Institute of Professional Editors Limited

IPEd exists to advance the profession of editing, by planning and implementing national initiatives—an accreditation scheme, promotion and communications campaigns, training and mentoring—and other activities to support Australian societies of editors and their members, and editors in general.

IPEd also supports biennial national conferences of editors, which have been held in Brisbane (2003), Melbourne (2005) and Hobart (2007). The next will be in Adelaide in 2009. The conferences are organised and hosted by the local society of editors.

IPEd was launched at the 2005 national conference as successor to the Council of Australian Societies of Editors (CASE) and was registered as an Australian Public Company on 22 January 2008.

How does IPEd operate? IPEd’s membership consists of the societies of editors in Canberra, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia (which also represents Northern Territory editors), Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Council delegates are served by a secretary and liaison officer, both voluntary, and each society is represented by a delegate to the IPEd interim Council. The interim Council meets once or twice a year and holds teleconferences between meetings to maintain progress in activities.

The societies fund IPEd in proportion to their annual membership incomes. Current activities are supported from a seed fund to which the societies have contributed $20 per member. To carry forward its activities, IPEd has several committees, each headed by a convenor.

Criteria for new members of IPEd

An organisation that applies to become a Member of IPEd must fulfil the following criteria:

1. It must be able to demonstrate that its purposes, constitution and activities are fully consistent with and support those of the Institute.
2. Its membership, reckoned in terms of financial members, at the time of application is to be no less than that of the smallest founding Member (c. 70).
3. It must have been legally incorporated in an Australian state or territory as a not-for-profit entity for no less than four (4) years before the date of the application, and show reasonable expectation of continuing its existence in terms of steadily increasing paid-up membership over that period.
4. It must be able to demonstrate its financial viability, keep financial records of its members’ subscriptions, and have its accounts audited annually.

Together with the application form, it must supply a statement of how it plans to contribute to the work of the Institute.~

IPEd publications IPEd publications include the Australian Standards for Editing Practice and a policy covering ethical aspects of thesis editing, the latter developed in collaboration with the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies (Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee).

 What is IPEd working on? Major current activities are:

• consolidating the IPEd secretariat
• conducting the second accreditation exam for Australian editors in September 2009
• holding the fourth national conference for editors in Adelaide in October 2009
• planning a national campaign to raise public awareness of the roles and value of editors
• assessing professional development and mentoring facilities available nationally.

Please feel free to send your comments to your society's IPEd delegate.