At TWI we understand that authors, prospective authors, review committees, students, and readers will have questions about the process and merits of electronic publication. In many respects, the process is similar to what it is for print journals, except that because of our electronic format, we have unique advantages that allow us to publish work in a more timely fashion, encourage multimedia and hypertext formats, and facilitate lively exchange among authors and readers. As a networked journal in the relatively new world of the Internet and its bewildering technologies, TWI also faces the challenge of establishing credibility and integrity because readers, especially those who read online, are perhaps more demanding when it comes to design and legibility, more suspect of any electronic publication (since it's often presumed that anyone can do it in the democratic utopia made possible by the WWW), and more uncertain about the very process of reading an electronic text. We hope to address these issues here, where readers, writers, and others can use this space as a forum devoted explicitly to the challenges and opportunities of electronic publication.
A journal of any sort only gains credibility and establishes its integrity with time and hard work. TWI has a distinguished past as a print journal. With time, we hope that our talented and expert editorial board members (more than 140 of them), the high quality of the writing that we publish, the rigor and timeliness of our review process, and the opportunities for discussion and debate that readers find here will help demonstrate that we take our work and our responsibility to the professions of writing and writing instruction seriously.
While we're fairly new on the Internet, we can anticipate some of the questions that authors, prospective authors, review committees, students, and readers may have. If you're question isn't addressed here, please feel free to contact one of TWI's editors.
How do I find out about submitting an article, hypertext, assignment, or other project to TWI?
You can read about TWI's submission guidelines and review the latest calls for submission. We recommend that you take some time to read previously published work so that you'll have some idea about what's possible. In our drop-down navigation menu at the top of each TWI page, you will also see under the "Editorial" menu links to information on submitting work in various formats (hypertexts, special projects, book reviews, classroom assignments, etc).
How long does it take for my work to be reviewed?
Normally, about 2 months, sometimes slightly less, sometimes slightly more. TWI processes all reviews electronically, which helps speed up review time. But we also encourage our reviewers to read carefully and write thorough evaluations of a work, which takes some time.
What is your acceptance rate?
For open submissions, our acceptance rate is likely to remain between 10 and 20 percent of all work submitted for our consideration. Many authors are encouraged to revise and resubmit their work, even more so than happens in traditional print formats. Electronic publication, even at the early stage of review, turns out to involve more collaboration among editors and authors than people expect. That high level of collaboration remains throughout the publication process. We are willing to provide more precise statistics to review committees. Contact the managing editor for this information.
How does the review process work?
For a detailed answer, see our description of TWI's Review Process. In short, though, all open submissions are reviewed blind by peer referees. Because of the large size of our editorial board, we can draw on the expertise of distinguished scholars in many areas of research. Each submission receives three reviews, and if in the judgment of the general editors or the area editor the reviews support publication, the work is accepted and the author begins working with a production editor. If there are suggestions for revision, editors communicate those to authors. Resubmitted work normally undergoes the blind review process again.
What is a blind review process?
That means that submissions are forwarded to reviewers without the author being identified to ensure consistency and objectivity in the review process. All open submissions must be prepared for blind review, including hypertexts. For hypertexts, that sometimes may mean a substantial amount of work will be involved in preparing and storing the work.
Are all TWI publications subject to blind, peer review?
No. Some work published at the site has been invited or specially commissioned. All works published have the nature of the specific review process indicated in their credits under Review Process. For example, Jean Mason's "Hyperwriting: A New Process Model" was accepted for publication after blind, peer review, and you'll see that designation at the bottom of each node in the hypertext.
How do I cite a TWI work?
At the bottom of each node, you'll also see the Citation Format specified, with the URL of the node listed. You'll just need to fill in the date that you accessed the page. In the footer on each node, you'll also see "Page Viewed On" information, which can help you if you print out the work for later reading or store it on your computer. We provide this information because we believe it is important for a networked journal to facilitate the kind of networking that citation initiates.
Are works published by TWI copyrighted?
Yes. We have begun to publish most new work under a Creative Commons license (either Share Alike or Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported). In somes cases, the copyright has been transferred to TWI by the authors. Review our Author Agreement Form (PDF format; 192 kb) for sample. We are committed to the open access publishing model.
Is TWI free?
Yes. We believe that's the way it should be. All work published at this site is freely available and may be distributed to others without our consent. CC-licensed work can be republished without our consent, subject to the terms of the license. Other copyrighted work may be distributed for educational purposes, but it shouldn't be republished without contacting us first.
Our technology support, which is substantial and consists of server and office space as well as software and other computing equipment, is provided by Purdue University's Department of English and its Professional Writing Program. Mailing, phone, and other technology expenses are shared by California State University, San Marcos and Purdue, the institutional homes of Dawn Formo and David Blakesley.