Articles of Association of the Asian Qualitative Inquiry Association

Chapter 1  General Provisions

Article 1 (Name) This association shall be called the Asian Qualitative Inquiry Association (hereinafter the “Association”).

Article 2 (Purpose) At a time when the internationalization and diversity of life and international cultural research in scholarship have made it more necessary than ever to move beyond Western-centered thought, inquiry, and cognition toward new reinterpretation and understanding of the non-Western and the East and toward new possibilities of inquiry, the purpose of the Association is to generate and disseminate non-Western and Asian discourse on qualitative research within this new cultural, scholarly, and relational landscape.

Chapter 2  Activities

Article 3 (Activities) To achieve the purpose under Article 2, the Association undertakes the following activities:

1. Holding academic conferences

2. Publishing the journal and newsletters

3. Holding seminars on the process of conducting qualitative research

4. Conducting domestic and international interdisciplinary joint research

5. Other activities necessary to achieve the purpose of the Association

Chapter 3  Members

Article 4 (Eligibility) Any person who endorses the purpose of the Association and observes the obligations of a member may become a member.

Article 5 (Institutional Members) An organization wishing to receive the publications of the Association may become an institutional member by paying the prescribed dues.

Article 6 (Lifetime Members) A person wishing to become a lifetime member upon joining may do so by paying the prescribed dues in a lump sum. Dues are not refunded even if a lifetime member withdraws from the Association.

Article 7 (Rights) Members have the right to participate in and vote on all activities of the Association and to receive its publications. However, institutional members do not have voting rights.

Article 8 (Obligations) Members are obligated to pay the prescribed dues. A member who has not paid dues for one year or more loses membership.

Chapter 4  Officers

Article 9 (Officers) The following officers are established to operate the Association:

1. One President

2. Ten regional steering committee members (one per Asian country)

3. One Director of General Affairs and about ten domestic and international directors

4. One Editor-in-Chief

5. One Auditor

Article 10 (President) The President represents the Association, oversees its affairs, and convenes and chairs the general meeting and committees other than the editorial board.

Article 11 (Steering Committee Members) Steering committee members assist the President and deliberate on and manage various practical matters.

Article 12 (Directors) Directors attend the board of directors and deliberate on and resolve its affairs.

Article 13 (Editor-in-Chief) The Editor-in-Chief oversees all matters concerning the publication of the Association's journal and represents the editorial board.

Article 14 (Auditor) The Auditor audits the activities and finances of the Association and reports the results to the regular general meeting.

Article 15 (Election) Officers are elected or appointed as follows:

1. The President and the Auditor are elected at the general meeting by a majority of the members present.

2. The Director of General Affairs, directors, and steering committee members are appointed by the President.

3. The Editor-in-Chief is appointed by the President.

Article 16 (Term) The term of office of officers is two years and may be renewed consecutively. The term of office of the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members is likewise two years and may be renewed consecutively. The term of an officer filling a vacancy is the remaining term of the predecessor.

Article 17 (Advisors) Academic figures who advise and support the operation of the Association may be invited as advisors; decisions thereon are made by the steering committee.

Article 18 (Secretary) A paid or unpaid secretary may be appointed to carry out the affairs of the Association smoothly.

Chapter 5  Meetings

Article 19 (Composition) The meetings of the Association comprise the general meeting, the various committees, and the board of directors.

1. The general meeting consists of the members present and resolves by a majority thereof. The regular general meeting is held once a year, and an extraordinary general meeting is convened by the President at the request of one-third or more of the members or on the President's initiative.

2. The board of directors consists of the President, the Director of General Affairs, directors, and the Auditor, and resolves by a majority of the directors present (including the Director of General Affairs). It is convened by the President at the request of one-third or more of the directors or on the President's initiative.

3. The steering committee, the editorial board, and the research ethics committee are established and operated as standing bodies; each consists of the members present and resolves by a majority thereof.

4. Other committees are organized and convened by the President as needed.

Article 20 (General Meeting) The functions of the general meeting are as follows:

1. Election of the President and the Auditor

2. Establishment of activity plans

3. Resolution of the budget and settlement of accounts

4. Amendment of the articles of association

5. Deliberation and resolution of other important matters

Article 21 (Board of Directors) The board of directors deliberates on and resolves matters delegated by the general meeting, profit-making activities, expenditure of development funds, recommendation of the next President, and disciplinary matters concerning members; a member who is the subject of such deliberation may not participate in the vote.

Article 22 (Steering Committee) The steering committee is a body that plans and deliberates on all matters concerning the operation of the Association, composed of steering committee members appointed by the President. A regional director is constituted by one representative per Asian country to conduct its meetings.

Article 23 (Editorial Board) The editorial board is a body that plans and deliberates on all matters concerning the Association's journal, composed of an Editor-in-Chief appointed by the President and editorial board members recommended by the Editor-in-Chief and appointed by the President, operated as follows:

1. The editorial board plans and deliberates on all matters concerning the publication of the journal.

2. The authority to convene and operate the editorial board rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

3. The term of office of the Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members is two years and may be renewed consecutively.

4. Editorial board members are appointed from among members who are experts in qualitative research and scholars closely connected to the mission of the Association, taking into account the following:

   ① A faculty member or researcher at a domestic or foreign university or research institution, or a member recommended by the Editor-in-Chief

   ② A member with substantial research achievements in qualitative research or a related field, whose scholarly competence is recognized by the editorial board

   ③ A member able to contribute to the international and interdisciplinary aims of the Association; for domestic members, registration as a researcher with the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) is encouraged where applicable

Article 24 (Research Ethics Committee) A research ethics committee is established as a standing body within the Association to deliberate on all matters related to research ethics. The composition, operation, and all other matters concerning the research ethics committee follow the separate Regulations for Research Ethics.

Chapter 6  Finance

Article 25 (Finance) The financial management and operation of the Association are as follows:

1. The expenses of the Association are covered by members' dues and other revenue.

2. The fiscal year of the Association runs from January 1 to December 31.

Supplementary Provisions

Article 1 (Effect) These articles of association take effect on January 1, 2022.

Article 2 (Miscellaneous) Matters not provided for in these articles follow the general practices of association operation.

Article 3 (Amendment) The articles amended by resolution of the general meeting take effect on January 1, 2024.