Editors' Roles

Outline Areas of Responsibility

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

  • Formulates editorial policies and directs overall operations of the journal
  • Confers with the editorial board members to develop editorial and operating procedures and negotiate decisions affecting publication
  • Appoints qualified personnel (editorial board, section editors, reviewers, staff) and supervises their work in accordance with the journal’s policy
  • Conducts meetings (organizational, staff, budget, planning), delegates responsibilities and sees that tasks are completed
  • Enforces deadlines and meeting attendance
  • Proofreads and approves final draft for publication
  • Reviews financial reports with the Business Manager and takes appropriate action with respect to costs and revenues
  • Represents publication at official meetings and functions
  • Writes a column for every journal issue (editorial of the journal’s position to be taken on specific issues, critiques and opinions, summary of journal content, etc.)
  • Provides feedback, constructive comments and training for editors
  • Leads staff by thinking creatively, praising and motivating frequently, criticizing gently and respectfully, and guiding by example in writing and management skills

VICE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

  • Acts as Editor-in-Chief in his/her absence
  • Supervises staff to assure schedules and deadlines are met
  • Attends all budget, planning and staff meetings
  • Helps the Editor-in-Chief with planning, decision-making, evaluating section editors and representing the journal at official meetings and functions
  • Assists the Editor-in-Chief with chief reads on all copy
  • Oversees the work of editors and staff
  • Provides feedback, constructive comments and training for editors
  • May write a column (editorial of the journal’s position to be taken on specific issues, critiques and opinions, summary of journal content, etc.)
  • Leads staff by thinking creatively, praising and motivating frequently, criticizing gently and respectfully, and guiding by example in writing and management skills

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

  • Attends all budget, planning and staff meetings (for local appointees only)
  • Helps the Editor-in-Chief with planning and decision-making on articles and editorial content, evaluating section editors and representing the journal at official meetings and functions
  • Each country’s Associate Editor shall manage a special section (clinical case seminars, clinical practice guidelines, book reviews, etc.) assigned by the Editor-in-Chief; works with staff to produce special sections; proofreads final layouts for special sections
  • Each country’s Associate Editor shall be given responsibility for the content of special sections (e.g., podcast, case reports, image for the week, etc.) in the Official JAFES Website, to include writing and soliciting articles and gathering images and collaborating with the Web Editor to create dynamic and engaging online content
  • Checks journal and web articles for legal and ethical concerns and consults with the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board on questionable items
  • Leads staff by thinking creatively, praising and motivating frequently, criticizing gently and respectfully, and guiding by example in writing and management skills

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER

  • Acts as ambassadors for the journal
  • Supports and promotes the journal
  • Helps the Editor-in-Chief with planning and decision-making on articles and editorial content
  • Assists the Editor-n-Chief in actively encouraging submissions
  • Accepts commissions to write editorials. Reviews and commentaries on papers in their specialist area
  • Attends and contributes to editorial board meetings
  • Gives opinion and feedback about the running of the journal and its policies
  • Helps the Editor-in-Chief identify future challenges of the journal

MANUSCRIPT EDITOR

  • Attends all staff meetings
  • Main function is to technically edit (spelling and punctuation), grammatically correct and restructure articles approved for publication
  • Makes sure that all written material follows the JAFES’ house style (style refers to a given publication's guidelines for consistency in how words, phrases, typographical elements, etc. are to be used or not)
  • Checks articles for form, length and completeness
  • Checks and verifies article facts and bibliographic contents, safeguarding the journal against errors of fact, misinformation and libel
  • Checks for plagiarism
  • Proofreads articles set into type before press running

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

  • Assists the publishing team in the overall development of the journal by coordinating manuscript reviews and maintaining all necessary records
  • Assists the Editor-0n-Chief with correspondence to staff, authors, internal and external clients and peer reviewers
  • Maintains reviewer database, assists the editors in selecting reviewers, preparing and mailing material and monitoring deadlines
  • Generally oversees schedules and makes follow-ups as necessary to facilitate operations and activities
  • Assists the Associate Editor with the management of special sections
  • Assists the Manuscript Editors with proofreads, literature search and data verification
  • Assists the Graphics/IT Editors/Website Administrator with preparing graphics and text manuscripts for production and website maintenance
  • Assists the Business Manager for advertising, promotional and subscription concerns
  • Manages and maintains the JAFES office
  • Coordinates editorial meetings