JELA Consortium of Philippine Graduate School Collaborative Network

I. Mission and Objectives:

The Journal Consortium aims to foster collaboration among its members to enhance the quality, visibility, and accessibility of educational and scientific research. The consortium seeks to facilitate scholarly communication, promote open access publishing, and support the dissemination of knowledge in various disciplines.

Specifically, the consortium aims to achieve the following objectives:

a. Mentoring and Guidance. The consortium provides mentoring and guidance to support the professional development and growth of its members. Experienced practitioners and researchers within the consortium can serve as mentors, offering valuable insights, advice, and guidance to less experienced individuals. This mentorship helps to accelerate learning, enhance skills, and promote career advancement within the field.

b. Knowledge Sharing. The consortium promotes the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and research findings among its members. This can be achieved through various means, such as conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, online forums, and collaborative projects. 

c. Professional Development. The consortium focuses on the professional development of its members by providing opportunities for training, skill-building, and capacity development. Workshops, seminars, and educational programs are organized to enhance members’ knowledge, competencies, and capabilities.

II. Membership:

a. Eligibility. Membership is open to reputable journals, academic societies, research institutions, members of the Department of Education, and publishers that align with the consortium’s mission and objectives. 

b. Application and Review. Prospective members must submit an application detailing their commitment to scholarly publishing standards, open access principles, and participation in consortium activities. The consortium’s governing body will review applications and make membership decisions in accordance with predetermined criteria.

III. Governance:

a. Consortium Board. The consortium will have a governing board composed of representatives from member organizations. The board will be responsible for strategic planning, policy development, and decision-making.

b. Leadership. The board will elect a chairperson and other necessary officers to oversee the consortium’s operations and represent the consortium externally.

c. Committees. The board may establish committees or working groups to address specific areas of focus, such as open access advocacy or standards development.

IV. Collaborative Activities:

a. Collaboration and Networking. Consortium membership provides opportunities to collaborate with other like-minded individuals or organizations within the same field or discipline. This can lead to valuable connections, knowledge sharing, and collaborative research or projects. 

b. Infrastructure and Platforms. The consortium will provide a shared infrastructure and technological platforms to support the publishing and dissemination of member journals. This may include a common website, submission system, peer review platform, or hosting services.

c. Licensing and Access. The consortium will negotiate collective licensing agreements with libraries and institutions to promote broad access to member journals. The consortium will also explore innovative models such as transformative agreements or offsetting schemes to facilitate open access publishing.

d. Training and Development. The consortium will organize workshops, training programs, and conferences to support the professional development of researchers, authors, editors, and reviewers. These initiatives will focus on best practices in scholarly publishing, ethical considerations, and emerging trends in scientific communication.

e. Collaborative Projects. The consortium will initiate and facilitate collaborative projects among members, such as joint research studies, special issues, or knowledge-sharing initiatives. These projects will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and advance scientific knowledge.

f. Advocacy and Policy. The consortium will engage in advocacy efforts to promote open access policies, ethical publishing practices, and recognition of the value of peer-reviewed research. The consortium will actively participate in discussions and consultations related to scholarly communication at the national and international levels.

IV. Financial Considerations:

a. Membership Fees. Members may be required to pay annual membership fees amounting to two thousand pesos (PhP 2,000.00) to support the consortium’s operational costs.

b. Revenue Sharing. The consortium will explore mechanisms for revenue sharing, where income generated from subscriptions or article processing charges will be allocated among member organizations based on mutually agreed criteria.

VI. Evaluation and Review:

The consortium will periodically evaluate its activities’ execution, effectiveness, and fulfillment of its objectives. Reviews will be conducted to assess member satisfaction, the impact of collaborative projects, and the alignment of consortium activities with evolving needs in scholarly communication.

VII. Amendments to the Policy:

This policy may be revised or amended as needed. Proposed changes will be presented to the consortium board for review and approval.

VIII. Direct Benefits of Becoming a Member of the Collaborative Network:

a. Membership in the JELA Shareholder Consortium. This allows a member to provide input on editorial policy and topics for special issues and whose members complete an annual survey on the content and impact of JELA.

b. Free advertising. Shareholders can advertise for free on the JELA website, including promoting a publication, conferences, or any educational-related events.

c. Shareholder acknowledgment. This appears on each issue’s tables of contents (both online and in PDF) and throughout the JELA website.