Over the past several years, the ASHA Journals program has grown and developed quite a bit. This growth is in keeping with the rapidly changing scholarly publishing environment and in support of ASHA’s strategic goals to improve knowledge translation between research and practice. As part of this evolution, the ASHA Journals program launched the ASHA Journals Academy, a comprehensive peer review and author training destination. The Academy acts as a one-stop resource for information regarding the publication of scientific literature in communication sciences and disorders.
The Academy is designed to be easily navigated and utilizes a fully responsive design, making it accessible from any device regardless of screen size. When viewing the Academy homepage, visitors will notice that the site is divided into three main sections: (1) the Author Resource Center; (2) the Peer Review Excellence Program; and (3) the Editor Resource Center. Additionally, the Contextblog allows visitors to dive deeper into research published in the ASHA journals and take closer looks at special issues, research summaries, and author interviews. The entire Academy site is freely accessible, with no login required.
Author Resource Center
This section provides comprehensive instructions for authors who have submitted or are considering submitting a manuscript to one of the ASHA journals. Along with technical instructions (i.e., manuscript formatting; guidelines for supplemental material), researchers and authors will find practical guides on research and publication ethics and guidelines for reporting research. Search functionality advances along with organized content allow authors to obtain answers to their inquiries/questions in an uncomplicated and straightforward manner. The Author Resource Center also covers many of the basics of academic publishing beyond specific requirements of the ASHA journals. For example, educators may find the Academy useful for teaching students and new researchers about publishing and research basics. In addition to the searchable and categorized author guidelines, downloadable PDF author guides are available. These guides provide authors with quick and helpful guidance on publishing in the ASHA journals, online or offline.
Peer Review Excellence Program (PREP)
PREP offers multiple learning opportunities for peer reviewers, an essential cadre of contributors to the scientific publishing process. Reviewers have quick access to detailed outlines of the ASHA Journals peer-review process, policies, and procedures to help with any questions which arise during review. This information is available to all Academy users, not just reviewers. For example, it gives researchers an opportunity to examine the criteria used to evaluate their manuscripts. These features contribute to a more accessible and transparent ASHA Journals peer-review process. Finally, this fall, PREP will showcase the PREP Development Modules, a series of short online courses designed to familiarize reviewers with our peer-review process in an interactive, inviting and simple way. The PREP Development modules cover topics such as the ASHA Journals’ Editorial Board Model, basics of peer review, performing a review, and publication ethics.
Editor Resource Center (ERC)
The ERC provides user-friendly instructions for the editors-in-chief, editors, and editorial board members on the ASHA Journals’ Editorial Boards. Editorial board members will find helpful overviews of their roles and responsibilities, as well as links to useful resources. Editor resources go beyond the typical materials and highlight less often considered aspects of the academic publishing landscape, such as content promotion and editorial board recruitment. As a result, the ERC is a useful tool for experienced research professionals and for those new to this area of scholarly service.
Context Blog
The Academy’s Context blog affords extensive coverage of in-depth research published in the ASHA journals, including important announcements, research trends and summaries, deeper looks into special issues and forums, author interviews, and more. Since its inception, Context has explored important research from esteemed colleagues in the professions. Featuring guest posts from authors and special issue editors, Context allows further exploration into the methods of research and helps researchers navigate the CSD publishing landscape. Context also hosts special collections of ASHA Journals content (e.g., this collection of articles on the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment). These resources are excellent for training the next generation of researchers, and provide an insightful view of the state of the industry for experienced researchers. And there’s even more to come on Context, so check in often for updates and new content.
Looking Forward
As the needs of researchers continue to grow, the ASHA Journals program will strive to accommodate those needs with resources and training. The ASHA Journals Academy represents the most ambitious example of this dedication yet, and we hope you find it a useful aid in your endeavors.
