To: All SARMAC Members
From: SARMAC Board of Governors, Maryanne Garry, President
Re: Proposed Changes in the SARMAC Bylaws
The SARMAC Board approved these changes to the bylaws of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. As required by the current bylaws, we present these changes to you, the members of SARMAC, for a vote. The primary motivation for the changes in bylaws is to make way for the launch of an exciting new SARMAC journal, the Journal for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (JARMAC). Launching this new SARMAC journal means ending our relationship with Applied Cognitive Psychology (ACP). The purpose of this document is to tell you more about JARMAC and about our history with ACP.
ACP was founded in 1986 with a contractual arrangement between Wiley (currently Wiley-Blackwell) and Graham Davies which continues to this day. ACP became SARMAC’s “official journal” ten years later, in 1996, via a verbal agreement. Wiley-Blackwell owns the copyright to ACP and has control over the selection of editors via the Founding Editor, Graham Davies. Over the years, three serious concerns have emerged regarding SARMAC’s relationship with Wiley over the journal ACP:
These concerns have repeatedly been discussed with Wiley-Blackwell, and they have declined to modify the original contractual agreement established between Graham Davies and Wiley in 1986—which from the Board’s point of view leaves no room for movement on a satisfactory resolution of these concerns.
With these concerns in mind, the Publications Committee of SARMAC – Kathy Pezdek, (Chair), Maryanne Garry, Steve Lindsay, Sean Lane, and Lorraine Hope–has spent most of the past year drafting an RFP for a new SARMAC journal and presenting this to a dozen major publishers. As the result of a tremendous amount of work by this committee, a very favorable contract was negotiated with Elsevier, and the SARMAC Board recently unanimously voted to sign this contract.
The contract is commercially sensitive, so we cannot tell you all of the details. But we can tell you that all of our contract offers, including this one, were vetted by Alan Kraut, the Executive Director of APS. Of the contract from Elsevier Alan said, “I am really pleased… that Elsevier made this kind of strong offer. This is a new journal; it will compete (in some eyes) with an established journal; we are in an uncertain time for publishers; and yet Elsevier offered an arrangement that was far and away the best of any we received, and certainly way beyond any arrangement that Wiley proposed.“
Yes, starting up a new journal is a big effort, but this contract provides SARMAC with an arrangement that is likely to make this effort, in the long term, a very beneficial one for SARMAC. Therefore, the Board asks that you vote to amend the bylaws. We have created a table showing you the old and new versions, which you can see here.
What are the advantages of the new journal for SARMAC?
The Board considers JARMAC to be an exciting development that will provide a number of advantages as our “official journal”. First, SARMAC (through the Board) will have complete control over the selection of Editors. Accordingly, SARMAC will be able to navigate the editorial direction of JARMAC during its inception and into the future. Second, Elsevier is offering a generous profit revenue sharing plan with SARMAC. Third, JARMAC will be copyright to SARMAC. Because SARMAC will own JARMAC, following the 10-year contract with Elsevier, SARMAC will be free to pursue best offers from other publishers. With this freedom, SARMAC will likely be able to enhance its financial position vis-à-vis JARMAC. Copyright ownership, together with revenue sharing, is expected to provide a strong opportunity for increased revenues to SARMAC in the future, and hence the ability of the Society to enhance its activities in promoting the field of applied cognition. As written, the current bylaws do not accommodate having JARMAC as an Official SARMAC Journal, hence the need for a change of bylaws which requires approval from a two-thirds vote of SARMAC’s membership.
I understand that Applied Cognitive Psychology (ACP) is currently one of SARMAC’s Official Journals. Will both ACP and JARMAC be Official Journals once JARMAC is adopted?
No—neither Elsevier (publisher of JARMAC) nor Wiley-Blackwell (publisher of ACP) would approve of an arrangement in which SARMAC officially supports two “competing” journals. But with the launch of JARMAC, there is no doubt that ACP will continue to be a valued publication outlet. And of course, once JARMAC becomes SARMAC’s “official journal”, members of SARMAC will nonetheless be free to contribute their talents to ACP and any other non-SARMAC journal that publishes papers in applied cognition (e.g., Memory, Memory & Cognition) in whatever role that they choose.
What is the likely impact of JARMAC on the field of applied cognition?
Because JARMAC will be another outlet for papers in applied cognitive psychology, its establishment can have only a positive overall impact.
Are there financial risks to SARMAC for initiating JARMAC?
Even if JARMAC were not to be profitable, there are no foreseeable financial risks to SARMAC, as Elsevier is adopting these risks. Establishing JARMAC poses no greater impact on membership dues than what would be expected if ACP were to continue as SARMAC’s official Journal. Of course, once JARMAC becomes SARMAC’s official Journal, members will receive JARMAC instead of ACP as a benefit of membership. It is also important to recognize that there are other risks beyond financial ones; a failed JARMAC could adversely impact SARMAC’s reputation. Hence, if JARMAC were to be initiated, it would be desirable to gain the fullest possible energy and excitement of the membership to support it.
When is the first issue of JARMAC being planned to be published?
The current aim is initially to publish four issues of the journal a year, with the first issue coming out in January 2012.
I see that the proposed Bylaws establishes a Publications Committee. Can you explain?
Once the Board began to consider the advantages of initiating a SARMAC controlled Journal, it became clear that the size of the Board was not optimal to have efficient communications concerning the many complicated issues. Accordingly, at the SARMAC conference in Kyoto, the Board established a Publications Committee (PC) as a standing committee according to the bylaws (see Article III, number 6). The PC has performed its duties extremely well, having negotiated the excellent pending contract with Elsevier in establishing JARMAC. The Board is grateful for the incredible efforts of the PC. The PC has worked so well that the Board sees advantages to formalizing its existence in the bylaws. The proposed language in the bylaws regarding the PC is nearly word for word for the language used in establishing the PC as a standing committee.
What about the proposed bylaws no longer including the names of journals?
To our knowledge, SARMAC is the only professional society in psychology that requires a membership vote to change the status of publications. Bylaws are best designed when they stipulate specific procedures and not specific outcomes.
In our current version of the bylaws, including the names of SARMAC journals, and stipulating that there must be two newsletters a year, is a vestige from the early years of SARMAC’s founding, when the membership was considerably smaller. Our recent experience with securing a contract offer from Elsevier has highlighted the benefits of allowing the Publications Committee and Board of Governors the greatest level of flexibility in establishing and promoting those publications that will be of best benefit to the Society and its members. As SARMAC continues to grow, it may be beneficial to establish additional journals; newsletters may eventually grow into bulletins that will have a greater number of issues than two per year. Requiring a change in the bylaws for every such publication change may inhibit the Society from having the desirable flexibility of making beneficial changes as the environment may warrant, such as being able to negotiate with a publisher the first issue date of a new publication.
Why are we removing the president-elect from the bylaws and creating a vice-president?
We have never used the post of President-Elect in the recent history of the Board, and the current Board is uncertain whether we have ever used it. In fact, what tends to happen is that the past President helps the new President with myriad transiation matters. The change of bylaws reflects this tendency, making the past President of SARMAC the Vice-President, which will help with a more efficient transition to a newly elected President, and enhance the continuity of the aims of the Society.
What would happen if the membership does not approve the changes to the bylaws?
The status quo would likely be maintained, and an excellent opportunity to ensure and enhance SARMAC’s future growth would be missed. Elsevier would withdraw their contract offer.
What should i do next and how do I vote?
Please click here to view the current and proposed versions of the bylaws.
Once you have read the propsal, please return to the original email (from Ballot Bin) and click the link within the email. This will take you to a secure online voting platform which will allow you to cast your vote to accept or reject the amendments.
If you have any SARMAC queries, please contact: Mike Toglia
If you have any technical queries, please contact: Bryan Campbell