Extension Scholarship and Review Process for Department of Extension Educational Materials
Extension Scholarship
Extension scholarship can take many forms and may include the following types of educational materials:
- Books and book chapters
- Journal articles
- Published conference abstracts and proceedings
- Submitted and funded grant proposals
- Curricula, educational manuals, and teaching guides
- Conference paper and poster presentations
- Fact sheets and bulletins
- Magazine, newsletter, newspaper articles and blog posts
- Educational videos, webinars, and interactive web sites
- Computer programs, simulations, databases, and apps
- Other creative outputs
Peer review of educational materials can enhance credibility, protect your work, and strengthen scholarship credentials. Peer review can be formal and informal; the type of review you might request will vary depending on the scholarly material*.
For example, educational materials created for local use can be shared with colleagues for informal peer feedback. Examples of such materials include magazine, newsletter and newspaper articles, radio interviews, materials created for local programs, etc.
Other educational materials such as blog posts, educational videos, and recorded webinars can receive a more formal review prior to posting. When such materials are produced as part of a larger on-going effort, the review process should be described in writing to inform authors and reviewers of specific expectations regarding such productions.
Books, book chapters, and papers submitted for journal publication or for presentation at national professional meetings are typically involved in a separate review process and are not the subject of a review process coordinated by the Department of Extension. However, obtaining informal feedback from your peers can help you improve your submission.
Electronic or print materials created for statewide (or broader) use such as curricula, fact sheets, bulletins and items for sale through OSU Extension Publications are considered Department of Extension Educational Materials and should undergo a blind peer review coordinated by the appropriate Extension assistant director. When Extension faculty specialists from other departments are authors or co-authors, a review is not required but encouraged. The review process for Department of Extension Educational Materials is described below.
*Note that regardless of the type of review, you are responsible for the accuracy and overall integrity of any educational materials you author or produce for public distribution. Plagiarism and copyright infringements are unacceptable. Use of citations and receiving written permission for materials, pictures, or creative expressions for which you are not the original author is required.
Review Process for Department of Extension Educational Materials
Please contact the appropriate assistant director(s) before starting to work on any new curriculum, fact sheet, bulletin, for-sale OSU Extension Publications item OR when considering major or minor revision of any existing material.
Does the educational material I want to revise or create require formal peer review?
In consultation with the appropriate assistant director(s), a determination will be made as to whether the publication will undergo a blind peer review.
I have drafted materials in Word document format, including desired images/graphics for formal peer review, do I need to focus on publication layout?
Extension Publishing will edit and perform the publication layout after the review process is complete. Authors need not focus on formatting or layout.
I have my draft ready to submit, what comes next?
- Conduct an analysis of the draft content to ensure scholarly integrity using iThenticate. All OSU employees have default access via their name.#. Instructions for use of iThenticate are posted at http://orc.osu.edu/regulations-policies/misconduct/avoiding-plagiarism/.
- Ensure citations are complete and follow APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) standards. Seek appropriate reference material that is published within the past 10 years. According to APA Style, each work cited must appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix).
- Create a separate title page which includes:
- Publication title
- Authors’ full names (this is the only page where authors’ names should be included)
- Author(s), title(s) and institution(s)
- Complete mail address for lead author
- Telephone numbers for all authors
- e-mail addresses for all authors
- Include a 250-word (or less) abstract, including:
- a succinct description of the content
- description of targeted audience
- Attach one electronic copy of materials that do not contain authors’ names or any other identifying information (i.e. blinded).
- Include iThenticate report (as above, not blinded).
- Submit electronically via e-mail to the appropriate assistant director. In the body of the email requesting the review, briefly describe the educational need the materials intend to address. Administrative staff in the AD’s office will facilitate the review process, which may take several weeks, depending on the amount of material to be reviewed. Please plan your timeline accordingly.
- After receiving peer review feedback, making any necessary revisions and upon receiving assistant director final approval, refer to the Publication Request Web Form, on the "For Authors" page at https://extension.osu.edu/publishing. If the item will be a for-sale OSU Extension publication, pricing will be determined at the time of approval.
For more information, contact Greg Davis, chair, Department of Extension at davis.1081@osu.edu.
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Revised May 2020
Revised January 2016; form revised October 2017
Updated peer review form added March 2015
Revised March 2013
Updated November 2009
Administrative Cabinet approved: April 2006