Subject: Expanding Abt’s Thought Leadership Paper Series
From: Mark Spranca <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 19:53:50 +0000

Expanding Abt’s Thought Leadership Paper Series

Building Abt Associates’ Reputational Capital is a focus of the company’s strategic plan. Key elements of reputational capital are thought leadership and visibility. Abt’s staff and diverse portfolio of projects are rich in knowledge and experience that should be disseminated to help the company further enhance our reputation and opportunities for future work.

Following a successful pilot, Abt is expanding the Thought Leadership Paper Series as a vehicle for disseminating highlights of our work. Ted Hammett, an Abt Vice President and Principal Associate in the International Health Division, has been named Editor of the Series. Ted has been with Abt for 33 years, serving in both domestic and international divisions and both in Cambridge and overseas. He has a long record of publication in peer-reviewed journals, primarily on HIV/AIDS issues. Ted will be assisted by an experienced group of Associate Editors representing all divisions and both U.S. - based and field staff.

Types of papers sought

Papers must be based on work carried out under an Abt project or highlight Abt’s expertise and leadership in domains of strategic importance.  Manuscripts should highlight salient methodologies, impact/results, or innovative approaches in research or practice. They may present findings from a specific Abt project or review literature and practice in a programmatic or methodological realm. Submission to the Thought Leadership Paper Series may be more appropriate than to a peer-reviewed journal for some policy-oriented manuscripts or “think pieces,” as well as working papers that may be later revised and submitted to journals.

Authors in all divisions, including Abt SRBI and Abt JTA are encouraged to submit manuscripts. There is no page limit, although concision and clarity will be valued. A style sheet will be provided.

Authors should consider submitting their work both to peer-reviewed journals and the Thought Leadership Paper Series. For papers published first in journals, we would seek permission to post these in the Thought Leadership Paper Series as well. Conversely, authors should be aware that if a paper is published first in Abt’s series it could not normally be submitted to a journal in the same form.  However, revisions of working papers or other manuscripts published in the Thought Leadership Paper Series could be submitted later to journals.

Process for submission and review

Manuscripts may be submitted at any time and authors are encouraged to discuss their ideas for manuscripts with their Division leadership and with series editors.  Upon receipt, an editor and possibly an additional peer reviewer will be assigned.  In most cases, the author will be asked to present the manuscript at a seminar attended by series editors and others interested in the topic. Following the seminar, the author will revise the manuscript for review by the editor and peer referee. The series is committed to a faster track for review and publication than available from most journals. Reviews will be completed within 30 days of submission and papers will be published within 30 days of acceptance.

Publication and dissemination

Papers will be posted on a prominent section of Abt’s website, as well as on the AGI, in .pdf format without restrictions on re-printing. Copies of papers will also be disseminated at major conferences and events.

Support for preparation of manuscripts

Authors are encouraged to leverage contract funds wherever possible. If necessary, they should also explore with their Divisions the possibilities for support from Client Development or Technical Dissemination budgets.  In some cases, corporate support from D&D grants or Mini-D&D grants (contact Jacob Klerman) or Reputational Capital funds earmarked for documentation of impacts or innovations may be available (contact Ted Hammett).

Editors

Editor: Theodore M. Hammett (IHD-Cambridge)

Associate Editors: Elena Besedin (ERD-Cambridge); Omar Dary (IEG-Bethesda);   Tim Kessler (IEG-Mexico); Ayman Abdel Mohsen (IHD-Bethesda); Takondwa Mwase (IHD-Malawi); Ram Ganesan (IHD-India); Jill Khadduri (SEP-Bethesda); and Bill Rhodes (USH-Cambridge

Mark D Spranca, PhD | VP of Reputational Capital and Technical Leadership | Abt Associates

55 Wheeler Street | Cambridge, MA 02138-1168

O: 617.349.2634 | F: 617.386.7650 | www.abtassociates.com

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