151012 infopack peer reviewnig and co writing training

European research network- Bridging the gap- peer reviewing and co-writing training General information There is a wide range of research and educational practice, education and training in the field of youth work across Europe. This is also matched by political understanding and support of issues within the youth field. Based on these contexts, there is still a common need to elaborate and exchange knowledge about youth related issues.

The link between research, youth workers and decision makers, needs to be much stronger. This project seeks to strengthen the research opportunities, and to ensure a high quality in the academic issues to be addressed, by establishing arenas where practitioners, researchers and decision makers can meet and co-create knowledge.

The objectives of this project are: - To create an arena for peer reviewing and development of research - To offer a channel for implementation of methods and models for youth work - To give voice to youth workers in political issues both nationally and at a European level - To enhance systems for the education – policy – best practice triangle The project partners are: Newman University (UK) Politikos tyrimų ir analizės institutas (Lithuania) Stockholms Universitet/University of Stockholm ( Sweden) Haskoli Islands/University of Iceland ( Iceland) POYWE (NGO)( Austria) and Ungdom og Fritid NGO), Norway.

In this TC we also have partners from Latvia (Exolo Latvia Ltd), and Romania (Asociata Centrul pentru Dezvoltare Comunitara Durabila).

How to ensure the voice of the youth worker The partners behind this project were granted funding (K2)for the project TRI-network on open youth work in 2014, which aims to formalize the European research network of open youth work. We are currently implementing this project. TRI—network seeks to strengthen the research opportunities, and to ensure a high quality in the academic issues addressed, by establishing arenas where practitioners, researchers and decision makers can meet. The aim is to create more knowledge about open youth work, about youth, and to disseminate this knowledge. The purpose of this project is to build and establish solid and sustainable arenas for a functional interaction between the system of education and representatives of the field of practices. The TRI-network will develop and publish an academic journal of open youth work. This journal is aimed to be dramatically different in the nature of its praxis.

The starting point is to explore research and share youth work philosophy and methodology from both the youth worker and youth work academic perspective. Its further purpose is to establish a grounded body of knowledge that is based in practice and research, both of which should and could be used to inform social policymakers.

Youth workers should be able to share results of their work, and also be able to withstand peer review of their work. In order to ensure the high quality of content of the academic journal, and for it to really speak to the youth workers, academics and decision makers we intend to ensure that youth workers will be involved in writing articles for the AJ, as well as being peer reviewers and being represented on the editorial board. For an academic journal, peer reviewing is a sign of quality, and we will aim at a high academic level. Still we want the perspectives of youth workers to be represented, also as reviewers of the academic articles.

The peer reviewer role is a process that lasts more than a year, and requires commitment from both writers and reviewers. We will use both academic peers and youth workers as reviewers.

As well as having a peer reviewer role, we will support co-writing. The voice of the youth worker should be present in this journal, either by writing articles, or be represented by the support of academics or as peer reviewers. Co-writing is a process where a researcher cooperates with the youth worker, in order to co-create research, articles or polemics, which reflect the reality of the youth workers.

Peer reviewing gives the authors feedback so that they can improve the quality of their research papers before publication. The peer review system judges the validity, significance and originality of the work. Because it indicates that research has been scrutinized by independent experts in the field, peer review is also an important consideration for policymakers, reporters and the public when weighing up research claims and debates about science. The partnership behind this project are certain that the fact that articles are reviewed by academics as well as practitioners, ensures that practitioners has contributed to the scientific material, in the hope that this makes it even more interesting for the latter stakeholders.

The training It is assumed that a majority of youth workers have no experience in peer-reviewing and co - writing, we will therefore implement training in order to prepare them properly for the task. The training course will also have participants from other countries in the Baltic area and Europe, and through this extension, we will be able to enhance and expand the network. The topics of the training course will be about the two different roles in developing the academic journal, peer reviewing and co-writing.

We are seeking to both understand the lived reality of the youth workers involved and be able to facilitate youth workers to create a language which captures their experiences. Additionally, researchers must be able to share, question and sometimes adapt their vocabulary and models of analysis in order to help illustrate the youth worker's reality. Hence, the training course will be for both parties, but the majority of participants will be the youth workers that are recruited as peer reviewers.

The working methods used during the TC will be: Workshops, theoretical Inputs on peer reviewing, on open youth work, and the education for youth workers. Group activities will cover group tasks/exercises/role play, the cowriting process. The peer reviewing process is characterized by thoroughness, by subjectivity, bias, which are all unmotivated traits. Still, the enhanced validity, the challenge for the youth worker to enter an academic role, and for the researchers to be considered by professionals who knows their research object, are all aspects that will be elaborated and explored.

The training will be centered around reflections, development of definitions and establishing trusting relations between the group of youth workers and researchers. The TC will be divided thematically between peer reviewing and co-writing, whereas the aspects of how to encounter the research field from these very different angles, will be elaborated.

The youth workers and peer reviewers will of course attain different learning outcomes. The youth workers will learn about research, both the purpose of getting more research about their field of practice, and about the limits, possibilities and perspectives of the researchers. More importantly, they will learn to work systematically with academic papers, they will learn analysis and writing.

The researchers will learn about the youth workers perspectives, and they will learn about the co-writing process.

We will seek to establish a network of peer reviewers who will represent the youth work field as well as academic arenas. It will be essential to train these peer reviewers to be able to fairly review articles and papers from both the perspective of practitioner and academic.

It is envisioned that we would send out articles to two peer reviewers, one from each of the identified groups. By the end of the training course, the participants should be able to take part in the development of the academic journal, and to be qualified as a peer reviewer. All participants should be aware of their role in the co-writing process, and motivated to ensure the view of the youth worker in the articles published in the journal.

The training course will be implemented in Daugirdiškės in Lithuania, and the working days are 14th-19th of February 2016. The first day will be about getting to know the network and the other participants, and then the project will be thoroughly described. The result of the training will be membership in the reviewer’s pool, which means that there will be several months without an obligation.

Over the next days, we will go into practical training of co – writing and reviewing, as well as the reflection work on roles, definitions and the interaction between practitioners and researchers.

If you want to be a peer reviewer, or write an article as a youth worker, and NOT participate in the training, please contact the project management: managingdirector@openyouthwork.org Dates February 14th- 19th 2016.

Venue Daugirdiškės, Trakai region, Lithuania. www.daugirdiskes.lt Accommodation We will stay at the training center in Daugirdiškės. Participants will stay in rooms of 3 or 4 people. Each room has a separate shower and toilet. Everyone will get a small and big towel (and additional towels when we will go to Sauna, just bring your own slippers). In the training center there is Wi-Fi Internet connection so you can bring your computer or use the public computer that is provided in the training center to be used by guests. During the project you will be provided with 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), also 2 coffee breaks a day.

What to bring with you: - Bring personal hygienic things (shampoo, soup, tooth brush and etc.)

- Bring medicine if you need some; - If you have a photo camera, video camera, laptop you might take it with you.

- The nearest shop is 5 km away (small one) so if you have special needs bring things with you. There will be 2 times in the program when you will have the opportunity to go to the shop in a bigger town. Trips to shop will be self-organized with support if necessary.

- We will have sauna evening, so bring your sauna’s equipment.

Transportation Norway

Sweden

Iceland

Austria

Romania

UK

Latvia

275 Euro per person

275 Euro per person

360 Per person

275 Per person

275 per participant

275 per participant

180 per participant

Please book your own flights as soon as possible. You will be reimbursed according to the Erasmus + reference price. If you need support arranging travel, please consult with managingdirector@openyouthwork.org.

Requirements for participation Participants will be selected by some criteria.

These are: - Continuity - Experience and ability to connect the professional field with development of knowledge, - Methods and capacity to implement new programs within their field.

- Researchers and academics must both be able to discuss research topics based on the needs for development within open youth work services, as well as an academic study of research topics.

Researcher / academics As a participant, you should be interested in writing and publishing articles in the academic journal that will be released by the end of the project. The project partners will support and encourage initiatives of co- writing.

Youth workers As a youth worker, you must be able to implement new programs or methods based on what you learn during the study trip. You will have to evaluate the process or the results of the implemented projects, and prepare documentation that will be published in the academic journal.

Decision makers The decision makers must be able to implement new models in the services they are responsible for, and if possible, evaluate and publish the results.

How to register/ How to participate?

Each of the partners in the project will be responsible for the group from their country, and will be your contact person. The national contacts will provide the project coordinator with a list of names, age and profession of the participants.

Please tell your national contact if you have any special dietary requirements.

Costs and payments The organisers will cover the cost of accommodation, meals and travel within the limits of Erasmus+ reference rates. Any additional costs for drinks, extra meals etc. will be covered by each participant.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed in exchange of reimbursement forms and documentation such as bills, receipts and boarding passes.

Insurance Each participant is responsible for having a valid travel insurance.

How to be a part of the peer reviewer pool (but not participate in the training in Lithuania)

Peer Reviewing and selection process: In order to become a peer reviewer, you must meet one of the following criteria: You have a deep understanding of youth work practice Or You are actively involved in education, training and research in the field of youth work Or You are involved in lobbying and informing social policy makers at a local, national or European level And You have an ability to undertake or would be willing to do training to become to effective communicators For peer reviewers who will not participate in training, we will invite peer reviewers to forward an example of how they meet at least one of the above criteria.