Introductions and status taking

As we approach the 2015 annual meeting, the SIG on Research Use is experiencing somewhat of a renewal. In the Fall of 2014 after the previous chair stepped down due to other commitments, I was asked to take over leadership of the SIG and coordinate session review for the 2015 annual meeting. As part of this process, I had the opportunity to reconnect with SIG colleagues and consider ways to re-energize the SIG.

As a result of some hard work and supportive colleagues, we are going in to the 2015 annual meeting in a strong position, with an strong slate of papers and sessions, volunteers in place for all officer positions, a new web site for communication with SIG members, and an exciting proposal for a new journal focused on research use.

In particular, I want to highlight the proposal for a new open-access journal on research use (linked to here). It is my hope that the SIG will embrace the new journal and use it as a tool for strengthening the dissemination and communication of research on research use, as well as increase the value of membership in the SIG (and add to our membership numbers). We hope to engage SIG members as editors, authors, reviewers, and consumers of the new journal.

To that end, Elizabeth Farley-Ripple and I will be bringing the journal proposal to the SIG business meeting for adoption. We hope the membership will joins us to discuss the journal proposal, welcome the newly elected officers, and celebrate the high quality research being presented as part of our program.

An organization is only as active as its membership wants it to be–and with your participation in the activities of the SIG in 2015, we have the potential to substantially strengthen the scholarship around research use.

See you in Chicago!

Dan Laitsch

Chair