The American Association of Adult Continuing Education (AAACE) has been asked to partner with Wiley-Blackwell Publishers in the creation of a multi-volume, hybrid print and online, comprehensive reference work on the field of adult education.  In the online version, all entries will contain hyperlinks to relevant book and/or journal content and websites at both AAACE and Wiley-Blackwell.  The intent is to create an authoritative gateway for adult educators, educational researchers, and policy makers interested in learning more about adult education.  The American Association of Adult Continuing Education’s Board of Directors supports the project as a research tool and way of raising awareness of the importance of our field.

We seek a senior scholar to direct the project as General Editor.  However, we are also open to other organizational designs in the editing/managing this reference work (e.g., Co-general Editors; Editorial Team) who would all share the responsibilities and benefits of this project. This would entail: determining the scope and organization of the work (for instance, determining if the entries should be thematic or chronological, and choosing a useful, engaging mix of accessible overviews of important issues, debates, trends, and luminaries in the field, based on primary and secondary sources and case studies), soliciting scholars to write entries, assembling a team of Associate Editors to help manage the work, and creating and adhering to a schedule of completion for the project.  Wiley hopes to publish the volume within three to four years of our signing an agreement.

The General Editor (or Editorial Group) would be compensated with an advance, a share of the royalties, and unlimited free online access. AAACE would also receive a share of the royalties.

For examples of other reference works in the Wiley-Blackwell catalog see the International Encyclopedia of Communication (www.communicationencyclopedia.com) and Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (www.sociologyencyclopedia.com).  Note that these encyclopedias are larger than what is expected from an AAACE reference work. If you would like more expanded access, please contact Amy Rose at the email below.

If you are interested in being considered, please submit a CV and a letter of intent that outlines your vision for the project, including preliminary thoughts on how this work will complement and extend AAACE’s current publications (http://www.aaace.org); in particular please address the ways this would be distinguished from the current Handbook series that AAACE publishes every ten years; how you might organize the work; and finally an estimate of when you might be able to begin and complete it. General Editors must be members of AAACE. Please send a letter of intent to submit a proposal byJanuary 1, 2015 to AAACE Publications Chair, Amy D. Rose at arose@niu.edu . Full applications will be due to her by March 1, 2015. The Wiley editor has given us some general organizational suggestions for the volume, which we would be happy to send to anyone interested in taking on this important project.