Call for Reviewers
In an international EOI (expression of interest) process, VALA2018 is seeking skilled people interested in taking on the important role of independent reviewer for the VALA2018 conference papers that are due to be submitted by 18 August 2017. All papers (except for keynote speakers and invited papers) published in VALA conference proceedings are independently peer-reviewed by at least 2 reviewers in a single-blind review process. 
Conference papers that have successfully completed peer review are identified within the conference program by VALA’s peer review stamp. VALA conference papers are typically of 5,000-6,000 words.
Review Timeline:-
The full paper review process will get underway in August for completion by late November, and the key periods for reviewers are highlighted as follows:-
- 18 August: Deadline for submission of papers
- 21 August – 5 September: Version 1 Papers distributed to at least 2 reviewers; read, rate and comment on 2-3 papers in accordance with guidelines provided. Papers distributed via email, and reviewers asked to complete the task within 4 weeks of receiving the papers.
- 18 September – 3 October: All first reviews due.
- 18 September – 30 October – Reviews consolidated by VALA Editor; reviews combined anonymously and returned to authors for revision where required and return within 2 weeks.
- 2 October – 13 November: Version 2 Papers redistributed to original reviewers; read, rate and comment within 2 weeks of receiving revised paper/s.
- 24 November: Final date for all reviews
It is possible that a small number of papers may present the opportunity to commence the review process early, or the need to complete it late. These will be discussed and negotiated as exceptions and as required with individual reviewers. In most cases, the timeline above will be honoured
VALA’s aim is to distribute papers evenly amongst reviewers, and according to each reviewer’s areas of skill.
How to Register your Interest:
If you are interested in being considered for the review panel, we would like you to do the following:-
- Consider the Review Timeline above, and ensure that you are available to participate in the review process between August and November 2017.
to access the Reviewing Skills Form and complete all sections, to help with gathering information about your skills (this should take around 5 minutes). Even if you have reviewed for VALA before, we ask that you please complete this task; skill areas and contact details change and it is important that we have your current details.
- Complete the online process ASAP and no later than Monday 3 July 2017.
Please note that this is an EOI process, with no guarantee that we will allocate papers to all those who apply; every effort will be made to achieve best match between papers and reviewers, equity of workload and to avoid potential conflict of interest.
Reviewer Instructions:
Guidelines will be provided to reviewers upon allocation of papers, and will also be available on the VALA2018 Website.
Some key aspects of the reviewer role are to:-
- Provide valuable feedback that will guide authors to improve the quality of their final paper
- Support the development of leading edge papers that will generate discussion and debate
- Assess and rate papers on the basis of their content, relevance and presentation
Reviewer Identity:
Please note that reviewer anonymity to the authors will be maintained throughout the review process.
Enquiries can be directed to the VALA Secretariat vala@vala.org.au or phone 61 03 9844 2933.
The Call for Reviewers EOI has been extended to 9am AEST Monday 3 July 2017.