Applicants Sought for Editor of the Journal of Civil and Human Rights

The University of Illinois Press (UIP) invites expressions of interest from potential editors, coeditors, or editorial teams willing to take responsibility for the Journal of Civil and Human Rights (JCHR) editorial office beginning in mid–2022 for a transition period.

Published semiannually, the journal is dedicated to studying modern U.S.–based social justice movements and freedom struggles, including transnational ones, and their antecedents, influence, and legacies. The journal features research–based articles, interviews, editorials, state–of–the–field pieces, and book forums, and is published by UIP.

The University of Illinois Press is eager to help JCHR’s next editorial team build on the journal’s strengths while facilitating further experimentation, innovation, and inclusion. To that end, we encourage early career scholars and people of unrepresented groups to apply.

Editorial Scope and Responsibilities

• Journal of Civil and Human Rights enters its ninth volume year in 2023. The JCHR editor, coeditors, or editorial collective will have responsibility for the solicitation, review, and selection of journal content.
• The editor(s) will be expected to produce a volume each year consisting of two issues and coordinate their editorial plan and their work with assigned UIP Press staff.
• Journal of Civil and Human currently uses Open Journal Systems (OJS), the editorial workflow, peer–review management, and journal publishing system.
• As in peer journals, the editor(s) and/or editorial team will be responsible conducting double–blind peer review of submissions that adhere to the journal’s submission guidelines, collecting author consent–to–publish forms and proofreading the final issue pages. The editor(s) will also work with UIP staff on promotion of the journal.
• Editors or editorial teams should represent a diversity of backgrounds and reflect a range of relevant professional experiences, but the editor or editors should possess a vision of social justice movements and freedom struggles, both domestic and transnational.
• Editing JCHR provides a unique opportunity for scholars to shape the field and hosting the JCHR editorial offices helps institutions signal their leadership role within it.
• While previous experience in scholarly publishing can be helpful, it is not essential in order to be an effective editor. UIP has extensive experience orienting new editors and can assist with every aspect.
• Terms of appointment can be negotiated but it is anticipated that the next editor or editors will be appointed to a three–year term beginning with the 2023 volume year. There will be a transition period that overlaps with the current editor mid–2022.
• The next editor, coeditors, or editorial collective will be able to appoint new editorial board members.

Application Process

Those interested in serving as editor for the Journal of Civil and Human Rights should submit a C.V. with a cover letter outlining their relevant experiences, interests, and plans for the position and the journal.

The closing date for applications is March 1, 2022 and the role will formally begin on September 1, 2022.

To submit an application, please submit application materials to Clydette Wantland, Journals Manager, cwantlan@uillinois.edu.

For more information about Journal of Civil and Human Rights, please visit: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/?id=jchr