H-URBAN VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
H-Urban Position Descriptions

Current Editors | Current Advisory Board Members | Become an H-Urban Editor
H-NET Editor and Board Position Information and Applications
H-Urban Editors and Board Members registered in the H-Net Editors Directory

While H-Net provides basic information and procedures for volunteering for a network like H-Urban, each network has different needs. H-Urban's available positions are briefly described below with additional details on the types of tasks and the estimated time involved.

H-Net formally defines only four positions: List Editor, Review Editor, Web Editor, and Advisory Board Member that require H-Net certification. Within those categories, H-Urban further differentiates responsibilities with additional working position titles, as well as incorporating H-Net's concept of Contributing Editors and Assistant Editors who are not certified under one of H-Net's four formal positions. Under H-Urban, each H-Net position has three possible H-Urban service levels (see details below) that are dependent on field qualifications, the degree of commitment and responsibility, and technological skills:

H-Urban invites scholars and practitioners at all levels to participate in H-Urban in any of the editorial positions available. Editors and Board members must have strong field qualifications related to or within urban history or urban studies; possess good English-language skills; and be able to send, receive, and edit electronic mail on a reliable and regular basis.

In all cases, H-Net and H-Urban encourages the formation of teams of editors across disciplines, professional ranks, and interests.

H-Urban has a place for all degrees of technical expertise—from collecting content to adding HTML coding to documents. While computer literacy is helpful, it is not required for such tasks as Board membership, translations, peer reviews, content contributions, or historiographic essays.  Current editors provide training where necessary, and both H-Net and H-Urban have various support resources for editors.

Assist in the peer-reviewing process and the development of multimedia content: assist editors in making policies for their lists and web sites; review disputes brought to their attention by the list or web editors; serve as "ambassadors" for H-Urban by joining discussions, helping to recruit new editors and board members, developing new threads, and serving as liaisons to professional organizations and the educational community at large. H-Urban Board Members serve a 2-year term, requiring approximately 1 to 5 hours a month.

H-Urban Position: Board Member.

LIST EDITORS

In general, manage, moderate, edit, and participate in policy and procedural discussions relating to H-Urban. Specifically, moderate H-Urban discussions, edit and publish posts, solicit and commission contributions, manage list operations, and work with H-Urban and H-Net to develop and implement editing policies and practices.

List editing is scheduled in 2-week sessions for 2 to 4 times a year, taking 10 to 25 hours a week to perform list editing tasks. Other ongoing tasks require about 1 to 4 hours a month. This is the only position that requires a structured training course by H-Net that can take from 3 to 7 hours to complete.

H-Urban Positions: List Editor; Administrative Editor; Subscription Editor; Survey Editor; Assistant List Editors; Contributing List Editors; Teaching Editors.

REVIEW EDITORS

Process reviews for H-Urban: solicit reviewers; edit reviews; work with online editors to post reviews to H-Urban and H-Net; work with reviewers, authors, and publishers to develop reviews and special feature pieces on materials in print or other media forms; ensure all revisions suggested by the Review Editor are reviewed and approved by the reviewers and that reviews are completed in a timely manner. Supervise Contributing and Assistant Review Editors.

H-Urban Positions: Review Editor; Contributing Review Editor; Assistant Review Editor.

WEB EDITORS

Manage and edit H-Urban WWW pages: develop and store multimedia content that supports teaching, professional development, and research; create new features and design elements; monitor, and where necessary, update information stored at sites; link list content to the web. Maintenance tasks require about 4 to 10 hours a month.

H-Urban Positions: Web Editor; Image and Graphics Editor; Contributing Web Editor; Assistant Web Editor.

Help develop local editorial policies; administer H-Urban technical and specified administrative duties that assist H-Urban Editors and Board members in the completion of their responsibilities. Possible tasks can include one or more of the following: troubleshoot and/or research technical problems; manage Listserv lists; maintain an updated EOD Schedule; compile statistical data on H-Urban activities; and assist in technical training of staff. Maintenance tasks require anywhere from 4 to 20 hours a month, depending on the project.

H-Urban Positions: Administrative Editor; Assistant Administrative Editor.

SUBSCRIPTION and SURVEY EDITORS

Perform subscription creation and maintenance; handle subscription correspondence and subscriber problems; process subscriber surveys; and prepare entries for the H-Urban Scholars Directory. Subscription and survey duties may be split between 2 or more editors. Tasks take about 2 to 10 hours a month.

H-Urban Positions: Subscription/Survey Editor (or Subscription Editor and Survey Editor); Assistant Survey Editor; Statistical Editor.

Solicit, collect, and process (review, edit, and announce) urban-related syllabi, bibliographies, teaching articles, classroom techniques, and curriculum designs. Develop and moderate teaching-related discussions. Supervise design and content of H-Urban Teaching Center web site. Requires approximately 4 to 12 hours a month.

This is an H-Urban specialized position that can be H-Net certified as a List or Web Editor, depending on skill level and tasks handled. Includes Teaching Editor; Assistant Teaching Editor; Contributory Teaching Editor.

WEB LINKS (WEBOGRAPHY) EDITORS

Locate, review, annotate, publish, and update urban-related links for the H-Urban Web Links web site. Check all entries for changes at least every 6 months (takes about 2 days for each major update). Supervise design and content of H-Urban Web Links web site.

This is an H-Urban specialized position that can be H-Net certified as a List or Web Editor, depending on skill level and tasks handled. Includes Assistant Web Links Editor; Contributory Web Links Editor.

Policy and content review and development.

H-Urban Position: Board Member.

Complete the everyday tasks of operating and managing H-Urban's discussion lists and web pages. According to H-Net, "At the core of H-Net's operations are the volunteer editors of web pages, book reviews, and discussion lists, who work with advisory boards of specialists and stakeholders to monitor content and apply professional standards to their service to the educational community."

H-Urban Positions: List Editor; Administrative Editor; Review Editor; Subscription Editor; Survey Editor; and Web Editor.

In coordination with a designated H-Urban certified editor, assist by identifying and developing content within a subject area of expertise for inclusion on the H-Urban Discussion List. Some tasks that fall under this position include: soliciting and collecting content for H-Urban's discussion list or web pages; gathering and posting specific content to the list, such as the table of contents (TOC) from urban-related journals and publications; locating and researching potential web links; writing and submitting an essay based on one's expertise.

H-Urban Positions: Contributing List Editor (such as Teaching Editor; Bibliographies Editor; TOC Editor); Contributing Review Editor; and Contributing Web Editor.

Assist H-Urban with specified editorial duties and assist H-Urban Editors in the completion of their responsibilities. Possible tasks can include one or more of the following: review and edit documents contributed to H-Urban; compile and analyze statistical data on H-Urban activity; and research web resources.

H-Urban Positions: Assistant Administrative Editor; Assistant List Editor; Assistant Review Editor; Assistant Teaching Editor; Assistant Web Editor; and Assistant Web Links Editor.

Call for Editors

Those who wish to join the H-Urban team are encouraged to contact H-Urban by sending a Curriculum Vitae or resume to:

Current needs: List Editors, Review Editors, Web Editors, Image and Graphics Editors, Subscription/Survey Editors, Teaching Editors, Contributing Editors (bibliographies, publications, reviews, web links), and Assistant Editors.