April 2006 // Volume 44 // Number 2
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Spread the Word About JOE Rigor
Abstract
"Spread the Word" explains
that JOE's increasing rigor is still an unfortunately well-kept
secret and asks your help in spreading the word. "April JOE " points
out that 11 of the 29 articles in the issue deal in one way or another
with economic development, entrepreneurship, or helping business development
and that there is also an article continuing the dialog on scholarship
in Extension.
Spread the Word
Those of you who read this page know from the last issue that JOE's acceptance rate in 2005 was 32%, down from 52.5% in 2003 and 48% in 2004. Our acceptance rates are posted in JOE FAQ #2 for all to see, and they are updated every February, in the "JOE by the Numbers" section of the Editor's Page and then added to FAQ # 2.
The problem is that many people don't--see the acceptance rates, that is. Nor do they see the high submission rates (JOE FAQ #3) or the impressive readership rates (Usage Statistics). Because they don't see them, they don't realize the extent to which JOE has "raised the bar."
This is too bad for a number of reasons, not least of which is that the authors of some published JOE articles don't always get the credit they should. I know of a department that, last year, told its candidates for promotion and tenure that the JOE acceptance rate was 85%, which it was--a long time ago. (Don't worry. I got that misunderstanding cleared up.) A new colleague of mine told me he'd been on a promotion committee at his previous institution last year and that being published in JOE was not very highly regarded. (I set him straight, too.)
I'm asking all of you to spread the word. Two words, really. First, there's a wealth of information about JOE posted on our site, much of it under About JOE. Second, JOE is increasingly rigorous and has become an increasingly popular journal in which to be published and which to read.
Old reputations die hard. Again, I'm asking you to help in updating ours. Out with the old. In with the new!
April JOE
Many of the articles in this issue (11 of 29, by my count) deal in one way or another with economic development, entrepreneurship, or helping business development. It's a "hot topic" and an area getting increasing attention from Extension. Judging by article/author count, this is especially true at Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Purdue. Eleven is too many articles to discuss specifically, but they appear first in the Features, Research in Brief, Ideas at Work, and Tools of the Trade categories.
The issue also has a fine Commentary, a Feature that continues the dialogue of scholarship in Extension, and one on leadership in Extension. And the other 15 articles are excellent, too!
Laura Hoelscher, Editor
joe-ed@joe.org