The AAA Executive Board seeks applicants for the position of Editor(s) of Open Anthropology.
The Open Anthropology editor(s) manage content selection and oversee promotional efforts regarding three curated digital issues each calendar year (February, June, and October). This includes the identification of newsworthy or timely themes for issues, selection of content, authorship of editorial, collection of any necessary permissions, and assistance with efforts to promote the visibility of new content. The full position description can be found here.
Open Anthropology began as an experiment to see if the AAA can expand interest in anthropological conversations, generate awareness of anthropological contributions, and gain experience with a time-delimited open access (also called “reverse firewall”) model. As of November 2019, there have been 11,142 downloads of the March issue and 2,788 downloads of the June issue.
The incumbent will articulate three themes each year on topics of interest to the general public, which may have direct or indirect public policy implications, and then select approximately 15 previously published articles from the AAA journals portfolio that balance the contributions of the subfields in the discipline to the topic. Once the articles have been selected, the editor will write an editorial that synthesizes the material in the issue, and helps "translate" anthropological knowledge to the larger public in "accessible" terms. AAA staff will work with the editor(s) to open the issue’s contents and post the editorial on the AAA website. Content will remain open for one year from the issue’s publication.
The editor(s) will encourage readership, in collaboration with AAA staff, by promoting each issue through professional networks. The editor(s) will work with AAA staff on an annual report each spring (based on the prior year’s publication) for the AAA Executive Board.
Applicants must hold a graduate degree in anthropology and maintain a current AAA membership during the term of editorship. Experience with public anthropology projects or engagement outside of the discipline is preferred; knowledge about online scholarly exchange and social media is preferred. Applicants should have commitment to anthropology as a 4-field discipline, with demonstrated knowledge and/or experience with all subdisciplines, including both academic and non-academic dimensions. Excellent written, research, and organizational skills are necessary. Applicants should be able to work collaboratively with AAA staff.
The editor of Open Anthropology is a three-year term, with the potential to be extended for up to an additional three years.
Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest that includes a vision for the journal, two potential issue themes, and the names of three professional references to Janine Chiappa McKenna, the AAA’s director of publishing by April 30, 2020. Additionally, questions regarding the position can be submitted via email to AAA as well.
POSITION TITLE: Open Anthropology editor
REPORTS TO: AAA Executive Board
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY: Manage content selection and oversee promotional efforts regarding three curated digital issues each calendar year.
SCOPE OF FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Identification of newsworthy or timely themes for issues, selection of content, authorship of editorial, collection of any necessary permissions, and assistance with efforts to promote the visibility of new content.
STRATEGIC VALUE: Open Anthropology exists to see if the AAA can expand interest in anthropological conversations, generate awareness of anthropological contributions, and gain experience with a time-delimited open access (also called “reverse firewall”) model.
EDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES:
AAA’S RESPONSIBILITIES:
Qualifications
