The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), owner and publisher of
Public Administration Review (
PAR), the premier journal of public administration, requests proposals from institutions and individuals interested in assuming the responsibility of Editor in Chief.
PAR is the journal of record for public administrators, with more than 6,600 institutional and individual subscribers. Issues are published bi-monthly, each approximately 200 pages in length. As a leading professional journal,
PAR is unique as it stands at the nexus of practice and scholarship in public administration; it is committed to blending both to advance the field.
The past several years have seen significant growth in
PAR it terms of its readership, impact and contributions to the field. Among these accomplishments:
- PAR has earned the top ranking in Thomson Reuters’ Journal Citation Reports five-year metrics and stands at number two in its two-year metrics for 2021 (behind Policy and Society). It continues to stand atop Google Scholar’s Public Policy and Administration rankings for 2018-2021.
- Multiple PAR articles were referenced in President Biden’s budget proposal for FY 2023 related to government performance measurement, including research from Moynihan and Kroll, and George, Bert, Walker, Richard, and Monster, Joost. The 2023 budget proposal leans heavily on the importance of performance metrics, specifically current GPRAMA routines, which Moynihan and Kroll’s research show are driving greater use of performance information in decisionmaking. The budget also emphasizes the importance of strategic planning, citing George et al.’s research related to the positive impact strategic planning has on organizational performance.
- Two-year citations are up by 130 percent from 2020 and more than 330 percent since 2016.
- PAR articles were downloaded 946,000 times in 2021, an approximately 275 percent increase since 2016. This total includes usage on Wiley Online Library, PubMed and other third-party databases. On average, PAR articles were downloaded more than the publisher’s other Social Science journals (558 vs. 429 times on average).
- In 2021, 6,657 institutions purchased access to PAR. The reach extends much further to tens of thousands of institutions through a publishing arrangement that makes back content available to additional subscribers.
- In 2021, the PAR article, “Does Strategic Planning Improve Organizational Performance? A Meta-Analysis” earned 23,581 downloads, the highest number for the year.
- In 2021, PAR published 20 Open Access articles, an increase from eighteen in 2020 and reflecting a growing emphasis on this opportunity for authors whose articles have been accepted for publication.
Current Editor in Chief Jeremy Hall will complete his second three-year term on December 31, 2023. To ensure a productive transition, the editor will be appointed by February 1, 2023 and begin a six-month orientation period on July 1, 2023 in preparation for the production of
PAR’s January/February 2024 issue. The new Editor in Chief’s three-year term begins on January 1, 2024.
ASPA Policy Regarding PAR Editor
ASPA welcomes a single individual or an editorial team to serve as Editor in Chief. Diversity is a fundamental strength of ASPA and one of its core values. In the spirit of all its activities, ASPA welcomes proposals from diverse communities, including a team of editors representing large-, small- and/or mid-sized institutions, as well as those in international locations.
The Editor in Chief is appointed for an initial term of three years by the ASPA President, subject to the consent of the ASPA National Council. The appointment is renewable for a successive term, also subject to the Council’s consent.
The editor commits not to seek publication of their research, or publish such articles, either as an author or co-author, in
PAR during their editorship.
Per ASPA bylaws, the editor cannot serve as a corporate officer (president, president-elect) during their term of office.
Part One: Editor’s Roles and Responsibilities
The Editor in Chief is one ASPA’s most visible public figures whose attitude, behavior, actions and performance directly influence how the public administration community perceives the organization. The editor has an obligation to uphold the values and traditions of ASPA generally and
PAR specifically.
The editor performs several analytically distinct yet interrelated roles, including but not limited to: (a) intellectual leader, (b) institutional leader, (c) ambassador and (d) business manager. The selection and evaluation criteria for an editor consider the importance of these roles.
The Editor as Intellectual Leader
PAR is ASPA’s flagship journal of record. The editor is obligated to maintain the journal’s high quality, stay abreast of emerging public administration issues and commit to taking a broad, diverse view of scholarship and practice. Doing so requires an acceptance of—and openness to—a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. To ensure
PAR's credibility, the editor must hold a doctoral degree and be an established scholar with a demonstrated record of nationally and internationally recognized research and scholarship. As
PAR receives far more submissions than it can publish, the editor must possess the necessary intellectual judgment to allocate its scarce space in a manner that best advances the field.
The Editor as Institutional Leader
The editor establishes policy direction; selects and manages the editorial team and editorial board; develops external relationships; plans future issues; coordinates the journal’s functions; adapts operational processes to changing circumstances; develops an extensive peer review network; and manages the journal’s day-to-day operations. The last responsibility includes monitoring and enforcing editorial policies; maintaining ongoing communication with
PAR authors and constituents; reviewing and assigning manuscripts for peer review; rendering timely, equitable publication decisions; and overseeing the production process. Successful performance of these tasks requires full time editorial leadership. Taken individually, these tasks may seem mundane or routine; collectively, they have a critical impact (positive or negative) on
PAR’s overall quality.
The editor reports directly to the National Council and maintains ongoing communication and collaboration with the ASPA President and Executive Director. The editor prepares and presents a report—addressing accomplishments, manuscript flow and other matters warranting attention—to the council annually. In addition, the editor is expected to consult and collaborate frequently with ASPA’s National Office, led by the Executive Director.
The council designates the editor as the sole authority to select and evaluate the editorial team. Because the editor’s institution shall provide resources funding the editorial team, the hiring institution’s employment guidelines impact selection and evaluation decisions.
The
PAR Editorial Board performs a key role in maintaining the journal’s quality. Approximately one-third of the board is appointed each year, with members serving three-year terms. The Editor in Chief appoints the members, in consultation with the ASPA National Office. Board appointments typically are made at the end of the calendar year. The editor is responsible for board leadership and development, which includes establishing performance standards and evaluating board members.
The Editor as Ambassador
As an ambassador, the editor represents
PAR and ASPA at events and functions both in the United States and abroad. This role includes participating in professional conferences, frequently serving as a keynote speaker, delivering lectures and seminars, and meeting with faculty, students and other constituencies. Successful performance of this role requires significant institutional support for travel. The editor should have a track record of extensive public speaking experience and the ability to interact comfortably with diverse international and cross-cultural audiences. To successfully represent
PAR and ASPA, the editor should demonstrate a professional career that includes active ASPA membership.
The Editor as Business Manager
PAR is one of ASPA’s largest sources of revenue. ASPA’s Executive Director and National Council are responsible for the organization’s overall financial matters, but the editor is responsible for
PAR operations that ensure continued robust journal revenue. It is imperative that issues come out timely and within page budget. Knowledge of sound business practices related to the journal’s revenues and expenses is essential. In conjunction with ASPA leadership, the editor has a duty to devise strategies to protect the journal’s revenue base and identify increased income opportunities. This responsibility is particularly critical given evolving publishing models that impact social science journals, including transitional agreements and Open Access opportunities.
Part Two: Institutional Support
The editor must have robust institutional support to perform the roles and responsibilities listed above.
PAR has grown over the years and the nature of the editor’s job has evolved significantly. Editing and managing
PAR is a complex, labor intensive and financially significant enterprise that includes supporting its day-to-day operations. Proposals may be from individual institutions or multiple institutions working collaboratively.
A proposing institution(s) is encouraged to include the following areas of support in its proposal:
- Release time for the editor and managing editor, if one is named.
- Support for graduate students and/or other personnel to assist with PAR’s management and production.
- Part-time administrative support and technological management of PAR’s website, social media presence and other e-communications vehicles.
- Office space for the editor and editorial team members.
- Travel funds for the editor and/or staff to attend meetings of such professional organizations as ASPA (especially its annual conference and governance meetings); the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration; National Academy of Public Administration; American Political Science Association; and Association for Policy Analysis and Management Meetings.
- Annual financial support for telephone/fax, postage and related supplies.
For the term of the editor’s appointment, ASPA—through its contract with Wiley,
PAR’s publisher—will produce, publish and distribute PAR six times a year in hard copy and electronically; market
PAR throughout the world; and manage the journal’s rights and permissions.
To Submit a Proposal
Proposals must include the following information:
- A description by the candidate that addresses the qualifications for each of the roles and criteria outlined in Part I above, including, but not limited to:
- Evidence of established, well-respected scholarship and leadership in public administration.
- Examples of how the candidate has successfully fulfilled roles similar to the four roles described in Part One. Each role should be explicitly addressed.
- Evidence of active recent membership in ASPA and prior leadership within ASPA.
- Statement of editorial philosophy, goals and approach. This statement should address the trend in journal publishing toward greater open data, access and research. It also should address how the editor or editorial team plans to build support and capacity for diversity, equity and inclusion and international scholarship, as well as speak to academic communities and practitioners and policymakers.
- Statement of how outreach to the practitioner community will be achieved.
- PAR processes 800-1,000 manuscripts per year. Please include a statement about how you will handle this volume.
- Statement of how editorial processes will reflect an understanding and reaction to the move toward Open Access opportunities, ensuring that the journal will operate effectively, both programmatically and financially, over the next three to six years.
- A proposed approach for selecting and developing an editorial team.
- The curriculum vitae for the proposed editor, managing editor and any other editorial team members.
- A description of the proposed supporting institution(s).
- A proposed approach for providing the financial, editorial and administrative support required to continue PAR’s high quality and successfully publish six issues per year.
- Letters of commitment from appropriate officials from the supporting institution(s).
Submit your proposal electronically in both PDF and Word format no later than Monday, October 31 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to Karen E.T. Garrett, ASPA chief of communications, marketing and membership, at [email protected]. For questions, please contact Karen E.T. Garrett at (202) 585-4313 or
[email protected].
Information Webinars for Prospective Bidders
The Search Committee will host an informational webinar for those interested in submitting a bid to serve as PAR’s next editor. To be held in August, its purpose is to enable prospective bidders to ask questions of search committee members and the current Editor in Chief, who will share information on the editorial process and insights from lessons learned. The webinars will be recorded, archived and made available “on demand” for those unable to participate live.