IAGLR Five-Year Plan 2005-2010

Approved by IAGLR Board of Directors
May 2005

Preface

Download IAGLR Five-Year Plan 2005-2010 (Includes appendices and committee roster; PDF format.)

The International Association for Great Lakes Research is at a crucial point in IAGLR's history. The association has just completed several major initiatives that have propelled IAGLR to a higher level of scientific publishing, promoted our members' expertise, and built the association's credibility as a source of scientific information and policy guidance. The association has also made a major investment in services to the membership and Great Lakes community through the development of the IAGLR web site. This website is now a major item in our budget and may be considered a third major product offered to members, after the Journal and the annual conference. The following is a summary of the major developments since the last Five-Year Plan.

1. The conversion of the Journal's archives to electronic form was a major leap for the organization. And we have continued to move forward. We offer the entire Journal, including every new issue, electronically. The Journal is indexed and searchable through the web site. Members with electronic subscriptions can retrieve articles directly from the index. Nonmembers can retrieve abstracts. The Journal is now featured by all the major abstract services including ISI (Web of Science) and ChemFinder (CAS). As a result of these services the Journal is easily searchable by researchers worldwide, including those who may have never heard of IAGLR nor ever visited the web site. Our journal can now be compared to our peer publications with respect to number of publications, number of citations, impact factors, and citation half-life. A survey of these factors shows that the Journal is well regarded by the scientific community.
2. IAGLR's web site, www.iaglr.org, is now fully functional and rich with information and utility. The newly refurbished web site includes information for the public including press releases about the current journal, free access to the current journal, a calendar of Great Lakes activities, a job announcement board, a research news section, the expert's directory, IAGLR board and committee membership, special reports and fact sheets, abstract submission and registration for our annual conference, a "policyweb" page for our ongoing science-policy initiative, and links to related organizations. The web site also allows us to better serve our membership. In addition to the benefits associated with the Journal, members now have access to a "membersweb" page to renew their membership, vote for board members, and access the member directory and update their own entry. The website also publishes information on IAGLR awards and direct information regarding application deadlines and procedures. The IAGLR board is also better served through a password protected site.
3. Conference preparations have been streamlined and improved. Over a 5-year period IAGLR made significant investment in web services to support the conference and efforts will continue to improve these online resources as needed. Conference attendees can submit and edit abstracts electronically, reserve housing, and submit payment through a secure web site. Conference session chairs can manage their sessions and conference organizers can get real time statistics on attendance by event and monitor other aspects of conference administration. The development of the web site has greatly improved the public face of IAGLR presented to the public and the services provided to our members. The IAGLR website is now an integral component of the conference.

While the Association has made great strides in the past five years, there is still much to accomplish to advance the Association's leadership role in Great Lakes research, education, and outreach, ensure financial sustainability, improve the quality of the Journal, and enhance benefits to our membership. The Five-Year Plan contains the following goals for the next five years:

Goals:

1. Advance Research and Education on Large Lakes of the World and their Watersheds.
2. Increase Scientific Outreach to inform Public Policy and Decision-Making.
3. Ensure the Integrity and Longevity of the Association by focusing on Service to the Membership and Public while maintaining our Financial Sustainability.
4. Continue to Improve the Quality and Scientific Prestige of the Journal of Great Lakes Research by increasing Manuscript Submissions.
5. Expand the Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research to include a venue for Research Planning, Networking, and Professional Development.

Specific Objectives:

The recommendations of the Five-Year Plan Committee are detailed as specific objectives. These objectives are organized under five focus areas: the Journal; association governance; outreach; financial sustainability; and the annual conference.

The rationale in the choice of objectives for this Five-Year Plan is detailed in a series of appendices. Appendix I describes previous Five-Year Plans and details how IAGLR has responded to the specific objectives of the previous plans. Appendix II proposes a new paradigm for IAGLR operations and justifies the recommendation for an Executive Director. Appendix III addresses the needs of the Journal and justifies the recommendation on changes to the funding mechanism for the Journal. Appendix IV discusses the mandate for science and policy outreach and justifies the major priorities for improved outreach, including a recommendation for an Executive Director. Appendix V describes the contents of a Business Plan that should guide IAGLR in addressing the financial implications of some of the recommendations. Appendix VI provides background information about other scientific associations that are comparable to IAGLR. Finally, Appendix VII includes an analysis of the financial state of the organization and presents six scenarios of expenses and income to support items proposed by this Five-Year Plan.