What are the most traditional factors/qualifications/contributions that make authors assume editorial roles?
There are at least three levels at which researchers become active on the review and editorial levels of journals.
The fist level is as a reviewer. Journals select reviewers on their closeness to the paper under review (for at least one aspect, so this can also be only the topic, or only the research method), and the academic experience they have (based on publications, and for instance profiles on researchgate). you can also notify the most relevant journals in your field that you are available as a reviewer. Reasons for researchers to accept to do a review are multiple, but include: become aware of work of peers (as early as possible), improve their own writing skills, because they want their own papers reviewed, and because being a regular reviewer for a specific journal is something they can mention on their resume.
The second level is becoming a member of the editorial board. When places become available on the editorial board, a journal will try to invite those researchers that have status in the field, have authored in the journal, have reviewed for the journal, and result in a nice spread over topics, countries, affiliation, etc.
The third level is editor. which would often be selected from the current editorial board. or most active authors and reviewers of a journal. Here, having sufficient time available to keep the review process working properly is also a very important criterion.
In summary, it is very common to become a reviewer, by volunteering. you can also volunteer for editorial board memberships or editorships, but most (serious) journals will select candidates for those posts themselves and invite the people they want.
Thank you Renee, I volunteered many times to review journal articles. Have you assumed higher editorial roles before?
I agree with Renee. Also as editor of Computers in Biology and Medicine (Elsevier), the best thing you can do is review, review, review. You get practice. When you start reviewing a lot, and do comprehensive and quick reviews (< 1 week) after some years you will often be asked on the editorial board. Editorial board members are usually expected to review a paper a month. If you can handle that well and obtain status and credentials in your field, and don't mind reviewing away from your expertise, you may start to get associate editor offers, and maybe can do a guest editorship. At that point with more status you are ready to be editor, but I can tell you it takes a lot of time, no matter how efficient you are. So you must have the backing of higher ups and ready and able to devote a lot of time. I try to get outside referees. But with an excellent editorial board, you can ask them to review the submissions that are difficult to get outside referees for.
To be a reviewer most journals do not have any criteria other then that you belong to that particular field. Some journals are very strict and they look at you qualification, publications, recommendations from your peers etc. Even in some cases you have just to register yourself in the journal and while creating an account you have to check the box saying interested to be a reviewer. I remember few years back I was looking into RFID system application in hospitals, doing so, I had to register with a journal (not disclosing the name) to get full text. While registering I mistakenly checked the box, and I started getting papers for review, and the IF of the journal was around 3. At that time I was just a final year medical (undergraduate) student
To be editor, it is not that easy, some publishers (like PLoS, Nature etc) announce vacancies where you have to apply as you do for any other job.
First publications, then reviewing and Institution. Because members of editorial board are like advertisement for journal and prestigious institutions are always better. Also country of origin of course. Usually it is USA, UK, EU.....
Your contributions as a reviewer are important milestones on your path to becoming an editor!
"Establishing a reputation as a valuable reviewer earns you a special place in the community of a journal. When new members of the Editorial Board are being considered, the editor is very likely to first consider people who have served the journal well, as both a well-cited author and a valuable reviewer. Find out what makes you a valuable reviewer in the eyes of editors and how that can advance your career in research..."
https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers-update/home/featured-article/how-reviewers-become-editors
I guess these criteria also changes with the field. If the field or journal is more dynamic and focuses on hot topics (e.g., microfluidics, or journals like advanced materials) then those who publishes more. If the journal is well established and very reputed (e.g., PRL) then experts in basic Sciences might be considered as an editor.
One needs to be an experienced researcher with good reputation. The experience should be in terms of:
- conduct of good research (should have published a lot in journals of good reputation),
- journal/article review process,
- knowledge of ethical issues regarding conduct of research and publishing.
In addition to being an experienced researcher, one needs to have enough time for the publication process (e.g. receiving manuscripts, assigning manuscripts to Reviewers or members of Editorial Board, resolving/addressing ethical issues regarding publications, promoting the journal, etc).
It is okay to start as a Reviewer, then to a Member of Editorial Board, and then to an Editor.
Regards.
One must be Ph.D holder. Have reasonable amount of publication in reputed journal. One may be reviewer of various reputed journal and belongs to a good institute. Plus experience also matters.
Being a good researcher in your specialized field of study and having published articles in peer reviewed reputed journals and having attended conferences and seminars would prominently upgrade your chances to become an editor.
Let me mention the importance of your history as a peer reviewer in some important journal(s) counts. Very often, you should be offered to become an editor after successful reviewer practice.
Your exepeience as a peer reviewer, as a member of the editorial board of interested journals and as guest editor in some special issues and then your initiative to submit your file as potential editor.
Normally journal will contact those related researcher to joint its editorial team, but some journals make announcement and who interested may apply.
Good editor should have control on peer review process.
Elsevier investigates hundreds of peer reviewers for manipulating citations
The publisher is scrutinizing researchers who might be inappropriately using the review process to promote their own work...
The Dutch publisher Elsevier is investigating hundreds of researchers whom it suspects of deliberately manipulating the peer-review process to boost their own citation numbers.
The publisher is looking into the possibility that some peer reviewers are encouraging the authors of work under review to cite the reviewers’ own research in exchange for positive reviews — a frowned-on practice broadly termed coercive citation...
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02639-9
Dear Hanane Lamaazi
If the journal is indexed in WoS or even Scopus, so you can trust. In case of not indexed so the doubt is high.
I got invitations as guest editor for big and trusted journals, but the problem is they are paid journals. So I refuse to don't use my personal relationship with my colleagues for journal money generation.
Dear they can invite you based on your experience and application to the editor.
The scientific community assumes the publication process is reliable and fair, with the best papers being published only after rigorous review. Scientific editors act as “gatekeepers” in this publishing process, deciding whether a paper is even sent out for peer review, or alternatively “desk rejected”, that is returned to the author without peer review. While the review process has been extensively investigated - for example to determine reviewer consistency, and whether reviewers exhibit gender bias - as far as we know, the topic of editor consistency has never been experimentally examined. Do editors make arbitrary decisions on which papers to send out for review and which ones to desk reject? Or is there consistency in what editors decide to do?
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/reviewers-update/are-scientific-editors-reliable-gatekeepers-of-the-publication-process
Mr. Gomaa, what does it mean " but the problem is they are paid journals "? Is this a bad if journal is paid even indexed in Scopus? @Gomaa
Why does anyone want to become a scientific journal editor? Is the desire to become an editor due to the respect the position may bring, or is the motivation based on financial aspects of the position? I would agree that there is prestige associated with being an editor of a respected journal; however, I do not think that prestige is a major motivation for most journal editors since most potential editors already have achieved a level of respect among their scientific colleagues. In my opinion, most editors perform their duties based on a desire to serve ...
You should get to know the journal editors and express an interest in supporting and promoting the journal in various ways, including serving on the advisory board and possibly as an editor ...
Article So, you think you want to be an editor
I Would like to thankful Dr. Renee Wever for his good answer, I agree with him
Dear ALL,
I found the ongoing discussion is very useful. Being an editor of an indexed journal from Nepal ( https://www.bjhsnepal.org/index.php/editorial-board), I have few clarifications:
1. Being an editor is a voluntary job.
2. Passion and commitment are vital to be an editor.
3. The dedicated and committed board member is vital for journal.
4. Be aware of the emails !!!
A. You are requested to join as an editor of ......journal......may be from Predatory journal
B. Financial commitment as salary for journal editors may be misleading and fake.
5. Thank you all for reading these points.
Regrds,
Dr Surya B. Parajuli
Nepal
www.suryaparajuli.com.np
Hi All,
Dr. Renee's explanation and details are totally perfect.
Husam
In my opinion, usually journal management team contact individual considering their scientific contributions in the relevant field.
Possible results for journals from the pandemic include an increase in submissions for a while if researchers use time away from shuttered labs to write papers, followed by a lull when new researchers gear up. This may alter acceptance rates, decision times and other journal metrics...
Some editors expect an initial ‘boom’ in papers as scientists newly blocked from entering their labs find themselves with more time to write, edit and respond to reviews — followed by a longer-term slowdown in work.
At the same time, many scientists who serve as editors and reviewers are managing their own affected labs while tackling changing demands at home, including childcare and remote working...
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/journals-prepare-for-changes-as-coronavirus-interrupts-research/
The nature of editors varies widely across journals, even journals in the same field. Some editors are adjunct or sometimes known as associate editors. This group of editors work part-time, primarily working in positions in academia, and editing journals a fraction of that time. The exact title of these editors varies between journals, and some associate editors work full time. For the purposes of this description these editors will be referred to as adjunct editors. These editors are likely to be active in the field of the journal, or journal section, that they edit. As such, such editors are vulnerable to accusations of being biased in favor of some research over other research. The advantage of such editors for journals is however that they have such a close connection, and, because they are usually senior figures in their field of specialization, have a degree of authority... (PDF) Peer Review: Objectivity, Anonymity, Trust. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341311165_Peer_Review_Objectivity_Anonymity_Trust [accessed Jun 16 2020].
Generally agreed with Ljubomir Jacić and Renee Wever but I think, you would need to approach EiC's of intended journals requesting him to take you on the editorial board services as you have successfully qualified to serve as a reviewer for a certain period of time. If they have some roles open, they would definitely consider you.
I hope, it helps
Apart from the roles specified above, does the researcher profile, no. of publications and citations matters for selection? I understood that in many instances, the contacts and network play a pivotal role.
Researcher can become an editor by invitation! Of course, always check the credibility of publisher and Journal, before possible acceptance.
This is from one invitation letter:
"Dear JACIC, L., Hope this email will find you well. Your paper published in Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Series VII: Social Sciences. Law, which is under the title of "ETHICAL AND PREDATORY PUBLISHING: EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF RESEARCHERS.", has impressed us a lot. Due to your rich academic experience and excellent research achievements, we would like to invite you to contribute papers to our journal and join as one of the Editorial Board Members/Reviewers...
On behalf of the Editorial Board of the journal, we feel much honored to invite you to join our team as the editorial board member/reviewer. Your academic background and professional and rich experience in this field are highly appreciated by the Board, so we really hope you can be a part of our team. We believe that your position as the editorial board member/reviewer will be beneficial to scholars in this field."
If you would like to join us, please visit: http://www.socialsciencesjournal.org/joinus/t9lZF
One can become editor by invitation from the journal and by public profile of the scholar.
Many of these are standard replies. I know many of the editorial board members from many journals do not have great credentials as many of us think. They are there because of their supervisors recommendations that the journal editor takes into consideration or the researcher's contacts, established over time through conferences, meetings etc. Of course many of them reach these positions by establishing themselves in their chosen field. My salutes to them. For others, there is nothing to say. In the transparent world one can easily find out by few searches in the internet.
P. Senthilkumaran is right; nowadays many so called predatory journals invite as many to be on their editorial boards to boost the journal prestige and status. So really, it is not based on scientific merit of the invited.
My view is applicable to standard and respected journals - normally a researcher would like to publish. Recently there are many predatory journals, who do not follow high standards. I get lot of invitations to be in their editorial board and I choose to ignore them. But I always love to receive one from the journals I respect.
Sometimes, a researcher may be an editor or a member of an editorial board without his or her knowledge. This is especially true regarding predatory journals. That is our reality.
In reputed journals, your reviewer role for the journal, the number of papers you have reviewed (must be considerably large), how active you are the reviewer, how many good papers you have published, your experience in research field are many among other factors that can play the role in getting invitation to serve as editor for journal.
The researcher has to publish quality articles in reputed journals. The articles should be cited by many. The researchers should review many articles with some recognized metrics like Publons. Further, the reviewer should acknowledge the journals in-time while reviewing.
It is true that besides personal credits, creating connections also help (as many before me mentioned). There are some journals who publish ads to join their ed board. This article may outline the pathway: Why you should join a journal’s editorial board (nature.com)
Editorial Board Members are not selected based on their proposals. They are selected based on their qualifications as reviewers and in recommendations of other current members.
I have received several invitations from different Journals to be their reviewer or editor. I think it may not be good to totally reject all, as I think some Publishers want to have the required number of editors in their editorial board so that they could send out an application, in order to be indexed.
One easy way to become an editor is upload your profile at the ABCD Index website and they forward your profile to publishers as per requirement. It really works. submit at https://abcdindex.com/register_reviewer.php
You can take the advantage provided by IoP to training and developing the skills for the peer review. See the following link for peer review training
https://ioptraining.streamlxp.com/dashboard
I think the following pages are helpful to understand how to be a journal editor.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/career-journal-editor
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/how-be-great-journal-editor-advice-eight-top-academic-editors
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/authors-update/from-early-career-researcher-to-editor-in-chief-in-5-steps
Have a try. Good luck.
Preprint feedback has the potential to not only help authors and readers, but also to identify potential reviewers and editorial board members for journals. Unfortunately, finding preprint reviews authored by a particular individual and linking them to other useful information (such as disciplinary keywords) remains challenging. The Preprint Reviewer Recruitment Network addresses these issues by enabling willing researchers to share preprint feedback as work samples for review by participating journals.
We expect that the network will:
- Provide journals and publishers with access to pools of potential reviewers or editorial board members
- Help researchers, especially ECRs, break into reviewing or editing roles
- Recognize the efforts of researchers who participate in public reviewing and commenting on preprints...
https://asapbio.org/preprint-reviewer-recruitment-network
Dear Dr. Fadhil Al-Quraishi,
please find on the pages of the journals you are interested in the instructions/possibilities of becoming a reviewer. Apply and they will contact you.
Best regards and good luck,
Tony
Usually you apply to be the Editor of a Scientific Journal. In a few cases the board of editors may ask you as a group to become the Editor. In general you will have practiced in the area of the journal and probably published a number of articles in the journal as well as other publications. You generally are considered an expert in the field or at least in a significant part of the science covered by the journal.
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