In this editorial I want to thank Nina Hood, and recognise her contribution to the revitalisation of ACCESS, and to introduce myself, Nesta Devine, as the new editor.
ACCESS has had some unsettled times since Dr Elizabeth Gresson, then Grierson, left the role. It has been incorporated as part of EPAT, and then reconstituted as an independent, open-access journal associated with EPAT and PESA Agora, with Nina at the helm. Nina has made a major contribution to finding a new voice for ACCESS. Andrew Madjar as the ongoing managing editor ensures the stability and efficiency of the journal.
Nesta has been an Associate Editor of EPAT for many years, and is currently co-editor of the Journal of Teachers’ Work, and Books Editor of the New Zealand Journal of Education Studies. She is a professor at Auckland University of Technology.
Since EPAT is such a successful journal, it is a little difficult to find a space in the world for ACCESS where it is not eclipsed. However, we can do this. Clearly the history and associations of ACCESS invoke a kind of philosophical sensibility, so we can expect articles to be theoretically well informed. Open access is very attractive to those who want to communicate with the world of action, with people who do not have subscriptions to academic journals through their libraries. So for those whose work hovers between the theoretic and the practical, ACCESS should be a good choice. Since this is precisely where Education sits, between theory and practice, we should not be short of appropriate material!
ACCESS was originally (at the University of Auckland in the 1980s and 90s) a journal that showed interest in the politics and sociology of education and we expect that to continue. Elizabeth Grierson introduced a strong leaning towards discussion of Arts education, and we would expect that also to continue.
At present we are reviewing papers with a focus on educational leadership, and have a special issue in the pipeline which will address matters concerning Early Childhood Education. If anyone is keen to suggest or edit a special issue, please get in touch. A ‘focus’ in a general issue does not indicate that we will not accept other, educationally-informed papers. Please remember also that we are happy to accept shorter papers which fit into our ‘commentary’ category.
Nesta Devine
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
