General Social Survey Call for Questions

The General Social Survey plans to include some items or short topical modules designed by users in its 2018 survey, and invites users to submit proposals recommending such items or modules. Proposals submitted in response to this call will be included based on assessments of their scientific merit; they need not be accompanied by funding to cover costs of data collection and data processing. The proposals are due by June 30, 2016.

Society for Values in Higher Education 92nd Annual Meeting

The Society for Values in Higher Education will hold its 92nd Annual Meeting on the theme “The Politics of Dissent Satire, Sarcasm, and Spite in Civil Society” on July 13–17, 2016 at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Some see satire and other forms of political humor as undermining the civility necessary for the functioning of a civil society. Others see these forms of expression as signs of healthy democratic discourse. At its 2016 annual meeting, the Society for Values in Higher Education will explore the nature of civil discourse. How can we establish a more robust and productive dialogue with one another—across our political, religious, and cultural divides?

Call for Proposals: APSA’s Open Access Journal

The American Political Science Association (APSA) seeks proposals for the editor or editorial team of a new, open access journal, yet to be named. This (online-only) journal will be free of all paywalls or subscription requirements, meaning that it will be accessible to anyone in the world with an Internet connection.

The first editor or editorial team will have the exciting opportunity to contribute to innovation in knowledge production and dissemination in political science. From its inception, this new publication will be a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal offering an outlet for cutting-edge, rigorous scholarship from across the discipline. The open access journal should reflect the substantive and methodological diversity of political science and will offer an opportunity for the quick and timely dissemination of political science research, thus fostering greater public engagement by the discipline and promoting visibility and impact for authors. This new journal builds on APSA’s other journals to disseminate political science research worldwide.

Prospective applicants have a great opportunity to offer a compelling vision for the journal, including innovations in the review process, transparency, public engagement, and the relationship to other APSA journals. Moreover, the online-only format should provide opportunities to leverage new technologies for the presentation of research findings. The editor or editorial team will shape the form and new identity of the journal from its anticipated launch in 2016 through its early development.

The search committee encourages applicants to submit a statement of interest and their vision for the open access journal, along with CVs. Relevant criteria for the editorship are scholarly achievement, breadth of interests, strategic vision, and organizational ability. A statement of host institutional support should also accompany the application. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2016. Application materials should be sent to Steven Rathgeb Smith, APSA Executive Director, at [email protected].

The search committee, chaired by Evan S. Lieberman, MIT, includes Lisa Garcia Bedolla, University of California, Berkeley; Melani Cammett, Harvard University; James Druckman, Northwestern University; Jane Green, University of Manchester; Melissa Schwartzberg, New York University; and Michael Tomz, Stanford University. APSA President Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard University and APSA Executive Director Steven Rathgeb Smith serve on the committee ex officio.

For questions about the journal or the application process, contact Steven Rathgeb Smith at [email protected].

New Open Access Journal Launched

The American Sociological Association (ASA) has launched Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, a new open access journal, which published its inaugural articles earlier this month. A first of its kind for the ASA, the journal is free to anyone, appears online only, and can feature scholarly papers on any sociology-related topic.

“Our new journal operates without the constraints of traditional print journals,” said ASA Executive Officer Sally T. Hillsman. “Socius does not have page restrictions, a rigid publishing schedule, or a specific theme. Authors who have their articles published in our open access journal will retain the copyright to their work, which is not the case with our other journals. Perhaps, most importantly, we are pleased to be able to offer high-quality, peer-reviewed research to any interested reader in the world at no cost.”

Lisa A. Keister, the Gilhuly Family Professor of Sociology at Duke University, and James Moody, the Robert O. Keohane Professor of Sociology at Duke University, are the founding editors of Socius, whose open access journal model allows authors to submit articles electronically, receive a publishing decision quickly, and have accepted papers published online immediately after editorial review. There is no limit to the number of accepted articles that Socius can publish regardless of content type, paper length, or scholarly methods used.

“The goal of Socius is to make new research readily available by providing an online forum for the rapid dissemination of high-quality, peer-reviewed research, produced in time to be relevant to ongoing research and public debates,” Keister and Moody said.

While the editors accept traditional journal articles, they also encourage authors to submit research using novel formats. Examples include papers that have very concise or no literature reviews and theory sections, as well as articles that develop sociologically relevant theory but are not accompanied by empirical tests of those theories.

APSA STAFF SPOTLIGHT: MEETINGS TEAM Heidi Souerwine, Director, Meetings and Events

Heidi Souerwine is the director of meetings and events, responsible for the APSA Annual Meeting and the Teaching and Learning Conference. Heidi joined APSA in the summer of 2014 and brings 15 years’ experience in the meetings industry for nonprofits, membership associations, and the federal government. Previously she worked with the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society, the American Society of Microbiology, and Educational Services, Inc. (ESI), where her clients included the US Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes for Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Heidi brings expertise in event design and management, program development, committee and project management, and federal grant management. She earned a BA from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in International Affairs with a regional concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa, a functional concentration in Contemporary Cultures and Societies, and a minor in German Language and Literature.

Ashley Vande Bunte, Manager, Meetings and Events

Ashley Vande Bunte is the manager of meetings and events. She works with publishers and education industry vendors to showcase their products and services to political science professionals through exhibit space, sponsorships, and advertising. In addition, she assists with meeting planning for the Annual Meeting and the Teaching and Learning Conference. Prior to joining APSA in 2013, Ashley managed exhibits and registration at the Retail Industry Leaders Association for four years and studied International Relations at Grand Valley State University. Ashley is originally from the Great Lakes State, so she likes getting outside to enjoy nature, whether it is hiking in Shenandoah National Park, kayaking, or camping.

In the Next Issue...

Here is a preview of some articles coming in the April 2016 issue:

POLITICS

Symposium: Why Political Scientists Should Study Organized Philanthropy

Kristin Goss

Symposium: The Transformed Congressional Experience

Michael Crespin and Anthony Madonna

History Made: The Rise of Repubican Tim Scott

Seth C. McKee, Scott H. Huffman, and H. Gibbs Knotts

Campaigning Online: Web Display Ads in the 2012 Presidential Campaign

Andrew O. Ballard

(Un)Conventional Wisdom and Presidential Politics: The Myth of Convention Locations and Favorite Son Vice-Presidents

David A. Schultz

THE PROFESSION

Symposium: Careers Outside Academia

Carl Klarner

THE TEACHER

Symposium: Mainstreaming Gender in Political Science

Brooke Ackerly and Liza Mügge

111th ASA Annual Meeting

The American Sociological Association’s 111th Annual Meeting on “Rethinking Social Movements: Can Changing the Conversation Change the World?” will be held August 20–23, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. The meeting provides the opportunity for professionals involved in the scientific study of society to share knowledge and new directions in research and practice. Nearly 600 program sessions are convened during the four-day meeting held every August to provide participation venues and networking outlets for nearly 3,000 research papers and over 4,600 presenters. More information can be found online at www.asanet.org/AM2016/am_2016.cfm.

Politics and Life Sciences now published by Cambridge

Politics and the Life Sciences (PLS), the official journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, announces that it is now published by Cambridge University Press. The journal is a biannual interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with a global audience.

PLS publishes original scholarly research at the intersection of political science and the life sciences. The topic range includes evolutionary and laboratory insights into political behavior, from decision-making to leadership, cooperation, and competition; evolutionary analysis of political intolerance and violence, from group conflict to warfare, terrorism, and torture; political and political-economic analysis of life-sciences research, health policy, agricultural and environmental policy, and biosecurity policy; philosophical analysis of bioethical controversies; and historical analysis of currently misunderstood issues at the intersection of the social and biological sciences. Contributors include political scientists, political psychologists, life scientists, clinicians, health-policy scholars, bioethicists, biosecurity and international-security experts, environmental scientists and ecological economists, moral and evolutionary philosophers, political and environmental historians, communications and public-opinion researchers, and legal scholars.

For more details about the journal, visit http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=PLS. To submit articles, contact the contributing editor Laurette T. Liesen at [email protected].

Request for Applications: New Editor APSA Journal, Perspectives on Politics

The American Political Science Association (APSA) seeks applications for the editor of one of its flagship journals, Perspectives on Politics. Established in 2002, Perspectives has quickly become one of the top journals in political science with a high impact factor and rising submissions and readership. It occupies a distinctive place in APSA’s constellation of journals and in the evolving political science public sphere. The editorship of this journal is a terrific opportunity to support the research enterprise and public mission of the discipline and to promote its rich diversity of interests and methodological approaches.

Specific responsibilities of the editor position include providing overall leadership and direction for the content of the journal; ensuring that four issues of appropriate length are published as scheduled each year; working productively with the journal’s publisher, Cambridge University Press, throughout the production process; soliciting submissions and arranging peer reviews of manuscripts; and responding to authors in a timely way. The editor is also responsible for convening and working with an Editorial Board of his/her choosing to help set the direction for the journal and establish major editorial policies. The term of this position is four years, with the possibility of a two-year extension.

In their proposal, interested candidates should prepare a vision statement; a brief description of proposed editor(s) qualifications; an explanation of proposed staff organization and responsibilities; and a description of the financial and technical support provided by the host institution. Proposals for innovations in the journal’s format, including but not limited to book reviews, review essays, and electronic features, are welcome, as are ideas for promoting broad public engagement. Applicants should detail their qualifications with their proposal, accompanied by a curriculum vita and a statement of support from the applicant’s home institution. Applications may be from individuals or small teams. Specific questions can be sent to Steven Rathgeb Smith, APSA Executive Director at [email protected].

Members of the search committee are Jack Snyder, Columbia University (chair); Marisa Abrajano, University of California, San Diego; Jude Browne, University of Cambridge; Joseph Carens, University of Toronto; Andra Gillespie, Emory University; Marc Lynch, George Washington University; and John Patty, University of Chicago. APSA President Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard University, and APSA Executive Director, Steven Rathgeb Smith, serve ex officio on the committee.

Application materials should be submitted via e-mail to Steven Rathgeb Smith at [email protected] and received no later than May 15, 2016. All applications will be treated confidentially.

Global Studies Association Call for Papers

The Global Studies Association (GSA) will hold its 2016 Conference on the theme “Crossing Borders: People, Capital, Culture” June 9–11, 2016, at the University of Texas, Austin. Interested scholars are encouraged to send a 100-word abstract in the body of an email with the subject line GSA Conference Abstract to Jerry Harris at [email protected]. Submissions should include the scholar’s name, affiliation, and active email address. The GSA is a multi-disciplinary organization, therefore all relevant topics concerning globalization from any academic area or from activists are of interest. The deadline for abstracts is May 1, 2016.

2016 Regional Conference Announced

Save the date for American Association of Political Consultant’s (AAPC) 2016 Los Angeles Regional Conference, June 13–14, 2016, at the Hilton Universal City/Los Angeles in Universal City, California. The conference will feature one and a half days of programming for campaign operatives. More information, including registration, will be available online soon at www.theaapc.org.

Historical Prize Nominations

The American Historical Association recognizes a wide variety of distinguished historical work, which can take the form of an exceptional book in the field, distinguished teaching and mentoring in the classroom, and even film. Since 1896 the association has conferred more than thousand awards. The names, publications, and projects of those who received these awards are a catalogue of the best work produced by the historical profession. The deadline to apply for the 2016 competition is May 15.