Bylaws | The Medieval Review

The Medieval Review

Bylaws

Adopted by the Executive Editor and the Editors, January, 2008*

Definition of The Medieval Review (TMR)
1. TMR is an electronic book review journal in medieval studies. Reviews are disseminated in two ways:
  1. A listserv (or other form of moderated distribution list) will send reviews out to subscribers as text-based emails
  2. A website will maintain a permanent archive of all material posted to the listserv. The material on the website will be formatted so that diacriticals and other non-text characters and entities can appear there.
2. Reviews are commissioned from people who, in most cases, hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree in a field of medieval studies, through two mechanisms:
  1. A board of Review Editors (see B.4) will recommend potential reviewers for every book received; an Editor (see B.3) will rank suggestions, and persons on the list will be contacted in the order that they are found on the list, until someone has agreed to review the book. In some cases, if a potential reviewer declines to review the book but suggests another person or persons, those people might be contacted ahead of the next person on the list, at the discretion of the Editors.
  2. Books that are not placed by means of Review Editors' recommendations will be offered to subscribers of the listserv and readers of the website (the Post List); an Editor will select a reviewer for each book from among the volunteers.
3. A Reviewer will be asked to submit his/her review 3 months after he/she has received the book. Reviews must be submitted electronically in a format that is readily convertible by the Editors.
4. Reviews will ordinarily be published within three months of receipt by TMR, with the exception of reviews receiving during the summer hiatus, which will be published within four months of receipt.
5. TMR will post reviews to the list during the months of January-June and September-November. During July and August, reviews will normally not be posted.
Governance structure of TMR
1. Advisory Board
  1. The Advisory Board will be made up of four Advisors elected by the Editors by majority vote, and will be invited to serve for 4-year terms, indefinitely renewable and staggered so that only two are candidates for replacement at any time. These Advisors shall normally be former Editors, former Review Editors, or otherwise persons who have had a close connection with TMR for several years.
  2. The Advisory Board will appoint the Executive Editor. When the Executive Editor resigns his/her office, or his/her term expires, the Advisory Board will appoint, by majority vote, a new Executive Editor.
  3. The Advisory Board will approve the appointment of Review Editors, as recommended to them by the Executive Editor, normally once a year.
2. Executive Editor
  1. The Executive Editor will be appointed by the Advisory Board to a 3-year term that is indefinitely renewable.
  2. The Executive Editor will appoint and reappoint the Editors.
  3. The Executive Editor, in consultation with the Editors, will find and recommend to the Advisory Board candidates for Review Editors, and will also recommend reappointment of persons to those positions.
  4. The Executive Editor will oversee the day-to-day operations of TMR, will manage the office and the work of the Assistant and the Editors, the website, the listserv, computing equipment, relations with presses, other journals, and other electronic publishing ventures, and will respond to general correspondence on a regular basis.
3. Editors
  1. The Editors will be appointed by the Executive Editor to 2-year terms that are indefinitely renewable.
  2. The number of Editors shall not be fewer than three; five or six is a preferred number.
  3. The Editors' tasks will be assigned by the Executive Editor, upon consultation with the Editors, as follows:
    1. One Editor will compile the recommendations of the Review Editors each week, and present a ranked list of potential reviewers to the Assistant.
    2. One Editor will compile the offers from the Post List and present the list to the Assistant within 3 weeks after the posting of a list.
    3. One Editor will coordinate editing and publishing of reviews to the listserv.
    4. Editor 3.c.iii, the remaining Editors, and also Editor 3.c.ii when time permits, will edit and format reviews for publication to the listserv, and, if necessary, prepare a version of the review with diacriticals and other odd formatting for the website. Under normal circumstances, Editors will be expected to edit at least three reviews a week.
  4. The Editors will respond to incoming email messages about subjects that fall under the purview of their tasks.
  5. The Editors will assist the Executive Editor in finding candidates for Review Editors.
  6. The Editors (but not the Executive Editor) will elect, by majority vote, the members of the Advisory Board as in 1.a.i.
4. Review Editors
  1. Review Editors will be appointed by the Advisory Board at the recommendation of the Executive Editor, for a term of 2 years. Terms will be staggered so that only half the Review Editors will be replaced each year.
    1. There will be 20 Review Editors, covering all fields of medieval studies.
    2. Terms of Review Editors will be non-renewable; however, past Review Editors may be invited to serve another term in the next non-consecutive cycle of appointments.
  2. Review Editors will receive a list of about ten books, usually every week. They will recommend potential reviewers for as many or as few books on each list as they feel is appropriate, providing names, affiliations, and, when possible, email addresses. Recommendations should be submitted within two weeks of the date that a list of books is sent out.
Modification of the bylaws: in the event that these Bylaws need to be modified, the Editors and the Executive Editor will approve changes by majority vote.

*note: the terms defined in these bylaws will go into effect on August 1, 2008. In some cases, terms of the various editors will be adjusted to allow for staggered terms for a particular board.