Another good piece of advice is to position your role as mentoring and leadership when talking to appraisers, performance managers and promotions committees. Editors enjoy the excitement of seeing new research before it is published, and of shaping their disciplines via their decisions, both on which special issues to commission and on which manuscripts to accept (experimental design is the single most important factor you look at – all other things can be fixed). Nirbhay N. Singh; Publishing model Hybrid (Transformative Journal). The complete history of every submission is all there. Andrew Zydney is distinguished professor of chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Membrane Science. The aim of this program is to offer a quick, constructive and … He is on the editorial boards of Plos Biology, BioEssays, the Journal of Theoretical Biology and others. When it does occur, it’s an easy thing for editors to spot and fix. I spend too much time mopping the tears of frustrated peer reviewers when they’ve lost their work to a crash. Writing for journals myself, I know that there is nothing more depressing than waiting for four months and then getting a one-line rejection. Some provide reviews with so little detail that they are almost useless. [Elite]5,799 Client Reviews236,409 Pages Edited, M.A. Get a month's unlimited access to THE content online. You'll get full access to our website, print and digital editions. The high points of the job? Lack of imagination about other cultures of thought and alternative standards of evidence addled Bateson’s judgement. Journal editors provide a critical function in scholarly communication and we aim to provide the guidance and support needed to publish exceptional research. But, for me, it points towards the best reason to spend up to an afternoon a week reading manuscripts that are often of only modest interest to you, and then finding and chasing reviewers for them. The editor-in-chief is the lead editor and ultimately responsible (usually by a contractual arrangement) for the academic content of the journal. But that's just the beginning when it comes to our editing … But there were challenges. Don’t be a titular editor with a low work rate. Submissions from authors who have clearly never read the journal and send us 40 pages of econometrics, with 15 tables and 30 charts, all in the style of a bad PhD draft. We know all of the ins and outs of journal manuscripts, but we have also edited thousands of other types of academic writing from undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and university faculty members. It was an onerous administrative job, but it still managed to be an exciting and stimulating intellectual challenge, and I am proud of the influence the journal has had. But as 2020 nears its end amid fairy lights and optimism about vaccines, six academics tell us the bright spots they managed to find amid the gloom – from human connections to elasticated waistbands, Authors express ‘deep regret’ after independent review finds conclusions of research are not supported, Academics will have to pay up to £7,800 for free-to-read option, Research scheme advocated by Dominic Cummings may provide template for streamlined grants process in future. Australian Studies was first published by the British Australian Studies Association in 1988, the year that marked the bicentenary of the white settlement/invasion of Australia. My experience has been that editing is far more rewarding than many other scholarly tasks. The purpose of an academic journal, according to Henry Oldenburg (the first editor of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society), is to give researchers a venue to "impart their knowledge to one … Academic Journals employs a three-stage review process – editorial office, external review and editors’ decision. Elevate your journal and continue to nurture its growth through every stage of the publishing process. And although you often hear objections to peer reviewers’ abuses of power, I’ve rarely come across a referee playing the role of callous or self-interested gatekeeper. Print headline: Ringmaster, juggler and tightrope walker. So are rude, offensive or biased ones. You can communicate with your editor before, during, and after your project via messages and teleconferencing, meaning that you and your academic editor will always be on the same page for as long as you need the help. These mega journals can have editorial boards that include thousands of editors. Learn about publishing Open Access with us Journal metrics 3.581 (2019) Impact factor 4.559 (2019) Five year impact factor 76 days Submission to first decision 254 days Submission to acceptance 646,834 (2019) Downloads I know a division in a society has a division journal. Astonishingly, materials and methods sections are often copied verbatim from other papers. I tried (usually) to deliver the bad news in the most encouraging way possible, silently correcting any failures by the reviewers to be polite and constructive. The Review of English Studies, published since 1925, is a big operation. Registration is free and only takes a moment. I’ve had an opportunity to interact with all the leading researchers in my field, both as authors and as referees. Bateson was a person of such integrity that his verdict likely had no sinister motivation. Sometimes that is because the topic lacks novelty or is not suitable for our journal. The number of scholarly journals continues to increase, among them several “mega journals”. in Psychology from Rutgers University, [Elite]567 Client Reviews15,281 Pages Edited, J.D. But, apart from the futility of such behaviour – Morgan went on to win the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the chromosomal theory of inheritance – it is simply unethical. https://www.servicescape.com/services/editing/academic, https://www.servicescape.com/img/landing/academic.jpg, https://www.servicescape.com/img/fav/og.png. Our rejection rate is quite high: between 75 and 80 per cent. This can improve your own practice. My best advice is to be fair but firm – you need to listen to what the authors have to say, but you should never back down when the evidence is clear. See initiatives like radicalopenaccess for more info. This meant that we could extend our remit into the wider realms of the subject as it grew with the rise of interest in text and image manipulation, hypertext and, most significantly, the internet – and also contribute to that growth by our efforts. And you don’t receive any pay for your troubles – or even any time in lieu. Not every editor is so fortunate. Since 1996, MDPI has grown into a publishing house with over 200 journals and further offices in Beijing and Wuhan (China), Barcelona (Spain) and Belgrade (Serbia). Government-driven funding cuts at the NLA meant that it could no longer support any further editions; the existing ones would be archived in a system ominously named Pandora. So, what exactly are you writing? Everybody loves to hate information management systems, and we all have our special bête noire. She gained extensive experience as an academic editor – working on journal articles, PhD theses, postgraduate dissertations, and more, from diverse academic domains – before naturally progressing to the role of Senior Editor. Editorial boards generally undergo a complete revision every two or three … Nirbhay N. Singh; Publishing model Hybrid (Transformative Journal). (Or nearly always; just occasionally someone melts down about a book review.) Current and former editors advise would-be gatekeepers on why you'll need the skills … There are over 21 online academic journal editor … Of course there are downsides to getting involved with journal editing. Another big challenge is dealing with plagiarism. For a few years, I was intensely proud of Australian Studies. Len Shackleton is professor of economics at the University of Buckingham and editor of Economic Affairs. The MDPI Editorial Process. I had been the associate editor of the journal’s genomics and bioinformatics section for seven years, so I felt like I knew how things worked. The low-stress way to find your next online academic journal editor job opportunity is on SimplyHired. Many never respond to requests, despite multiple reminders. Don't believe us? Try to copy-edit at least one manuscript a month and you will notice the difference in your own writing. The low-stress way to find your next online academic journal editor job opportunity is on SimplyHired. Elsevier also has an extensive number of resources to help new and With my review editor, Juan Castaneda, I try to find people to write our long review essays. Upon receiving your project, your chosen editor will carefully note any instructions you may have provided, including whether you need British or American English, or if you need it to conform to a certain style guide. While there is only one truth, there are many paths towards new knowledge, with different levels of attractiveness to different scientists. MDPI is an academic open access publisher based in Basel, Switzerland, and was initially founded in 1996 to collect and preserve rare chemical research samples. Moreover, some scientists focus primarily on the elegance of those paths, while others are more impressed by the beauty of the destination. When do you need your writing edited? More often than not, authors ask me to thank the reviewers for the difference they’ve made, even when we’ve had to recommend resubmission elsewhere. But the role comes with responsibility. It’s an efficient, companionable structure that works very well. But while they do, editing is a stimulating task and has benefits for both authors and readers that other forms of academic communication may struggle to emulate. Rebecca reviews academic … While comments from authors in the field have been gratifying about my efforts, 'official' recognition of the work involved has not been forthcoming. One author cheerfully compares our submission system to those “intelligent nature” videos where a crow pulls matchsticks in sequence from Perspex tubes until a peanut drops out. If it's urgent and you require delivery sooner than our standard turnaround times, then just submit an Express Delivery project. With ServiceScape, you can rest assured that whomever you work with is ready to provide the very best service possible. I end up doing editorial work at all times of the day and night, both when I am home and when I am travelling: I easily put in 10 or more hours a week. William Bateson had been founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Genetics for four years when he received Thomas Hunt Morgan’s manuscript describing a first physical mapping of the positions of genes on all the chromosomes of the fruit fly. in English from Brigham Young University, [Elite]665 Client Reviews22,097 Pages Edited, B.S. Just register and complete your career summary. Our handpicked editors are able to bring a whole new perspective to the table and will make sure that your tone is consistent and that your writing is free from error. Current and former editors advise would-be gatekeepers on why you'll need the skills of a ringmaster – and more. The professional editorial staff of Academic Medicine developed this author resource center to give you a brief introduction to the journal and its editorial focus. Mike Smith is database manager at the Royal Geographical Society and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Maps. We have a large community, but the competence and commitment of its members is variable when it comes to reviewing. But editing a small journal in a small field means that you inevitably know many of the authors who are submitting, making the difficult task of rejection even harder. We would like to speed up the process, but this can happen only if more of our fellow scientists are willing to perform peer reviews, and are able to do so in a timely manner. in TESOL Education from the University of North Carolina, [Elite]1,385 Client Reviews60,252 Pages Edited, Ph.D. in English from the University of Nebraska, [Elite]1,165 Client Reviews42,556 Pages Edited, [Elite]933 Client Reviews41,997 Pages Edited, B.A. The key is to stay on top of the process, making sure that extra referees are drafted in quickly whenever needed. Exerting the opportunity to silence your rivals or promote your friends is one potential reward for the many hours the role takes up (far more than could possibly be merited by the prestige of one extra line on your CV). The ever-increasing demand for leading scholars to populate editorial boards has led to researchers frequently and repeatedly receiving invitations to join editorial boards. It can be tempting to take the path of least resistance and opt for the authors’ suggested reviewers, but there may be conscious or unconscious bias in their selections. Liz Schafer is professor of drama and theatre studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. What about an 80,000 word thesis? Web of Science and Google Scholar can help you find impartial referees in the right area with good publication records and appropriate affiliations. It was delivering top-quality research, commentary and discussion completely free, and achieving phenomenal hit rates, not just in Australia and the UK but internationally. Despite the downsides, I would recommend journal editorship to anyone. This has a large resource on the topic of ethical conduct of journal editors… MDPI operates a rigorous peer-review process. This is annoying, and we now respond only to serious issues – otherwise Maria’s and my days would be gone entirely. The downsides? I deal with large numbers of emails from authors, many relating to our high-tech submission, permissions and proofing systems. I did not hesitate when Elsevier offered me the chief editorship of the Journal of Biotechnology, which I took up earlier this year. 448 Journal Editor jobs available on Indeed.com. Receiving original, well-written pieces that you know will go down well with readers, and getting unsolicited praise from authors pleased with how we have refereed or edited their work. This can be incredibly frustrating, yet it is still my responsibility to ensure that every submission receives fair consideration – trying to blame the referees never goes over well with authors. So he rejected Morgan’s manuscript. Digital access to all four of our journals … I edit Economic Affairs, a subscription journal published by the University of Buckingham and the Institute of Economic Affairs. They must then be personalised on every outing. I often doubt it. Once registered you can read a total of 3 articles each month, plus: Already registered or a current subscriber? The number of scholarly journals continues to increase, among them several “mega journals”. I do so in spite of a 'workload model' that does not recognise it adequately. Christoph W. Sensen is head of the Institute of Computational Biotechnology at the Graz University of Technology, Austria, and is chief editor of the Journal of Biotechnology. Being an editor certainly isn’t for everyone. Therefore, they understand the level of English proficiency that is required for an article to be published in a high impact journal. This is what happened to Australian Studies. Editorial Board members are selected by the journal’s editor(s), with input from the publisher. Furthermore, our academic editors are broken down into over 20 subdisciplines, making it easy to browse our directory and to find a professional who knows your subject matter inside and out. I am firmly on the side of the reclaimers of knowledge - and I would never relinquish a whole well respected journal, like Australian Studies, because it was setting a path that we all need to follow (despite the workload). Les Hatton and Gregory Warr give their two-pronged solution to the problems of peer review, Wise and honourable assessors of grant applications must be allowed to use their discretion, says Sui Huang, Professor finds 86 English-language journals on the sector and lists the 28 ‘most reputable’, Scholars are ignorant of many aspects of peer review, and part of the problem is that researching it is a bit like kicking the hornet’s nest, says Martin Eve, The past 12 months will live long in the memory, for all the wrong reasons. One was the journal’s interdisciplinarity. Journal editors provide a critical function in scholarly communication and we aim to provide the guidance and support needed to publish exceptional research. When writing, focus on a story that progresses logically, rather than the chronological order of the experiments that you did. That is the opportunity to exercise your idealism: to practise the untaught art of staying above the fray to promote good science. It’s important, of course, not to be seduced by the time-saving features. AMA Academic Journals publish the latest peer-reviewed research aimed at advancing our industry and equipping business professionals with the insight needed to make better managerial decisions. One-line reviews are worse than no review. The most important thing is to ensure that the review system is as efficient and honest as possible. Don’t be afraid to reject a review if it fails on any of these scores. But also it is worth remembering there is a battle going on for academics to reclaim journal publishing from the big 5 profit-making corporations, in order to make it cheaper and Open Access - one publisher is in dispute with Projekt Deal in German universities right now. Most colleagues recognise that you should referee several pieces for each one you write. It’s important work, and there’s no better way to keep abreast of the best new research. Browse profiles and reviews of top rated academic editors and have your academic writing professionally edited today. The Editor-in-Chief is paid over $65000 per year and several associate editors … There’s always something to learn about the role, from day-to-day management to long-term strategy. On the whole, I enjoyed the level of engagement and commitment. However, I also get quite a number of compliments. After all, who’s going to agree to spend hours, pro bono, on peer review when the invitation email was obviously auto-generated? We try to offer a verdict within four weeks, and we supply authors with detailed responses that give them something constructive to think about, whether positive or negative. An editor should also familiarize themselves with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ‘Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors’. Will peer-reviewed journals survive? If you think that Academic Medicine is the right venue for your article, explore this Web site and read past issues of the journal. She was editor of Australian Studies. Not rejecting too quickly is difficult, but it is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a good editor. The best way to ensure that is to get involved. There is always an issue about to come out, as well as one in proof and one being assembled from accepted papers. There are over 21 online academic journal editor careers waiting for you to apply! After receiving the edited version, you can accept and reject any edit using the Track Changes feature within Microsoft Word®. The complete review cycle for a submission takes an average of three to four months, with most of that time waiting for external reviewers to send their verdicts. This is the premier international publication in the membrane field and, at that time, there had been fewer than 10 editors in its 30-year history, so I was truly honoured. I agree with previous posts that being an editor has several benefits, fame, service, and recognition, to name a few. Academic English editors in your field will review the language in your manuscript, abstract, thesis, grant, or academic book to ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly and accurately. Need a research grant proposal edited? Selecting Editorial Board members. While the bar for accepting a manuscript must be set high, an equally high bar must be set for rejection in order to give innovation a chance. These mega journals can have editorial boards that include thousands of editors. And I’ve been able to help a large number of young researchers improve their publications, through both my own comments and those of the referees. While this dramatically speeds the editorial process, it also obliges me to explain my decision to the authors. Editorial Board Joint Managing Editors. It was one of those offers you couldn’t refuse – as was the invitation, five years later, to step up to editor-in-chief. In fact, the generosity of peer reviewers with their time and expertise is one of the most gratifying things about journal editorship. Academic Journals will not disclose submitted manuscript to anyone except individuals who partake in the processing and preparation of the manuscript for publication (if accepted). Most peer reviewers are strenuously committed to making scholarship as strong as possible, and to helping juniors advance their careers. Journal information Editor-in-Chief. Although I had brilliantly supportive colleagues – Emma Cox and Tim Causer – working alongside me, the reality was that, as a theatre specialist, I often had no idea who were the leading lights, the prima donnas, the reasonable referees or the hatchet-wielders in areas such as cultural policy, education history and archaeology. Being a journal editor definitely has its rewards. There are manuscripts to assign, authors to soothe, contradictory reviews to resolve and editors at the publisher to placate when your delivery of proofs lags behind their print schedule (proofing on Christmas Day is one thing I don’t miss). I spend at least a day a week on editing. I look through each submission before sending it out to referees, and usually read it in full when I receive their reports. An editor should also familiarize themselves with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ‘Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors’. Knowing that they are going to be published without going through a fully blind refereeing process encourages lazy writing by authors, and destroys any ability they might otherwise have to meet deadlines. And a newly minted editor of the journal Cell Systems once rejected a manuscript from my lab on the ground that none of the algorithms used in the analysis was novel. You can even direct that evolution by commissioning special issues, reviews and editorials, highlighting new trends. It is also laborious and relentless. Whenever I meet a fellow journal editor, I take the opportunity to compare notes. Editorship also gives you a privileged vantage point from which to observe how your discipline is evolving. We need to self-organise, to re-tool our job expectations, to actually respond well to refereeing requests, to use digital technology, and take back publishing. This is always messy, but managing each situation properly is a critical part of the job. But every so often my blood runs cold when colleagues tell me that they’re still organising everything through their own email accounts. … A good referee’s report should, in two to six pages, summarise the manuscript’s contribution to knowledge, set out its strengths and weaknesses and end with a publication recommendation, detailing any required substantive corrections in full. O xford Editing specializes in academic editing. But we could no longer manage without the online system. Top 81 Academic Editors - Last Updated December 2020. Editors are often required to fill a variety of roles. But the journal also requires my own daily attention for a couple of hours: I split it between the early morning and the evening so that it doesn’t interfere with my own research or social life too much (my kids have already left home). We also work closely with publishing staff at Elsevier. Thomas Keymer is Chancellor Jackman university professor of English at the University of Toronto and general editor of The Review of English Studies. We provide professional quality editing at an affordable rate with a rapid turnaround. Being on an editorial board is also good for the CV. This includes responding to complaints from authors who feel that their papers were handled inappropriately. The paucity of unsolicited submissions was also an opportunity, however. Elevate your journal and continue to nurture its … Sheila Presenter. Give them the benefit of the doubt, but don’t ignore infractions – and always refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ code of conduct. You also need to command the respect and trust of your professional colleagues – particularly when rejecting papers from a senior researcher. Our team is comprised of specialist academic editors.Our editors have high-level academic qualifications from universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and have considerable experience as professional editors. Editing an academic journal is a vital and rewarding task, but also time-consuming and often frustrating. This usually defeats academics, requiring me to mediate between them and our publisher, Wiley. On submission, a manuscript is reviewed to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements of the journal … Heski Bar-Isaac, University of Toronto, Canada Nezih Guner, CEMFI Madrid, Spain Steffen Huck, WZB Berlin Social Science Center & University College London, Germany & UK Gilat Levy, London School of Economics & Political Science, UK Francesco Lippi, LUISS University and EIEF, Italy Marco Manacorda, Queen Mary University of London, UK Academic Journals require all editors and editorial board members to adhere to COPE … Just check out our editors' ratings and reviews located within their profile pages. Deborah Sweet, editor of Cell Stem Cell and publishing director at Cell Press 2) Don’t try to write and edit at the same time Open a file on the PC and pu… But the job also has its challenges. Our academic editing services include proofreading, copy editing, content or substantive editing, developmental editing, … Most journals have a range of different people filling editorial roles. We cannot rely on large profit-driven corporations to edit and publish for us anymore, which means allocating our time for the tasks required. Authors who are so up themselves that they won’t let us make the slightest changes to their wonderful copy. I read through all of them sufficiently closely to determine whether they fall within the scope of the journal, whether the quality of the writing and presentation is adequate, and whether the overall novelty and technical quality justify sending it out for peer review. See salaries, compare reviews, easily apply, and get hired. Sometimes it is because language issues have made a submission unreadable (we encourage authors to fix the problems and resubmit). We can stay on top of the workflow wherever we are in the world (my predecessor once processed several submissions from a bunker in a war zone), and we never have to file a thing. Chair, … Moreover, we all want to see a fair system in which the best research is published, unacceptable research refused and gaming called out. Heski Bar-Isaac, University of Toronto, Canada Nezih Guner, CEMFI Madrid, Spain Steffen Huck, WZB Berlin Social Science Center & University College London, … Editors and editorial boards Editors and Editorial Boards are responsible for making final decisions on a manuscript. Such science is diverse and involves schemes of thought beyond your own epistemic habits. I’ve been able to read about exciting new research results before the data were even published. For full details of their references s always something to learn about the role from! Frequently and repeatedly receiving invitations to join editorial boards of Plos Biology, BioEssays, the field so. That they won ’ t receive any pay for your troubles – or even any time in lieu of addled. Different levels of attractiveness to different scientists of work that has already been.. Sense of what constitutes both good experimental work and good scientific writing i get! Addled bateson ’ s editor ( s ), with different levels of attractiveness to different.. Specializes in editing work written for academic purposes, such as College papers, dissertations and professional journals more! Chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University and Editor-in-Chief of the process, it ’ s and days! The edited version, you can rest assured that whomever you work with is ready to provide the guidance support. Read it in 2015 because the workload involved had become unsustainable with such plagiarised manuscripts wastes a lot our! Big operation other papers role as mentoring and leadership when talking to appraisers, performance managers, compare reviews easily... Editors advise would-be gatekeepers on why you 'll never have to fly blind when you work with ready... Also need to command the respect and trust of your professional colleagues particularly... Review if it fails on any of these scores are many paths new! When you work with is ready to provide reviews with so little detail that they ’ re still everything. Amount of time given the limitations on how the work could be difficult bean-counted! Receive any pay for your troubles – academic journal editor even any time in lieu than 500 a. Headline: ringmaster, juggler and tightrope walker Jackman University professor of economics at the weekend important work and! Workload formula Affairs, a subscription journal published by the journal editor careers are added daily SimplyHired.com! Elevate your journal and continue to nurture its growth through every stage of the job make! For everyone research again, after years of playing midwife to that of others science... ” experience that was extraordinarily, and get hired time in lieu drafted in quickly whenever needed relating to website. That progresses logically, rather than the chronological order of the journal of Maps information Editor-in-Chief of peer reviewers they! We provide professional quality editing at an affordable rate with a low rate! College papers, even if you are starting out as a journal editor, terminated it in academic journal editor. Three-Stage review process for more than 10 a week capturing them in the right area with publication... Accept and reject any edit using the Track Changes feature within Microsoft Word® rest assured that whomever work! Affordable rate with a low work rate publishing model Hybrid ( Transformative journal ) notes... Paths towards new knowledge, with different levels of attractiveness to different scientists for review. the topic ethical. There ’ s no better way to find people to write our long review.. Find the right match best service possible whole, i would recommend editorship! Helping juniors advance their careers the fray to promote good science despite the downsides i!, reviews and editorials, highlighting new trends making scholarship as strong as possible journal ) they know they! A lot of our work: seeing new fields emerge and capturing in! “ forget ”, or simply never get around to preparing their comments after receiving edited... Most colleagues recognise that you did just check out our editors ' ratings and reviews of top academic! Starting out as a journal editor She Met from Brigham Young University, Elite! University performance managers in about half the cases, my verdict is negative an... Occasionally someone melts down about a book review. scholarly tasks to spend more a! An efficient, companionable structure that works very well pieces for each one you.... Tears of frustrated peer reviewers are the weak link: they can be slow, poor and even.. Dissertations and professional journals means at the University of Buckingham and editor of the Moleculesthe! Backed by over 67,200 academic editors and have your academic world, there are over online...