Call for Applications

Purpose

The role of Associate Editor (AE) is very important. AEs are at the heart of our knowledge production systems, as they work with the great majority of peer reviewed papers. As such it is also a very demanding role, as AEs handle heavy and complex workloads and face raising expectations in terms of timelines and accountability. It is also an important career progression stage, as colleagues transition from being focused exclusively on their own intellectual project to making a more systemic contribution to the development of their own discipline. Further, being an AE can be an important step in career development, as it helps with progression to full professorships (many associate editors are also associate professors) and to editor-in-chief positions.

However, while it is a both a key passage point in academic careers and a central node in our knowledge production system, it is also largely under-supported. The role of AE is largely unremunerated, unrecognised and often unacknowledged by employers, sometime begrudged by authors and very often lacking structured support mechanisms. Many journals do not have the resources or indeed bandwidth to run formal training programmes. Many editorial teams are geographically dispersed which limits the possibility of mentoring and on the job learning. Furthermore, as AEs are supposedly appointed because of their expertise, many might feel uncomfortable in reaching out to their fellow editors. As such it can be a lonely experience especially for new appointed AEs.

In this context, we recognize that there is a need for a development space aimed at colleagues who are transitioning to an AE role or at an early stage in their tenure of such roles. This 3-hour Pre-Colloquium Professional Development Workshop provides that space through a series of carefully structured activities. These will be guided by the facilitators and other invited experienced editors who will contribute to panel discussions and plenary debates.

In this online workshop delegates will

1. Engage in a series of guided learning activities which concern some of the key issues and challenges that they might encounter in their new role

2. Network and develop relationships with their equivalents across other journals in the same disciplinary field and

3. Have the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from senior colleagues in their community

The format will be a mixture of panel presentations, plenary discussions, and round table activities.

Program

• Aims and Introductions across the Cohort

Beyond getting the know those involved in the workshop, this session begins the process of establishing the cohort as a long-term mutual support group. Because of the complexity and unpredictability of editorial work, AEs will benefit from a peer network to share experience and advice. We will explain how this can operated informally and through the OMEN network.

• Guiding Principles

We start from the premise that there are two primary goals for editors at any academic journal. The first is to support advances in theoretical fields covered by the journal, through the development and publication of research of the highest quality. The second and equally important goal is to help authors to improve their research. Both of these goals contribute to the longer-term development of a journal’s field of interest, with impact that goes beyond that journal. We introduce this topic via a short (15 minute) panel discussion among experienced journal editors, after which participants discuss in small groups how these goals translate into practice in their contexts.

• The Core of Editing: Crafting developmental advice and guidance

Editors are the expert judges of whether papers should be reviewed and whether reviewed papers should progress towards the possibility of publication. This means that editors use reviews to inform their judgement, and they decide if and how the authors should proceed. Accordingly, in this part of the workshop, participants will work with example review materials to explore in small groups:

• How to reach a decision about whether a submission should progress, when reviews differ significantly in their recommendations and content.

• The ways in which diverse reviewer opinions can be synthesised into clear, directional guidance that helps authors to tackle the process of constructing a revision.

• The importance of a developmental tone in decision letters, even when these letters communicate the decision to reject a submitted paper.

After the small group interactions, the facilitators will share their approach to the example material and there will be a plenary discussion about the variety of approaches in the room. There will be a short break during this part of the workshop.

• Handling Expectations and Difficulties

A short (15 minute) panel discussion, followed by a question and answer session, will explore how editors handle exception and difficulties, including:

• Receiving fewer reviews than normal, and deciding when you have enough information to form a judgement.

• What to do when ‘life happens’ to a reviewer, author or editor and timescales need to be reconsidered.

• How to take action if authors ‘don’t get it’ – when your advice seems clear, but is not reflected in the revision process.

• Sources of advice on ethical issues.

After the workshop

We will share the materials used at the workshop with participants, along with other recommended resources and sources of further advice. We will also encourage future mutual support across the cohort and use their feedback to plan and refine future developmental workshops.

Application

To be considered for the PDW, please submit a single document of application (.docx or .pdf file) that includes your name, affiliation, contact details, career stage, and a CV via the EGOS website.