Evaluation report Evaluation report 20142014Finn O’KeefeFinn O’Keefe

HIV AustraliaHIV Australia

profiles issues and current projects in community HIV and research sectors

contributes to conversations about Australia’s HIV response, particularly HIV policy development.

It’s been a busy couple of years …

External evaluation 2014 External evaluation 2014

Consultant Bill O’Loughlin was commissioned by AFAO to conduct a formal review.

2014 evaluation2014 evaluation

editors editors guest editor (Respect and Resilience)guest editor (Respect and Resilience) editorial advisory committee memberseditorial advisory committee members contributorscontributors subscribers subscribers

Interviews conducted with:Interviews conducted with:

Areas evaluated included:Areas evaluated included:

development process and design advisory structure utility as an educational and policy tool feedback from readers and contributors distribution and promotion.

Broad comments

““It is clear that HIV Australia makes a unique It is clear that HIV Australia makes a unique contribution to the HIV policy context and contribution to the HIV policy context and response to HIV in Australia.”response to HIV in Australia.”

Broad comments

Straddles being both an authoritative journal and a magazine

Held in high regard among the community HIV and broader health sector and the research community.

Democratic: community sector and Democratic: community sector and academic work is placed on an equal academic work is placed on an equal footing.footing.

Broad comments

Broad comments

Congruence of views from readers, editors and contributors

Consistency between reader surveys and 2014 evaluation

Strong interest from contributors. Size of editions has gradually increased.

Thematic developmentThematic development

Thematic developmentThematic development

Recommendations:Recommendations:HIV Australia should continue as a monograph.Three editions of HIV Australia should be produced each year.

Editorial advisory committeeEditorial advisory committee

provides guidance on themes of significance meets 1-2 times per year people with HIV sector expertise, includes

members of state-based and national organisations.

Editorial advisory committeeEditorial advisory committee

Recommendation:The HIV Australia Editorial Committee should be continued in its current role and ensure that it represents the broad and diverse Australian community HIV response.

Editorial advisory committeeEditorial advisory committee

Recommendation:The practice of using Guest Editors should be continued when it is identified as appropriate and necessary for the quality and effectiveness of the edition.

Policy and advocacyPolicy and advocacy

HIV Australia makes a unique contribution to the HIV policy context

The thematic editions educate the reader about contextual factors that need to be taken into consideration to inform programming and policy.

Policy and advocacy

“There are consistent and numerous examples of the way that HIV Australia was described as making a special contribution to informing the Australian HIV policy context.”

Policy and advocacy

Each edition “engages the reader in dialogue and reflection and thus provides them with the ability to be actively engaged in thinking and then have that influence their work, be it program or policy.”

Reader feedbackReader feedback

Reader feedbackReader feedback

Readers describe the publication as not being as intimidating as a journal but still having a similar legitimacy.

Reader feedbackReader feedback

Readership has good engagement and recall of each edition

Values receiving a printed monograph Achieves its purpose of addressing in depth a

range important topical issues about HIV.

Reader feedbackReader feedback

Academics state that, whilst they fully appreciate that HIV Australia is not an academic journal, they are aware that other academics in their field read it.

Contributor feedbackContributor feedback

Evaluation states that “every person who had written an article for HIV Australia and was contacted for comment was glowing about their experience of working with the HIV Australia staff.”

Contributor feedbackContributor feedback

Staff from national HIV research centres said “they consider it an important publication to have their work appear in.”

Vol 11.3 Respect and resilience

current and emerging HIV-related issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Edited by James Ward and Michael Costello Artwork by Arone Meeks

Thematic editions Thematic editions Vol 11.3: Respect and resilienceVol 11.3: Respect and resilience

Vol 11.3 Respect and resilienceVol 11.3 Respect and resilience

“The edition was very popularly received within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV, health, research and community sectors, and this was mainly due to their recognising that members of their community had created, and mostly, written it.”

Vol 11.3 Respect and resilienceVol 11.3 Respect and resilience

Strong focus on research and community Launched at ASHM 2013 Distributed at AIDS 2014 and indigenous pre

conference Considered to remain relevant for some time.

Vol 11.3 Respect and resilienceVol 11.3 Respect and resilience

Described as “a unique opportunity to present critical information and analysis from a perspective that could not have been addressed in any other format and reached such a wide and audience.”

Vol 12.2: Vol 12.2: HIV and relationshipsHIV and relationships

This edition explored the theme of HIV and relationships through research, personal and historical accounts, and the lived experience of people with HIV

featured content from specialist HIV research centres alongside community content.

Vol 11.4 HIV and relationshipsVol 11.4 HIV and relationships

Vol 11.4 HIV and relationshipsVol 11.4 HIV and relationships

thematic approach gave a deeper understanding of the topic and uses a range of perspectives to build that understanding for the reader.

Vol 11.4 HIV and relationshipsVol 11.4 HIV and relationships

Researchers commented that the personal accounts contained themes which compounded the value research topics, enhancing the readers’ experience.

Vol 11.4 HIV and relationshipsVol 11.4 HIV and relationships

Extremely well received at AFAO educators’ conference.

Distribution and promotionDistribution and promotion

AFAO membership and broader HIV, health and research organisations

libraries and online databases social media.

Distribution and promotion

“Virtually all of the allocated AFAO staff time is dedicated to getting the edition published and there is limited time and resources available then to apply towards promotion.”

Distribution and promotionDistribution and promotion

Recommendation:Simple strategies should be implemented to remind the HIV community sector that back copies of HIV Australia are available on the AFAO website and that they can be of value for their work.

Distribution and promotionDistribution and promotion

Recommendation:The magazine should continue to be printed in hard copy, particularly as a way of encouraging readership of the entire set of articles in an edition.

How you can participateHow you can participate

Contribute / read Share call outs Display at your reception area Share articles AFAO happy to forward additional copies.

Email usEmail us

editor@afao.org.au