10:00-10:55am PST

11:00-11:55am MST

12:00-12:55pm CST

1:00-1:55pm EST

2:00-2:55pm AST

Equity and Inclusion in Journal Publishing: Student Presentations

• Ensuring Equity and Inclusion in Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Publication
• Going Beyond Articles in Student Journals
• Inclusive Leadership and Accessibility in Academic Publishing at USURJ

A 15 minute question period will follow the presentations.                                                                                                            

11:00-11:55am PST

12:00-12:55pm MST

1:00-1:55pm CST

2:00-2:55pm EST

3:00-3:55pm AST

Managing Your Journal: Student Presentations

• From Idea to Publication: Starting an Academic Journal at Your University
• Centennial Volume of UTMJ: Lessons in Student Driven Peer Review and Publishing
• What’s “fair”?: Navigating Copyright Law in Student Journals

A 15 minute question period will follow the presentations.                                                                                                              

12:00-1:00pm PST

1:00-2:00pm MST

2:00-3:00pm CST

3:00-4:00pm EST

4:00-5:00pm AST

Ask Me Anything: A Panel with Journal Editors

Panelists:

• Dr. Abe Oudshoorn, Managing Editor, International Journal on Homelessness
• Dr. Hossein Gholizadeh, Managing Editor, Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal
• Dr. Steven Rayan, Editor, Research in the Mathematical Sciences 

Host: 

• Kristin Hoffmann, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Western University

Bring your burning questions about any and every aspect of journal editing – anything you’ve been wondering about or had an issue with. Experienced editors from different academic disciplines are here to answer your questions and share their hands-on experiences in this informal AMA-style session.
 

1:00-1:05pm  PST

2:00-2:05pm MST

3:00-3:05pm CST

4:00-4:05pm EST

5:00-5:05pm AST

Ensuring Equity and Inclusion in Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Publication

Presenters: 

• Hailey Lothamer (she/her), University of Alberta
• Katie O'Connor (she/her), University of Alberta

Journal: Crossings

Over the last year, Crossings has taken steps to improve its equity and inclusion policies in its publishing practices. The journal has successfully implemented a process of consultation with students and other stakeholders to determine the scope of a special edition to be published by Crossings in the spring of 2023. Throughout this process, the editorial team has taken steps to update its guidelines on communication and peer review to ensure that both the authors and the editorial team are respected and safe throughout the publishing process. While this approach has been successful in protecting the safety of our editorial team, it has also led to greater consideration of the unconscious bias present in the peer-review process, especially considering the interdisciplinary scope of Crossings. This session will discuss the steps that Crossings has taken to ensure an inclusionary approach to academia, while also undertaking efforts to reduce bias in the peer-review process.

Going Beyond Articles in Student Journals

Presenters: 

• Heba Mahmood (she/her), University of Alberta
• Kritika Taparia (she/her), University of Alberta

Journal: Spectrum

The notion for increased accessibility within the research community is a topic most of us are familiar with. But what tangible steps can we take to work towards this? This session will explore the opportunities and challenges of having an open publishing format. We will take a closer look at the submission formats our journal accepts and how this could help student journals advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as well as decolonization.

In order to increase EDI, accommodating the voices of authors who aren’t normally represented in scholarly literature is imperative. Spectrum has implemented an open publishing format where aside from traditional academic pieces, other forms of submissions such as creative writing, curatorial projects, as well as visual and audio submissions are accepted. In this presentation we will cover case studies that highlight how being open to submissions in various formats provides opportunities but also challenges, and how we as an editorial team deal with these. We will discuss how such an open format might support EDI and decolonization of scholarly publications; for example, by making it easier for information to be passed through oral or multimedia formats instead of written media. Implications for training of editors and peer reviewers, who may be less familiar with alternative formats or their potential benefits for EDI, will also be discussed.

Inclusive Leadership and Accessibility in Academic Publishing at USURJ

Presenters: 

• Alina Sami (she/her), University of Saskatchewan
• Kandice Parker (she/her), University of Saskatchewan

Journal: University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal (USURJ)

Academic publishing has historically been and continues to be an exclusionary space. Researchers face barriers to publication relating to their socioeconomic status, gender, race, and other identities. Barriers to publication are barriers to inclusion in academia. As an undergraduate research journal, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to use our position of power to influence positive change in scholarly publishing. The University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal (USURJ) is committed to embedding EDI principles in our policies, practices, and content. This commitment is in alignment with the University of Saskatchewan's commitment to EDI. This presentation will emphasize the steps USURJ has taken towards accessibility, including promoting open-access publishing, creating accessible content, and creating a culture of inclusivity within the editorial team. Our presentation will also explore our journey towards creating a special issue that emphasizes diverse perspectives and non-hegemonic approaches to research.

From Idea to Publication: Starting an Academic Journal at Your University

Presenters: 

• Mayank Bansal, Queen's University
• Caitlyn Dignard, Queen's University

Journal: Qapsule Queen's Undergraduate Health Sciences Journal

Starting an academic journal at your university can be a daunting task, but it is also a rewarding experience that allows you to showcase the research and scholarship of your fellow undergraduate students. This seminar will take you through the steps of starting an academic journal at your school, from the initial concept to the first publication. Specifically, we will discuss the process of setting up an open-source journal management system, building a team of student editors, and working with the university library. Additionally, the Qapsule team will be sharing their experiences with starting their own journal and the challenges they faced, to help guide you in starting your own. By the end of the seminar, attendees will have a better understanding of the process of starting an academic journal and be equipped with the knowledge and resources to start their own.

Centennial Volume of UTMJ: Lessons in Student Driven Peer Review and Publishing

Presenters:

• Lauren Pickel (she/her), University of Toronto
• Armaan Fallahi (he/him/il/lui), University of Toronto

Journal: University of Toronto Medical Journal (UTMJ)

The University of Toronto Medical Journal (UTMJ), established in 1923, is Canada’s oldest student-run medical journal. The journal publishes a breadth of research ranging from original research articles submitted by researchers and medical professionals worldwide to interviews with key healthcare leaders in the medical field. Traditionally, UTMJ publishes 3 issues on timely topics. As we celebrate the publication of our 100th volume, the UTMJ have launched a number of exciting initiatives. In this presentation, we will share with the audience the peer review process and the novel initiatives launched at UTMJ. Topics covered will include celebration of the centennial volume, the process of recruitment and training of peer reviewers and copy editors, and the progress made in the past year on increasing discoverability, indexing, and Open Science.

What’s “fair”?: Navigating Copyright Law in Student Journals

Presenters: 

• Misty Totman (she/her), University of Alberta

Journal: Spectrum Journal

Do you know the difference between CC licences, fair dealing, and public domain? When and how should your authors seek permission from the rightsholder before images in their article manuscript? How do you talk to your editors and authors about copyright in the first place? 

Each journal’s editorial team is responsible for ensuring that copyright-related policies and practices are both lawful and clearly communicated to journal managers, authors, and readers. In consultation with Amanda Wakarurk, the University of Alberta Copyright and Scholarly Communications Librarian, this talk will briefly review copyright basics for open journals and then briefly summarize legally defensible options for including third party content in articles such as Creative Commons licences, public domain images, and obtaining permission from the rightsholder(s). It will also review how editors and journals can better help their authors understand copyright law and determine which situations apply to their work.

Dr. Abe Oudshoorn, Managing Editor, International Journal on Homelessness

• Abe Oudshoorn is Managing Editor and led the development of the International Journal on Homelessness.

Dr. Hossein Gholizadeh, Managing Editor, Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal

• Hossein Gholizadeh has launched CPOJ in 2017 and since then working in this journal as a Managing Editor. 

Dr. Steven Rayan, Editor, Research in the Mathematical Sciences

• Steven Rayan has been an editor for the journal Research in the Mathematical Sciences (Springer-Nature), he was also recently appointed as the editor for the "Quantization" section of the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics 2nd Ed. (Elsevier).