Peer review of SoTL journals

UNSW's Teaching and Learning Inquiry (TLI) Peer Reviewer of Journals Mentoring Program

In 2022, UNSW Sydney launched a pilot Peer Reviewer of Journals Mentoring Program, led by Associate Professor Karin Watson, Director, Educational Excellence, to enhance staff capability in reviewing SoTL research. Education Focussed academics learned about submission, review, and publication in SoTL journals through workshops and mentoring. In partnership with Teaching and Learning Inquiry (published by the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning or ISSOTL), the program helped participants transition from a disciplinary to a multidisciplinary SoTL approach, culminating in collaborative manuscript reviews with guidance from experienced mentors.

During the 2024 ISSOTL Conference in Indiana USA, A/Prof Watson was recognised internationally with TLI's 2024 Gary Poole Distinguished Reviewer Award for her contributions to the UNSW's Peer Reviewer of Journals Mentoring Program.

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To express interest in joining the program, contact Ben Phipps at b.phipps@unsw.edu.au.

JUTLP's OAPA Academic Journal Editing Course

The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) has established the Open Access Publishing Association (OAPA) as an independent, not-for-profit organisation. OAPA’s primary goal is to provide a secure, sustainable platform for Open Access journals, like the Scopus/Web of Science-indexed JUTLP. The organisation is funded through individual and institutional memberships, as well as course fees.

As part of its commitment to professional development, UNSW academic staff were supported to attend OAPA's Foundations of Academic Journal Editing course. This course is designed to equip participants with both foundational theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for developing effective academic journal editing practices. The course covers key quality markers used to evaluate manuscripts from an editor's perspective, helping academics understand the criteria that journals use to assess submissions. This understanding, in turn, enables academics to design research projects that align with journal expectations and to prepare submissions that meet the standards required for publication.

If you're interested in enrolling in the course, please contact the Academic Development team at ads@unsw.edu.au.