All 12 entries tagged Announcement

Nothing but Bluesky Ahead – Farewell Twitter/X

Writing about web page https://bsky.app/profile/exchangesjournal.bsky.social

Exchanges moves its primary microblogging output over to Bluesky, as Twitter/X diminishes

If you’re any kind of social media user, you can’t have avoided the debates around the downturn in Twitter/X as the preeminent social media discussion site. While I’ve been mulling Exchanges presence for some months now [1], with the recent US election fallout, it’s become an even more acute question about remaining on site which is increasingly swaying away from any pretence at ‘fairness’ or ‘balance’. It is a shame, as personally I joined Twitter way back in the late 00s and back in the early days it was a brilliant tool for finding likeminded people. I had more than a few beneficial, and surprise, collaborations emerging as a result of being on there. Not to mention creating many long running professional friendships too. Hence, when I took over running Exchanges in April 2018, one of the very first things I did, during my first week, was set up our Twitter account. At the time it was totally a no-brainer in terms of trying to reach out to potential contributors around the world.

Back in the 2010s Twitter was clearly a major channel of communication for academics and those in higher education alike. However, over the years, as the platform shifted to more of a mass market, the signal to noise ratio certainly changed, and not for the better. Personally, I suspect we passed ‘peak Twitter’ during the pandemic years, as we all reached out to one another for some human contact. With Twitter’s sale in late 2022, and the actions of its new owner, I started to have more than a few concerns about it as a channel and started asking myself if it was one we should continue to be associated. However, as a small journal, with limited marketing impact and visibility staying on the platform even then remained one of the major routes we had to reach potential contributors to the journal.

That said, over the past 18 months Musk’s ‘X’ has continued to remove many of the safeguards which are an essential part of any reliable communication channel. Consequently, I set up a Mastodon instance last year, although I will confess I found that a challenging platform to find new followers. Our account’s over there is still live but currently dormant in terms of new content. As soon as I was able though I set up a Bluesky account, as everything I heard about this platform pointed towards it being a viable alternative to Twitter/X, and being run more along the lines of that platform in its ‘better’ days. Since then, I’ve been running the two instances in tandem – posting to Twitter/X and Bluesky at the same time.

However, then the US election happened, with the run up to this making Twitter/X’s owner’s political leanings becoming…more overt. The resultant increased migration of notable bodies, organisations and peoples away from Twitter/X and onto Bluesky argues that the time to close down one account and focus on another is here.

Now, as I drafted this article last week we had 452 followers on Twitter/X (fallen to 447 today) and around 21 on Bluesky.[2] Getting those ~450 followers took us a good two years, and while I am loathed to leave them, something interesting has been happening in the four days since I started writing this piece. Without me posting anything our Bluesky followers has increased to 31. Still small-beer, but a reinforcement that our potential audience there is growing. Such a growth rate in followers seems to argue to me that we’re on the cusp of enough people with interest in the journal migrating across to Bluesky to make the transition I’ve been mulling not only agreeable but logical.

I set up the Twitter/X account to create and sustain conversations around the Exchanges journal, and scholarly publishing. And to my mind, Bluesky is where these conversations are going to be able to continue, without (as) a concerning political dimension. There’s also my slight concern that continuing to associate with Twitter/X lends credibility to its owner and the political bed into which he’s (literally) jumped. That, is just one more thing which makes me believe this is the right move to do!

So, from today we’re going to be scaling back our Twitter/X output to an effective minimum – probably mostly using it to encourage people to come find us on Bluesky. We’ll keep the domain alive, given were I to delete it, after a month or so, someone else could register our handle. I really don’t want to be dealing with ‘fake’ Exchanges, so that’s account will be retained.[3]

Hence, it’s farewell to Twitter/X, and hello to Bluesky in a big way now. I hope you’ll come join us there!

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Follow Exchanges on Bluesky at: @ExchangesJournal (https://bsky.app/profile/exchangesjournal.bsky.social)

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Endnotes

[1] I confess personally, I departed from it during 2023 once Musk’s agenda became pretty apparent. It’s not a decision I regret at all. It’s noticeable my personal account followers has been swelling in the last week too – and that’s a place I only talk about social rather than work things!

[2] I think we’re still niche enough to be ‘indy’ or ‘underground’, which while cool is a bit frustrating when I’d like us to be a heck of lot more visible. Maybe the mass-migration to Bluesky might end up seeing us increase in followers a lot faster?

[3] It is exactly what I did with my own account for the same reasons.

Gareth Johnson : 19 Nov 2024 09:39 |  Tags: Announcement Bluesky Media Microblogging Migration Social Twitter X |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New Issue Published: Welcoming our Thirtieth Issue of Exchanges

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/issue/view/101

Another month and another new issue of Exchanges arrives, although this time it’s not a special issue

Delighted and slightly relieved to announce the latest issue of Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal has just been published (Vol 12.1). This marks the third issue in as many months and caps off what has been a frantically busy half year for myself (and the editors working on the issue). This is – should you be counting - our thirtieth issue, and unlike the two previous ones, this time it’s one of our regular issues containing a collection of articles from across the disciplinary spectrum, from scholars at Warwick and around the world.

Access the issue via the links below:

https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/issue/view/101

or

https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v12i1

As this is a regular, autumn issue, there’s no central theme this time – although I should note many of the articles continue and develop conversations from prior issues. This is partly by chance, rather than design although at least a couple of articles were invited under a specific theme tied to a workshop at the IAS earlier this year. You can read more about the topics in the issue in the editorial, or indeed in the issue description. Naturally, the editorial briefly introduces the issue as well as updating readers on other forthcoming issues, and opportunities to contribute to future volumes of the journal.

While I mention this in the issue, I would naturally like to thank all our contributors, reviewers and editors for their hard work on this issue. The considerable effort behind the scenes to review, revise and format each article – not to mention the effort we expend on those which don’t quite make it too – is not inconsiderable. So much of what we do on the journal feels like an iceberg – the issue you see being only the tip floating above the ocean’s surface with so much of that scholarly labour is hidden below.

With the publication of this issue, our last for 2024, I am personally delighted to note that for the first time since the early summer I don’t have the prospect of a new issue to produce in just a few short weeks. Not that I’ll be idling my time away, as we have four special issues currently brewing, and work towards the April 2025 issue continues apace too. Nevertheless, it will be nice to have a little more time on my hands to catch up with all those regular tasks I normally work on over the summer!

Hope you enjoy the issue, or are even inspired to contribute an article for a future issue – I’ll very much look forward to reading it.

Gareth Johnson : 31 Oct 2024 09:15 |  Tags: Announcement Issue Journal New Published |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Journal Server Upgrades for Future Developments

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/announcement/view/63

The week beginning 2^nd September sees changes to Exchanges server and potential brief downtime.

Due to a planned server migration for Exchanges, and the other Warwick University Press Journals, during the first week of September there is a possibility that access to the site may be restricted. While we’re awaiting an update to learn more about the exact timings – I suspect it won’t be across the entire week – I thought it was worth highlighting the issue for all our author and reader community.

Practically, what this means is that there may be periods of time during the week beginning 2^nd September when readers, reviewers and indeed editors (and myself) won’t be able to either login or access Exchanges. Our apologies in advance for any issues this creates, but as we’re out of term time our hope is that this is the least disruptive time to stage this work.

As it happens the reason behind this work is due to a migration of the servers on which all of the WUPJs are mounted, and an incoming new company who will be looking after hosting, maintaining and supporting the service. This is quite exciting to hear, as it looks like this opens up the potential for enabling future platform developments and improvements for the journal. We’ll be working with our colleagues in the University Library and other journal editors to explore this in the coming weeks, and doubtless I’ll have more to share on the subject once I have it.

In the meantime, our thanks for bearing with us as we go through this transitionary phase!

Gareth Johnson : 20 Aug 2024 11:35 |  Tags: Announcement Future IT Migration Platform Server Support Upgrades |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Research Culture Special Issue Goes Live

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/issue/view/99

August brings with it the biggest ever issue of Exchanges

I was writing my Linked.In post about the new issue of Exchanges, and I realised for once there was no hyperbole in what I was writing. I am most certainly genuinely thrilled to announce the culmination of 11 months of work with some fantastic authors and editors to bring our first ever Research Culture special issue to publication. You can read the issue with its 32 articles inspired by or drawn from the International Research Culture Conference (IRCC) 2023 here:

• https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/issue/view/99
• (or once the DOI has fully registered - https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v11i3)

I am also not exaggerating when I say there are some very preeminent scholars, thinkers and practitioners represented in this issue, which makes it all the more exciting to have them in our pages. Working with the editors, and of course our issue partners at the National Centre for Research Culture (NCRC) at Warwick has been a lot of hard work, but mostly a very efficient process. While this is a HUGE issue (and achievement) it has by no means been the most challenging special issue to have worked on, and for that I am grateful.

While this publication marks the culmination of nearly a year of activity, I’m already in the early stages of preparing the way for the IRCC ’24 conference and the special issue which we’ll be producing from that too. Thankfully that issue will be 12 months from now, and I’ve around 4 or 5 other issues to support in the meantime (MRC@50 especially as that’s hopefully coming out next month). Will the next issue be as big – or as Prof Kita Sotaro (NCRC Director) suspects even bigger? I can’t say for sure right now, but going on my experiences with this one – it wouldn’t be much of surprise if it is!

Guess I’d best get recruiting some more associate editors soon then…

Naturally, my gracious thanks to the NCRC, all my editors and every single contributing author for their efforts!

Gareth Johnson : 08 Aug 2024 10:38 |  Tags: Announcement Culture Issue Publication Research Special |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sustainability Culture: Announcing Special Issue Call for Participation

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/announcement/view/61

Our latest international special issue collaborative project launches

Delighted to formally announce once again we're making a call for expressions of interest for a future special issue of the Exchanges interdisciplinary research journal. This time the theme is on and around ideas of Sustainability Culture. This is a topic which gloriously resonates with or earlier volumes on the Anthropocene and climate fiction, not to mention being a domain where interdisciplinarity is absolutely at the core of related research.

I am especially excited as we are preparing this issue in collaboration with the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), Taiwan. My special issue lead, Theodoor Richard who has previously published with us, is almost as delighted as I am by this issue – so we both have high hopes for some excellent pieces to appear in it. Interesting the impetus for this special issue comes from a highly successful series of conferences run at the NCHU/CANR in ’22 and ’23 (and forthcoming in 2024), so we have been able to specifically invite contributors to these events to submit work for consideration. However, the call is open to scholars around the globe, giving everyone a great opportunity to get involved and contribute to what is sure to be an exciting volume.

As a result, Theodoor and I have high hopes that we'll be able to incorporate some challenging, heterodox, cross-disciplinary and non-Western perspectives within this volume. Naturally, as with all special issues we shall have to wait and see who will be appearing in the pages, as we are currently waiting on expressions of interest, before we move to invite full submissions.

You will be able to read the full call via the link at the bottom of this post, but the key dates you might want to remember are:

• Expressions Deadline: Sunday 16th June 2024.
• Paper Submission Deadline: Sunday 15^th September 2024

As always, we invite emails with questions or points of discussion with potential authors at any point during this process.

• CFP: https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/announcement/view/61

Gareth Johnson : 11 Apr 2024 10:53 |  Tags: Announcement Call Collaboration Culture Issue Papers Special Sustainability |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Another Special Issue Collaboration is Underway

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/special-issues

A rich year for special issue collaborations continues to bring new surprises

I think I’ve made the joke about special issues and busses a few times already in past entries, but my heavens, if it doesn’t seem to have more than a grain of truth! You see, this week we signed on board our latest special issue collaboration for the Exchanges journal, which makes it our twelfth such project since 2019. Wow. When Giulia came along for a conversation back in January 2019 and pitched me the first couple of special issues, little did I realise that in five short years they’d become such a major part of our core activity.

That we’ve produced (five published to date) and are working on so many others, especially when you realise how tiny our staff-resource is, is undoubtably quite the accomplishment.[1] It certainly also speaks to the high regard Exchanges is held in by our past contributors, that they beat a line to our door when they want a title that’s ready, willing and able to work with them. You see, many if not all of our special issues tend to be working with people who’ve had a prior experience with Exchanges.

Now while quite a few of our special issue collaborations like the MRC@50 and Research Cultures are primarily, healthy Warwick-centric pieces of work, this latest one once again takes us half-way around the world with collaborators on the other side of the planet. Just like the recently launch Queerness as Strength special issue call, where we’re working with Monash in Australia as the principal partner – although this time, we’re working with researchers a little further north. This is very much to Exchanges benefit too, as this should help the issue introduce some insightful heterodox perceptions and experiences for our readers. This is an element, alongside with its diverse theme, which makes it a perfect match for the journal and our developmental, internationalisation and interdisciplinary missions

Naturally, I can’t say too much more at this point until we announce the call for papers in the not too distant future. But behind the scenes I’m working on writing the call at the moment, and that should be out…well before you know it! So, keep an eye open.

Endnotes

[1] It’s still just me, and in a part time capacity at that. Something one of my fellow editors I was speaking to yesterday was flabbergasted to hear – given the scope of what we’re involved in.

Gareth Johnson : 14 Mar 2024 09:44 |  Tags: Announcement Collaboration Issue Project Special |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New Special Issue Call for Participation – Queerness as Strength

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/announcement/view/55

A new call for contributors goes live as we wrap up a busy year for Exchanges

This has probably been the busiest year on record for Exchanges, not least of which being the build up to and celebrations around our 10^th anniversary issue. There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes both exploring and reconsidering our future direction and operations, alongside various events, training and lecturing contributions too. And what better way is there to cap off 2023 than with announcing our 10^th special issue call for participation!

This time I am thrilled and delighted to announce we’ve partnered with scholars at Monash University, Australia to ask for contributions on the fascinating theme of Queerness as Strength. As we’ve been developing this call, it has become increasingly clear the potential wealth of fascinating research such an issue can bring to the fore. Moreover, this issue will most certainly prove to be both an interdisciplinary one alongside highlighting potentially marginalised elements of research discourse. These, as I am sure you will agree, are two aspects which speak well to Exchanges’ primary missions to enable challenging, interdisciplinary and international discourse.

You can read the details of the call here on our announcement pages:

• https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/announcement/view/55
• Alternatively, you can simply download a PDF of the call.

As we’re doing this as a call for expressions of interest first, followed by invitations to submit, there are a few key dates of which potential authors might want to be aware:

• · Deadline for expressions of interest: Friday 1^st March 2024
• · Deadline for manuscript submission: Friday 31^st May 2024
• · Anticipated Publication: Sumer 2025 [1]

Unlike some of our recent calls, like Research Culture or the MRC @ 50, this time we’re asking for papers in all our formats – from peer-reviewed articles through to the shorter editorially reviewed critical reflections and the like. This, we hope, offers potential authors the widest scope possible to contribute their thinking.

We are also hoping we will see some strong contributions not only from the global north, but from scholars based in the global majority countries too: something myself and special issue lead Jacob Thomas would strongly encourage. As always both of us are also only too happy to talk over potential submissions ahead of the deadlines if it will help authors shape their work accordingly.

We will have a special episode of the Exchanges Discourse podcast where Jacob and I talk over our hopes and ambitions for the issue coming out next week - so look out for that too!

In the meantime, we look forward to reading your submissions – happy writing!

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[1] As with all Exchanges publication dates, this will vary depending on the transit time of both peer-review and authorial revisions. However, this is our current aim, and we will update authors as the editorial work progresses.

Gareth Johnson : 13 Dec 2023 09:24 |  Tags: Announcement Call Expressions Issue Papers Queerness Special |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New Special Issue – Celebrating 50 Years of the Modern Records Centre

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/special-issues

Wouldn’t you know, it’s another special issue announced!

Following hot on the heels of our other special issue project announcement, I am delighted to announce that we have a second new special issue in production. This time we are partnering with the Warwick Modern Records Centre (MRC) as part of their 50^th Birthday celebrations, to produce a volume incorporating reflections, insights and narratives inspired around the MRC’s work over the decades. I am especially pleased as the lead collaborator, Pierre Botcherby, is someone I worked closely with on the Then & Now Special Issue a year or so back.

The special issue is going to specifically driven by the papers and speakers who appear at the MRC’s birthday conference (The MRC at 50: Research Informed and Inspired by the Modern Records Centre) this September (20th), and will be primarily critical reflections. The idea being in this way we can more rapidly produce the issue, and share it with the world before too many months have gone by. I am also pleased to note we’ve already recruited three associate editors to work on the issue, and am looking forward to training and working alongside them on the issue.

Naturally, more news on this and the conference over the next month or so, but for now, and just before your EIC heads off on a couple of weeks of leave, it is fantastic to have these two new and exciting projects in the offing!

Gareth Johnson : 19 Jul 2023 09:29 |  Tags: Announcement Birthday Issue Mrc Special |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New Special Issue in Research Cultures Announced

Writing about web page https://warwick.ac.uk/research/supporting-talent/research-culture-at-warwick/

A new special issue project represents an exciting long-term collaboration between the journal and Research Culture programme.

We are delighted to let you know that we have partnered with Warwick’s Research Culture programme and the forthcoming Research Cultures Forum to produce a special issue. This issue, which we hope will mark the first of a series of annual collaborations, aims to comprise a range of critical reflections drawing on the sessions and speakers contributing to the conference. The conference itself is to be held Mon 25^th September 2023, details of which can be found via the link above.

One reason I am especially delighted to announce this collaboration, is due to the centricity of research culture work at Warwick at the moment. Personally speaking, research cultures were the area which triggered my PhD studies a decade ago – in my case relating to open access publishing habitus of scholars in the UK.

Naturally myself and the rest of the Editorial Board are looking forward enormously to working closely with the Research Cultures team over the coming months. With any luck, the issue itself should be out in the first half of 2024, and naturally I’ll be updating readers about progress both here, in the journal editorials and our monthly newsletter too.

Meanwhile in the background, the reviewers, authors, associate editors and myself are working feverishly to bring you the long-anticipated Pluralities of Translation special issue in the latter half of 2023. More concrete news on that exciting issue, as soon as I know more.

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For more on special issues and how they come about - visit our IAS pages. Or to see the past and future special issues programme, see the journal site itself.

Gareth Johnson : 04 Jul 2023 09:00 |  Tags: Announcement Collaboration Culture Issue Research Special Warwick |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Introducing Book Reviews: New Submission Format

Writing about web page https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/guidance#formats

Following interest from a number of authors, Exchanges has introduced a new article submission format.

Exchanges has been approached a few times recently by authors asking if we would consider publishing critical and evaluative reviews of recent or significant texts. Looking back, over past issues, we have had some articles which arguably broadly fell into this category published as critical reviews. However, to date we had not set up a separate book reviews submission format. After a little consideration, and following a brace of recent submissions to the journal, I am happy to announce that from this latest issue of Exchanges onward we are now formally inviting authors to submit reviews of worthy and ideally recently published academic research texts. Such books may be author monographs, multivolume works or even textbooks.

Writing Book Reviews

Owing to Exchanges' audience, many of whom are early career post-graduate researchers, such book review manuscripts should be crafted by their authors to offer an introductory overview of the work under consideration intended for readers less or unfamiliar with a field. As such, as with all our articles, book reviews should seek to explore, clarify and unpick particular domain specific concepts, terms or ideas, rather than assuming automatic peer-familiarity.

Ideally, and initially, Exchanges is more interested in reviews of books published in relatively recent years, given their relative topicality and impact on scholarly discourse. However, we may consider reviews of older, established works or those of a more literary configuration too, but authors are advised to consult with the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) ahead of submission to avoid disappointment. Conversely, authors who are looking to review a spread of literature within a field, would be expected to submit a review article for peer-review consideration rather than a piece under this format.

Selection Guidelines

As per our normal submission review policies Exchanges reserves the right to decline for publication consideration any book review submissions which do not meet our base quality controls, journal scope or other policy requirements. Moreover, while book reviews will be subjected to an editorial review and revisions process before consideration for publication acceptance, they will not undergo external peer review. Authors wanting to discuss a potential book review manuscript ahead of formally submitting it to the journal for consideration, are warmly welcomed to open a dialogue with the EIC at any time. However, such pre-submission discussions are not a requirement or prerequisite for any submission.

We look forward to reading your future book review submissions to this new category with considerable interest.

Gareth Johnson : 09 May 2023 10:29 |  Tags: Announcement Book Format New Reviews Submission |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem