PÕ¾ÊÓƵ

Author: Gurpreet Gill-Bains

Joining an Editorial Board is an opportunity to share your expertise, contribute to your research community and help support the future of your journal. It can also be a valuable way to develop your editorial experience and make new connections.

But when you’re new to the role, there can be a lot to take in. What’s expected of you? How do editorial processes work? Who do you contact when you need help? And where can you find the right information when you need it?

The good news is you don’t need to know everything from day one. 

To help you settle into your role, we’ve picked five things worth bookmarking from the start. Think of them as your go-to resources whenever you need information, guidance or a quick reminder. 

1. Your role and responsibilities

First things first: get familiar with what being an Editorial Board Member (EBM) means for you.  

Every journal and Editorial Board works a little differently, so understanding your role is a useful place to start and can help you feel more confident about what to expect.  

Take some time to familiarise yourself with your responsibilities, the ways you may be invited to contribute and how your role fits within the wider Editorial Board. 

And don’t worry about remembering everything straight away. Keep the guidance handy and come back to it whenever you need a quick reminder.

• Bookmark: PÕ¾ÊÓƵ's EBM information guide 

2. Your journal

The better you know your journal, the easier it is to understand how you can contribute. 

You may already know your journal as a reader, author or reviewer, but joining its Editorial Board gives you a new perspective. 

Spend some time exploring your journal’s aims and scope, the research it publishes, its audience and its editorial priorities. This can help you build a stronger understanding of the journal you’re representing and where your own expertise fits within it. 

Your journal homepage is also likely to be somewhere you return to regularly, so keep it close at hand. 

• Bookmark: Your journal homepage and aims and scope 

3. Your editor toolkit

You’ve been invited to join an Editorial Board because of your expertise, but being an editor can still involve learning new skills. 

You may come across an unfamiliar editorial situation, need a refresher on peer review or want to check guidance before making a recommendation. Having trusted resources at your fingertips can make all the difference. 

Keep guidance on manuscript assessment, peer review, editorial decisions and publishing ethics somewhere easy to find. These resources aren’t just useful when you’re starting out. You can return to them throughout your time on the Board. 

• Bookmark: PÕ¾ÊÓƵ's editorial policies

4. Your Editorial Board

Being an EBM isn’t something you do in isolation. You’re joining a community of researchers and editors with a shared connection to the journal. 

Get to know your Editor-in-Chief and fellow EBMs. Finding out more about their research interests and areas of expertise can give you a better sense of the community you’ve joined. 

It’s also worth getting to know the people supporting your journal behind the scenes. Knowing who to contact when you have a question means you’ll always know where to turn for help. 

• Bookmark: Your Editorial Board and journal team information

5. Your EBM community

Finally, think about what you’d like to get from being an EBM.

Being part of an Editorial Board is about more than contributing your expertise. It’s also an opportunity to build new connections, develop your editorial experience and become an active part of your wider research community. 

Join the Editorial Communities, a welcoming and inclusive space exclusively created with our PÕ¾ÊÓƵ Editors and EBMs in mind. Here, you can interact with fellow editors, hear from your journal team, join conversations and find useful resources to support you in your role. 

Whether you’re looking for practical guidance, interested in hearing from other editors or simply want to feel more connected to the wider editorial community, it’s a useful space to keep bookmarked. 

• Bookmark: PÕ¾ÊÓƵ's 

You’re ready to get started

Starting a new editorial role can feel like there’s a lot to learn, but you don’t need to master everything at once. 

Start with these five essentials: 

1. Your role 
2. Your journal
3. Your toolkit
4. Your Editorial Board
5. Your EBM community 

Bookmark them, explore them at your own pace and return whenever you need information, guidance or support. 

Most importantly, remember that becoming an EBM isn’t simply about taking on a list of tasks. You’re joining a community, and bringing your own experience, expertise and perspective to it. 

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