for teaching and learning; and
  3. To ensure that AECT members and other interested readers have access to up-to-date information about emerging ideas and new technology in the field of communications and technology for teaching and learning.

Content: To achieve its stated purposes, TechTrends will include the following types of content:

  1. Reports of innovative or exemplary practices related to instructional design for technology- mediated teaching and learning;
  2. Discussions of prominent or important topics and issues of concern to practitioners;
  3. Reviews of new literature, such as studies, reports, and books germane to the field;
  4. Summaries of research applications to practice;
  5. Reviews of new or emerging technology;
  6. Discussions of policy related to educational communications and technology;
  7. Reports of national or international trends in the field;
  8. Discussions and reports of topics related to management and supervision in the field; and
  9. Items for marketing and communications for the

 

Annually, at the conclusion of each volume year, the Editor-in-Chief will compile a reflective review of the content in the issues that year, using the above lists to evaluate the extent to which the journal has achieved its purposes. This review shall be provided to the AECT Board and the Executive Director prior to the end of the first month of the following volume year.

Organization and Administration: Management of TechTrends is structured as follows:

 

  1. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the overall content of the journal, including soliciting and selecting manuscripts; editing or supervising the editing of manuscripts; developing, adding, or removing standard features, including columns and departments; securing, appointing, supervising, and terminating staff and contract workers; directing and approving the layout and design of the journal; managing the peer-review process; completion of the annual end-of-year report; addressing the fiscal health of the journal; and other responsibilities consistent with the position or assigned by the AECT Board.
    1. One or more Associate Editors may be approved by the AECT Board for the purpose of assisting the Editor-in-Chief in carrying out the responsibilities of the position. Associate Editors may be secured and appointed by the AECT Board, or the responsibility may be shared with the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief shall supervise the work of the Associate Editor(s).
    2. One or more Assistant Editors may be appointed by the Editor-in-Chief to write or otherwise provide, and edit, designated material on a regular basis, for example, for columns or other recurring features. Assistant Editors may report to the Editor-in- Chief or to an Associate Editor as designated by the Editor-in-Chief.
  2. The Design Director may be appointed by the Editor-in-Chief to be responsible for the format and appearance of the journal; creating or soliciting, with the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, graphic or photographic materials to be published in the journal; preparing each issue of the journal for publication and distribution. Any additional personal request will need to first be approved by the Board of Directors and Executive Director based on the budget impact. Effective January of 2016, design responsibilities have been transferred to Springer Publishing.
  3. The Editorial Board is composed of one representative of each AECT Division and other individuals as deemed necessary by the Editor-in-Chief. The AECT Board shall appoint one individual as its representative on the Editorial Board. The Editor-in-Chief chairs the Editorial Board, which advises the Editor-in-Chief on editorial policy and journal content, assists in the solicitation of manuscripts, and evaluates the effectiveness of the journal.
    1. Meetings of the Editorial Board may be scheduled at the discretion of the Editor-in- Chief, and at minimum the Board shall meet annually at the AECT International
    2. In policy disputes between the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, the decision of the Editorial Board shall prevail. In policy disputes between the Editorial Board and the AECT Board, the decision of the AECT Board shall prevail.
    3. Every third year, the Editorial Board will review these editorial policies and provide a summary report, in particular bringing any resulting issues and concerns to the attention of the Executive Director [now CEO] and the AECT Board. The CEO or the AECT Board may request such a review more often, as necessitated by the ever- changing field of education technology or for other reasons.
  4. The AECT CEO serves as Executive Publisher and, through appropriate staff, administers the business and financial aspects of the journal.
  5. The Consulting Reviewers group is composed of a minimum of twelve individuals appointed by the Editor-in-Chief for staggered three-year terms. As criteria for appointment, the candidate should:
    1. be a practicing educational technology professional;
    2. be familiar with issues germane to his or her Division, area of professional expertise, or geographic region and be broadly interested in educational communications and technology;
    3. have a wide range of professional contacts among programs and personnel both within and outside the Association;
    4. be reliable, have sufficient time to devote to journal review activities, and be able to complete assignments on time; and
    5. be willing to serve voluntarily (no remuneration is provided).

Approved by the AECT Board of Directors on July 16, 2012

  1. …design responsibilities to Springer… p.5

Approved by the AECT Board of Directors on November 7, 2015

Change of AECT Executive Director language to AECT CEO ratified in March 2023 Bylaws

(Subject to Review & Updated by the Center of Excellence for Publishing Advisory Board Nov. 2023)