Why we’re launching an academic journal… for non-academics?

The importance of academic research in promoting social change cannot be understated. By conducting rigorous studies and publishing their findings, academics are able to shed light on crucial issues and offer solutions that can help to improve the lives of people all over the world. In addition, academic research can help to raise awareness of social problems and mobilise support for change. Whether it’s research on the link between poverty and poor health that has helped to galvanise public support for initiatives to combat poverty, or research on the harms caused by child labor that has led to calls for laws and regulations to protect children from exploitation, we know that academic research can be a powerfully tool for promoting social change.

Our founder Tiyana J has become acutely aware of the barriers to allowing academic research to promote social change, particularly when it comes to those at the grassroots being able to access innovative and current research… which is why in the midst of her PhD, she set out to launch an academic journal that prioritises real-world impact and innovation. There’s a lot of important knowledge locked up in academic journals. But unless you’re a student or researcher at a university, you probably don’t have access to most of it. And that’s a shame, because this knowledge can be used to improve people’s lives. Making academic journals and knowledge accessible to everyone would allow us to identify the gems that could make a real difference in the world. So, we’re ready to lead the change by opening up the ivory towers and let the good ideas flow!

With a vision founded on becoming an internationally-recognised trans/multi-disciplinary publication, the ChangeMaking Journal (originally to be titled the Changing Times Journal to align with our transmedia news platform) takes a transmedia approach to research and storytelling for social impact, whilst retaining academic rigour and integrity. The aim of the journal is to make the latest innovative research accessible to those engaged in grassroots action and promoting social change, and to allow lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, the arts, and citizen-lead projects to inform academic research.

A Transmedia Approach

What is transmedia storytelling? In a nutshell, it’s telling a story across multiple platforms. This could involve anything from creating a website or app to complement a movie or TV show, to developing an entire universe of characters and stories that span multiple mediums. Why transmedia? Well, for one thing, it allows storytellers to engage with audiences in new and exciting ways. It also enables stories to be told in a more immersive way, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. And last but not least, it gives audiences the opportunity to interact with the story in a variety of ways, making for a more personal and unique experience. There’s no denying that it’s a powerful tool for engage audiences and transporting them into new worlds; and we don’t think that the world of social change should be exempt from offering transmedia experiences.

Embracing Non-Traditional Forms of Academic Knowledge

There’s more to academic knowledge than the traditional empirical forms of knowledge, that can add their own value to the tapestry of human knowledge and how we make sense of the world. you learn in school. In fact, there are many different forms of knowledge that can add value to both communities of research and practice:

• Lived experience: What you learn from your own life experiences can be just as valuable as what you learn from a textbook. After all, who knows better than you do about the things that have happened to you?

• Community knowledge: The things we learn from the people we work with can be invaluable. Whether it’s learning about a different culture or simply getting a different perspective on an issue, community knowledge can broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding of the world.

• Expertise: If you have expertise in a particular field, particularly from hands-on experience tackling the issues you care about, that knowledge is also valuable. Whether you’re an expert in history or science or art, or the oral histories of your community, your expertise can add another layer of understanding to the things we know about the world.

All of these forms of knowledge are important, and each one can contribute to our overall understanding of the world.

Addressing the Practice-Research divide

In many fields, there is often a disconnect between researchers and practitioners. Researchers may be focused on conducting studies and publishing papers, while practitioners are focused on working directly with clients. This disconnect can lead to a lack of communication and collaboration, which can ultimately hinder social change.

There are several reasons why the gap between researchers and practitioners exists. One reason is that they often have different priorities. Researchers may be more interested in pursuing knowledge for knowledge’s sake, while practitioners may be more interested in applying that knowledge to help people in need. Another reason is that they often have different skillsets. Researchers generally have more training in research methods and statistics, while practitioners generally have more training in social work practice. Finally, they often operate in different contexts. Researchers typically work in academia, while practitioners typically work in direct service settings.

Despite the challenges, it is important for researchers and practitioners to find ways to collaborate effectively. When they do, they can create a powerful force for social change. By pooling their resources and expertise, they can develop innovative solutions to complex social problems. They can also serve as check on each other’s work, ensuring that it is of the highest quality possible. Ultimately, only by working together can researchers and practitioners hope to make a lasting difference in the world.

How you can get involved

We are currently seeking editorial board members. If you’d like to be a founding editorial board member of the Changing Times Journal, please send your CV & cover letter to the HCN team!

All members of our editorial board must have a background in research with relevant qualifications, and demonstrated experience taking grassroots action or promoting social change, or relevant lived experience. Members of the editorial board span across disciplines, but share a passion for creating knowledge in a collaborative spirit, and openly sharing innovative research for real-world impact. These commitments guide us in defining our editorial policy and processes, which aim to be fair and constructive to authors, effective and efficient.

The Editorial Board is not financially incentivised to accept articles— this ensures an independence between the publisher’s (Humanitarian Changemakers Network) responsibility to grow and promote the journal and the responsibility of the editors to shape the direction of research.

Associate Editors

Associate Editors are high-impact researchers with a recognised affiliation, and recognised leaders in their field. Associate Editors make an initial assessment to ensure a submitted manuscript fits within the scope of the journal and is academically robust. They invite suitable Specialty/Field Editors and Review Editors to engage with authors during the collaborative review process. Based on the recommendations these reviewers provide, and ensuring all quality, validity and ethical standards have been met, Associate Editors make the final decision on acceptance and work alongside the author to explore options and create transmedia content to disseminate and communicate the research to the wider community.

Specialty Editors

Specialty Editors are active experts in their field, with a proven track record of research experience. Their role is to determine whether manuscripts (submitted by community members or non-academic researchers) will provide useful insights that are relevant to researchers or the broader academic community.

Field Editors

Field Editors have an established career with a broad understanding of their whole field and an extensive network of fellow experts or people with lived experience. Their role is to determine whether manuscripts (submitted by researchers) have the potential for real-world impact.

Review Editors

Review Editors should hold a PhD and have post-doctoral experience, or an equivalent degree with several additional years of academic work, or the equivalent number of years to a recognised qualification in the relevant field of research. Review Editors should also have a recognised affiliation and a proven publication record in the specialty area. Review Editors receive regular invitations to provide an expert review of submitted manuscripts in a collaborative, transparent, and efficient manner during the peer review process. They provide an independent review report after which they interact with the authors directly to help improve a manuscript.