National Survey of Editors
IPEd surveyed Australian editors from June to August, using an online
questionnaire, which was widely advertised by IPEd, the Australian
Publishers Association and the state societies of editors. There were
345 responses. The survey built on and expanded the surveys conducted by
Pamela Hewitt AE at previous national editors conferences, and at the
joint Canberra Society of Editors – Australian Society of Indexers
conference in 2001, making this the sixth such snapshot of the
profession. The report on the findings of the survey will be distributed
to participants in the national conference in Sydney in September, and
is also available to societies of editors’ members on the IPEd website.
Online exam discussion paper
The three accreditation exams held so far have been, for logistical
necessity, pen-and-paper, whereas it is clear that many potential
candidates would prefer to take the exam onscreen, since that is how
they now work, day to day, as editors. The IPEd Council and
Accreditation Board therefore prepared a discussion paper to canvass
responses to a range of suggested options for the form of future exams.
This was distributed widely during July and August and its findings will
be presented at a session of the national conference, and later on the
website. The paper can be read on the IPEd website.
Annual financial statements
The IPEd Council has received the company’s annual financial statements
from its auditor, Houston & Hanna Chartered Accountants. They will
be tabled at IPEd’s AGM on Friday 9 September and will subsequently be
placed on the website. They show IPEd to be in a relatively sound
financial position and, for the first time, perhaps able to entertain
some substantial proactive promotion of the profession during the coming
year.
Website minder/manager to be sought
Traffic on the website has been steadily increasing. Between mid June
and mid July this year, for example, there were 1,740 visits, over 50%
of them from new people. Also steadily increasing, is the time taken to
update and maintain the site, tasks that have so far, like the vast bulk
of IPEd work, been done by volunteers. The IPEd Council has determined
that the time has come to appoint a part-time web minder who has the
requisite technical skills and familiarity with the discipline and
business of editing. Details of the position will be advertised soon.
Policy development
The IPEd Council is developing new policy in two areas; use of the IPEd
logo, and the review and promotion of books by editors. The former
defines what the IPEd logo is, who can use it, when it should/should not
be used and in what format it may be used. The
latter, in summary, states that IPEd will not undertake any reviews of
books or other material produced by editors or others. When such
requests are received, they will be forwarded to the societies of
editors for such action as they might wish to take. The policy documents
for both will be placed on the website in due course.
Transportable training
The first event under IPEd’s ‘transportable training’ scheme mentioned
in previous IPEd Notes took place during August: a course on advanced
features of Microsoft Word originally run in Victoria was presented in
Adelaide for members of the SA society. IPEd funded the trainer’s travel
and accommodation costs.
New WA Councillor
At its meeting in July, the IPEd Council officially welcomed Jo Smith as
the new Councillor from the Society of Editors (WA) Inc. Jo’s
nomination followed the resignation of Anne Surma, whose singular
contributions during more than six years of voluntary service to the
profession – spanning a period both before and after the formal
establishment of IPEd – were also recorded.
Ed Highley Secretary
ipedsecretary[at]gmail.com