ALA Research Series

The ALA Office for Research & Statistics is pleased to invite proposals for the ALA Research Series. The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 21, 2012.

The purpose of the peer-viewed book series is to expand the knowledge base of library research by publishing accessible and practical analysis that addresses topics of importance to libraries, librarians, and professional education.

The series seeks both monographs and edited volumes, and annually will accept proposals for book projects from North America and will consider international submissions. The scope of the series is on topics of broad appeal and relevance to the library community - accessible, useful, practical, and sustainable research. The series will be distinguished by:

Encouraging research based on methods other than surveys, such as observational research, content analysis, grounded theory research, historical research, and ethnographic technique, as well as research that blend different methods.

It will not be a statistical series.

Research Series Proposal Guidelines:

The ALA Research Series follows ALA Editions Guidelines with additional requirements noted in Guidance to Authors below. Book proposals and completed manuscripts will be considered.

Written proposals must be submitted electronically (MS Word or PDF) by the deadline at the e-mail address noted below.

Completed manuscripts should be mailed by the deadline at the address noted below.

All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt by an ALA-ORS staff member. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure complete proposals are submitted. Contributors may not submit the manuscript to other publications while a review is in progress.

Send written proposals, manuscripts and queries by December 21, 2012 to:

Cathleen Bourdon
Associate Executive Director
Communications & Member Relations
American Library Association
50 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-280-3217
E-mail: cbourdon@ala.org

Written Proposal Requirements:

For consideration, please submit an Adobe PDF cover sheet or a Microsoft Word cover sheet, and a written proposal of 2 to 3 pages containing the following elements. Background attachments (e.g., curriculum vitae/resume) should be included as necessary, and are in addition to the base proposal. Consult Guidance to Authors for additional instruction.

Project Description. A brief (300 words or less) overall description of the project, including its subject, scope, content, and approach. State what is distinctive and compelling about the project.
Intended Market. Target audience. Who (use job titles if possible), approximately how many, and why they need this work.
Authorship. A one-paragraph biography describing the credentials of each of the authors/editors for preparing the work, highlighting editing, writing, and other relevant experience. Also include a curriculum vitae/resume.
Competition. Brief notes on the major print and electronic resources that address your topic or a large part of it. Note the features that distinguish your project and give it a market advantage (for example, size, authority, timeliness, approach, or style).
Preliminary TOC or Main Topic Outline. An outline of the major topics or a detailed preliminary table of contents.
Length of Manuscript. Projected length of the work in word count or double-spaced manuscript pages (at 275 words per double-spaced page). Also describe the type and approximate number of figures and/or tables you plan to include.
Schedule for Completion. Provide a realistic date of project completion. Allow time for all the parts (including illustrations and materials borrowed with permission) to be gathered, edited, revised, and reviewed as appropriate by your editor. Do not shortchange yourself on needed time, nor stretch out projects that are time-sensitive. If possible, also provide a timetable of the major phases in the project.
Writing Sample. This may include a sample chapter of the proposed work or an article representative of the writing style for the proposed work.
Software Used. Word processing information should include the software, version, and platform. We encourage the use of MS Word.
Special Consideration. e.g., illustrations, permissions, etc. that will be required.

Send written proposals and queries by December 21, 2012 to:

Cathleen Bourdon
Associate Executive Director
Communications & Member Relations
American Library Association
Phone: 312-280-3217
E-mail: cbourdon@ala.org

Completed Manuscript Requirements:

For consideration please submit a written proposal of 2 to 3 pages containing the following elements along with one hard copy and one electronic copy of the manuscript. Background attachments (e.g., curriculum vitae/resume) should be included as necessary, and are in addition to the base proposal. Consult Guidance to Authors for additional instruction.

Project Description. A brief (300 words or less) overall description of the project, including its subject, scope, content, and approach. State what is distinctive and compelling about the project.
Intended Market. Target audience. Who (use job titles if possible), approximately how many, and why they need this work.
Authorship. A one-paragraph biography describing the credentials of each of the authors/editors for preparing the work, highlighting editing, writing, and other relevant experience. Also include a curriculum vitae/resume.
Competition. Brief notes on the major print and electronic resources that address your topic or a large part of it. Note the features that distinguish your project and give it a market advantage (for example, size, authority, timeliness, approach, or style).
Preliminary TOC or Main Topic Outline. An outline of the major topics or a detailed preliminary table of contents.
Length of Manuscript. Projected length of the work in word count or a double-spaced manuscript pages (at 275 words per double-spaced page). Also describe the type and approximate number of figures and/or tables you plan to include.
Schedule for Completion. Provide a realistic date of project completion. Allow time for all the parts (including illustrations and materials borrowed with permission) to be gathered, edited, revised, and reviewed as appropriate by your editor. Do not shortchange yourself on needed time, nor stretch out projects that are time-sensitive. If possible, also provide a timetable of the major phases in the project.
Software Used. Word processing information should include the software, version, and platform. We encourage the use of MS Word.
Special Considerations. e.g., illustrations, permissions, etc. that will be required.
Copies of Manuscript. Please include one hard copy and one electronic copy of the manuscript. The electronic copy should be saved to a CD in the appropriate file format described in the ALA Editions Guidelines.

Send completed manuscript proposals by December 21, 2012 to:

Cathleen Bourdon
Associate Executive Director
Communications & Member Relations
American Library Association
50 E. Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611

Publication schedule:

Submission review process and timeline:

Complete proposals received by the deadline (December 19, 2011) will be considered by the series editorial panel and volume editor. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure complete proposals are submitted. Peer review of each complete proposal will be blind.

2012 timeline:

October 3, 2011 the solicitation period opens. All proposals must be submitted electronically to ALA by Monday, December 19, 2011.

The primary author will be contacted when proposals have been received.

February 27, 2012 contributor(s) will be notified by ALA-ORS regarding manuscripts status.

The ALA Research Series peer review panel will address in its deliberations the overall manuscript content and style, and main areas of consideration, which include: author(s) credentials, methodology, and value to the profession.

Recommendation(s) for publication are made by the series peer review panel to ALA Editions. Final acceptance for publication resides with ALA Editions and will occur within 60 days of review and recommendation from ALA Research Series editorial panel (on or before April 30, 2012). The ALA Research Series editorial panel may select more than one submission for publication and contributors will be notified as appropriate.Frequency - No more than one publication per year and no less than biennial.

Series manuscript solicitations to publication schedule:

Fall 2011, begin solicitation for manuscripts.

Publish first volume in summer 2012.

Series type:

Includes both monographs and edited volumes.

ALA Office for Research & Statistics Director is the series editor; a volume editor will be appointed/assigned as required. There is no remuneration for volume editing.

The volume editor will be acknowledged in this manner:

Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2007–2008
Principal Investigators: Denise M. Davis, John Carlo Bertot, Charles R. McClure
Editor: Larra Clark

Guidance to Authors:

As you consider submitting a proposal for the series, please consult the ALA Editions website to review guidelines, an FAQ, and the diversity statement to find out if ALA Editions might be the right publisher for your proposed book, specifically sections "Writing for ALA Editions" and "Guidelines for Authors."

In addition, specific guidance for contributors to the ALA Research Series includes:

A review of the literature, methodologies, etc. is not considered research (e.g., methodology review rather than application of a methodology). This would only be acceptable in a collection of articles. Otherwise, this should appear as a minor component, such as procedures of a particular study.
The research must be applied and have practical value, as opposed to theoretical research.
The study should be substantially underway and at a place where the author(s) can share findings, interpretations, etc.
The research should have been conducted within two (2) years of the anticipated publication date (Spring 2012). Older research is acceptable only if it led to more contemporary research or has a connection with current research (e.g., time-series or longitudinal research).
The preferred manuscript length is 100 pages (excluding index, etc.). Contributors should explore ALA Editions "Web Extras" to co-locate relevant content. (link)
Contributors may not submit the proposal or manuscript to other publications while a review is in progress.