Call for Editor

by · November 23, 2016

The Southern Criminal Justice Association (SCJA) is seeking applications for the position of editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice (AJCJ), the official journal of SCJA. AJCJ is a refereed publication and manuscripts go through a blind review process. The focus of AJCJ is on a wide array of criminal justice topics and issues. Some of these include items pertaining to the criminal justice process, the formal and informal interplay between system components, problems and solutions experienced by various segments, innovative practices, policy development and implementation, evaluative research, the players engaged in these enterprises, and a wide assortment of other related interests. The AJCJ publishes original articles that utilize a broad range of methodologies and perspectives when examining crime, law, and criminal justice processing. The editor will be responsible for the continuation of administering a high quality academic journal for the SCJA membership and public. The editor will set editorial policy, select deputy and associate editors, maintain a peer review system, and manage the journal. Proposals for co-editorships will not be considered.

Selection criteria: Criteria to be considered for selecting the Editor include:

  • Earned PhD in criminal justice or associated field.
  • SCJA membership in good standing for three continuous years at the time of application.
  • Demonstrated record of scholarly activity as measured by such indicators as publications in refereed journals, book publications, and other publications. Strong preference will be given to applicants who have published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice.
  • Prior editorial experience as measured by such indicators as previous experience as an Editor of an academic peer-reviewed journal, past experience as an associate/deputy editor of an academic peer-reviewed journal, or other editorial experience (editorial board member, reviewer, etc.).

Application Due Date, Starting Date, and Editorial Term: Nominations are due via email to the Chair of the Editor Search Committee (Dr. Sean Maddan, smaddan@ut.edu) by January 15, 2017. The new editor will be selected by March 1, 2017 and will begin the transition to editor in Summer 2017. The new editor will begin receiving (and soliciting, at least initially) manuscripts in Fall 2017 to prepare for a first issue in early 2018. The length of the editorial term is 3 years (2018, 2019, 2020).

Application Procedure: Applications should be submitted no later than January 15, 2017 to Dr. Sean Maddan, Editor Search Committee Chair at smaddan@ut.edu. Application materials must include:

  1. statement of editorial philosophy, including vision for the journal;
  2. current CV; and
  3. letter of commitment from applicant’s chair/dean on letterhead indicating institutional support (NOTE: Common institutional support packages include a one course release for the editor each year of the term and a minimum of a ten hour per week funded student graduate student to assist the editor in manuscript processing.)

Further inquiries should be directed to the Editor Search Committee Chair, Dr. Sean Maddan, smaddan@ut.edu.