From the editorial teams of the NACADA Journal and the NACADA Review
“We enjoy the process far more than the proceeds.” Warren Buffett
Many people enjoy a good process. It offers direction and focus to accomplish a goal, mission, or vision. This appreciation of a good process is one of the many reasons why you should investigate the opportunity to assume positions that contribute to NACADA publications. It is not always clear how to involve yourself in this process. You might start as a reviewer or an author. Both roles shape the scholarship that so many academic advising colleagues use daily in their work.
But it does not have to stop here. After experiences with writing and peer review, you should consider being an editor for the NACADA Journal or NACADA Review. The role of an editor includes coaching authors, evaluating reviewer feedback, and developing manuscripts to produce an issue worth reading by the NACADA membership. Each issue, produced through the publishing process, is significant for the practice of academic advising.
There is another great reason to involve yourself in the process of developing advising scholarship. As you contribute to the scholarship, you will also develop a network of colleagues and collaborators, who offer intellectual stimulation, technical support, and friendship. It is easy to see how one might experience intellectual stimulation from a debate about an APA 7th Edition rule, but friendship? Really? Yes, the publishing process allows appreciation of colleagues’ gifts and strengths as well as creating strong and lasting social connections. Just picture your next NACADA experience including a coffee break and a discussion on the difference between findings and results in an article.
The next time you see an announcement for reviewers, consider joining the NACADA Review or NACADA Journal in this role. Your energy, effort, and expertise will be rewarded with supportive colleagues, a greater appreciation for writing, and participation in scholarship that shapes the field. In fact, you might enjoy this process so much that you become a future editor.