By IQ Editors | March 31, 2026
Dear IASSISTers,
Welcome to IASSIST Quarterly Vol. 50 No. 1 .
It is our great pleasure to present the first issue of the 50th volume of IQ. The journal has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1977, when it served as a newsletter reporting on the activities of IASSIST action groups. Over the years IQ has been through several format changes, transferred from a print format to a fully online journal in 2008, and became a full-fledged open access journal, switching to the Open Journal System in 2017. Beyond the changes in formatting, over the years, IASSIST Quarterly developed and transitioned into a peer-reviewed publication, offering our community members a venue to share their research, experience, insight, and best practices for using information technology and data to support research and teaching.
We are delighted to open the new volume with a special double issue, guest edited by members of the Qualitative Social Science and Humanities Data Interest Group (QSSHDIG). This is the second special issue dedicated to qualitative research. While the first one (Vol. 43, No 2) focused on extending data services to qualitative research, this second issue examines the unique challenges of data sharing in the context of qualitative research. Articles in this issue examine qualitative data through the lens of FAIR, CARE, open science, and access. Guest editors Hilary Bussell, Cheryl A. Thompson, Maureen Haaker, and Michael Beckstrand have skillfully guided the editorial process to deliver this collection of research. We are grateful for their expert stewardship.
Finally, we were saddened to learn recently of the passing of Walter Giesbrecht, a long-time IASSIST member. Walter is remembered for his many contributions to the IASSIST community and his mentoring and kindness to those new to the field. We are hoping to include an In-Memoriam honoring Walter in an upcoming issue.
We hope you enjoy engaging with the scholarly work presented in this issue, and we wish you continued inspiration and a sense of renewal in the months ahead.
Ofira Schwartz and Michele Hayslett, March 2026
Submissions of papers for the IASSIST Quarterly are always very welcome. Authors may take a look at the instructions and layout . We are available via e-mail for questions, or proposals for special issues: editor.iassistquarterly ( at ) gmail.com.