Journal of e-Planning Editorial Statute

(Approved at the CITIDEP meeting of 28 February 2011; and agreed upon at the LabTec ePlanning meeting, at ISCSP-UTL on 21 March 2011; revised and agreed by C PRESS International in 2013)

1) Introduction

Founded in 2011, the Journal of e-Planning is a scientific publication within the framework of the Consortium e-Planning, integrating several Portuguese universities and research institutions in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. This consortium was promoted by the Research Center on Information Technologies and Participatory Democracy (CITIDEP) in the aftermath of the International Conference on Public Participation and Information Technologies (ICPPIT-2003), jointly organised by CITIDEP and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) of MIT. In the same year, the first e-Planning Seminar was held at MIT-DUSP, open to the global academic community.

2) Scientific domain

The Journal of e-Planning publishes referreed articles in the context of the e-Planning research agenda, which includes sub-domains such as e-infrastructures, e-government, e-governance, e-city and territory, e-citizenship, and other close-related domains. It is dedicated to work based on original research, and consequent theoretical and analytical discussion.

3) Goal & Framework

The Journal of e-Planning is committed to foster high quality and innovative research, and to become an international reference in the e-Planning research community.

The core series of the Journal of e-Planning (biannual) will publish referreed articles, according to editorial norms of the Editorial Board. The Journal of e-Planning will also publish a “Newsletter Edition” (monthly, or trimestral), with updated information on relevant on-going research and academic events related to e-Planning. On occasion, the Journal of e-Planning will publish Thematic Special Editions.

4) Target Audience

The Journal of e-Planning is intended for all interested parties of the scientific community at large, in particular to those associated with the e-Planning field.

The Journal of e-Planning endeavours to maintain a preferential connection with e-Planning alumni and current students of PhD programs in prestiged Universities in all continents.

The Journal of e-Planning has an international vocation and, thus, publishes articles in the most relevant academic languages.

The Journal of e-Planning may publish theme-based books (volumes), and include sections dedicated to Recensions, as well as News and Chronicles of e-Planning Activities, with emphasis on the network of Living Laboratories of Technology for Society (LabTec e-Planning), and of Research Units whose research agenda is relevant to the scientific e-Planning field.

5) Organisational Bodies & Governance

The Journal of e-Planning consists of the following organisational bodies: Director, Executive Commitee, Editorial Board.

5 a) The Director will be a research Doctorate, well-known within the e-Planning community. The Director is appointed by the CITIDEP Board of Directors, after consulting the scientific bodies operating in the e-Planning Consortium, for a renewable four-year mandate.

All aspects concerning the operation of the Journal of e-Planning are the responsibility of the Director within the scope of the approved budget made available by CITIDEP and its partners. In this regard, the Director is accountable to CITIDEP, in full compliance with the statutes and regulations in force. The Director will mobilise the bodies of the Journal of e-Planning, and the core of the e-Planning community, to participate in the decision making process, the editorial policy and all key matters of management, operation and promotion of the Journal of e-Planning.

The Director’s duties also include: presiding over the Executive Commitee and coordinating the Editorial Board.

The Director may appoint a Joint Director and an Assistant Director, to second the management procedures, delegating decision making and/or representation powers on them, for a specific and limited period of time.

5 b) The Executive Committee of the Journal of e-Planning consists of research doctorates or PhD candidates, directly committed to researching e-Planning, that accept, for a specific renewable time, on a regular basis, the respective duties and responsibilities, within the scope of this editorial statute, through the Director’s invitation. Their duties are: (to) advise the Director; define the scientific guidelines of the magazine; define quality standards; decide on theme-based publications; determine referee guidelines; approve editorial standards; approve the graphic design; propose members for the Editorial Board, within the framework of the e-Planning research agenda.

The Executive Committee meets informally on of their own initiative, and at least once, formally, per Journal of e-Planning issue, or when especially summoned by the Director.

The Executive Committee may establish delegations of the Journal of e-Planning in different countries, with delegated responsibilities, such as promotion and distribution. Delegations of the Journal of e-Planning may also be in charge of the edition (including content selection) of one or more monthly/trimestral numbers of the “Newsletter Edition”, on a rotation basis.

5-c) The Editorial Board consists of invited prestigious academics and researchers, with a doctor / PhD degree, from the different fields associated with e-Planning, eventually under a periodic renewal system.

Duties of the Editorial Board are to review articles submitted for publication (blind peer review); to identify and mobilise referees best suited for the articles in question; to contribute to the Newsletter Edition of the Journal. The role of the Editorial Board, besides acting as the core of that "referee pool", will be to suggest and converge on the topics to include in the call for papers for the refereed annual edition, and to advise on editorial policy.

6) Editing and Distribution

The Journal of e-Planning will maintain an exchange system with similar scientific magazines: The exchanged magazines are placed in the Libraries of the Institutes that form the e-Planning Consortium.

The commercial distribution of the Journal of e-Planning and the subscription service are assured by protocol, and is the responsibility of the Director, assisted by the Executive Committee.

Distribution area: International.

Number of pages: Variable, in accordance with the theme or period covered.

Circulation: between 50 and 500 paper copies, depending on the number of pages of the Journal; variable number for the electronic version, subscription and direct on-line purchasing (print, web or tablet versions).

Periodicity: BiAnnual, for refereed issues of the Journal; Monthly or Trimestral, for the issues carrying news, activities, recensions and other sections; the Executive Committee may decide whether to combine the monthly edition in bimonthly, trimestral or quarterly issues, should it be justifiable; the same applying to the publishing of special or theme-based issues.

Editor: CITIDEP.

Editor’s Headquarters Office: CITIDEP’s Headquarters Office, currently at R. Tristão Vaz, 10 - 5 Esquerdo, 1400-352 Lisboa, Portugal.

Executive Committee Head Office in 2012: LabTec-CS ePlanning ISCSP- UTL, Pólo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, Rua Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisboa, Portugal;

Executive Committee Head Office in 2013: e-Planning Lab, CITIDEP Campus, R. Tristão Vaz, 10 – 5 Esq. 1400 Lisboa, Portugal

Head Office Location may be altered, depending on the evolution of the protocols between the Editor, CITIDEP, and the Academic Institutions integrated in the e-Planning Consortium.

Journal of e-Planning Contacts:

www.e-planning.org/journal/ c-press.international/jep/ ; citidep@gmail.com

CITIDEP & e-Planning sites:

www.citidep.net www.e-planning.org