[Web4lib] VALA2012 Conference - Would You Like to Help Review Papers? Reply By 5 September

[VALA Executive Officer]

   Apologies for cross-postings - please feel free to pass on this email

  ***All replies to this email should be sent to vala at vala.org.au***


Dear Colleague,

                VALA2012: eM-powering eFutures

As you may be aware, papers (except for keynote speakers and invited
papers) published in VALA conference proceedings are peer-reviewed in
accordance with HERDC guidelines. The VALA2012 Programme Committee is
looking for people to take on the role of independent reviewer for the
VALA2012 conference papers that are being submitted now.

Reviewers would be asked to read and comment on about two or three
papers (the more reviewers we have, the fewer papers each receives), and
are provided with guidelines/comment forms to assist them with rating
the papers.  Papers and guidelines will be distributed by email, and
reviewers will be asked to complete the task within *two* weeks of
receiving the papers.  If a paper has to be revised (most do), then it
will have to be reviewed again after revision, and this will also need
to be done in two weeks.

Papers are due mid-September, and it is anticipated that most papers
will be distributed to reviewers by early to mid-October.  Each paper is
reviewed by at least two reviewers, then the reviews are combined and
returned to the authors.  Following this, authors are given three weeks
for revisions, and on receipt revised papers are re-reviewed.  This
would take the process to mid to late November (all being well).  It is,
of course, possible that there may be delays with particular papers
(illness, etc.), which would result in the process starting and
finishing later.  Any reviewers whose paper(s) will be delayed will be
advised in advance if possible.

Please remember that the aim is to be able to distribute abstracts
according to areas of skill, but also, as much as possible, to give each
reviewer about the same workload.  Each abstract will be reviewed by at
least two reviewers.

If you are interested in being considered for the review panel, we would
like you to do the following, please.

1.   Download the reviewing skills spreadsheet from
www.vala.org.au/vala2012/vala2012reviewing.htm and complete it, to help 
with gathering information about your skills.

2.   Complete the spreadsheet, as described below. This should take
around three minutes to complete and email back to vala at vala.org.au, 
ASAP, please, but no later than Monday 5 September.

3.   In your covering email, please supply us with 50-100 words about 
yourself, *full* contact information (including secondary email
addresses and phone numbers), plus any spread of dates between now and
Christmas when you will not be available for reviewing. All emails to 
vala at vala.org.au – do *not* use the Reply button in your email program.

**Even if you have reviewed for VALA before, we ask that you please 
complete this task, to simplify the process.** (That is, don't tell me 
that I know your skills and expect me to complete the
spreadsheet<grin>.)

The first column is the list of topics we arrived at for the Call for
Papers.  The second column asks you to insert your name and institution
at the top (overwrite what is there), and then the rest of the column
shows each cell marked with the default value of O (for OK).

Please change the value of O as follows:

Y     If you are relatively strong in that area (please use Caps Lock)

N     If you are really not familiar with the area (please use Caps
Lock)

   *Topics remaining as O will be considered as OK for you to review if
   necessary*.

Please complete and return to me to vala at vala.org.au by **Monday 5
September 2011** with details in the covering email as requested above,
so that we can compile the list of skills and allocate papers taking
into account this information and any known possible conflicts of
interest.

Please feel free to pass on this message.

Many thanks

Note: Emails replying to this address are not checked regularly; if you
wish to contact me, please reply to vala at vala.org.au.

Alyson Kosina
Executive Officer
VALA - Libraries, Technology and the Future Inc.
Reg No A0011933K  ABN 75 344 574 577
P.O. Box 509
Mooroolbark VIC  3138
Phone: (03) 9725 2725  Fax: (03) 8625 0079
Email: vala at vala.org.au