Are you an early career researcher from the Global South, looking to gain editorial experience? We’re welcoming applications for our newly launched Associate Editor mentoring program!
🔎 What the role involves
Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to join the Journal of Ecology Editorial Board for 2 years. This voluntary position aims to develop mentees’ understanding of the peer review process, handling manuscripts, and to boost confidence.
Each successful candidate can expect to:
- Be appointed a dedicated Senior Editor mentor to help guide them through the peer review process, acting as on-going support throughout the role
- Receive continuous support for any queries from the Editorial Office
- Gain experience in the peer review process by assessing manuscripts, selecting reviewers, and submitting recommendations to Senior Editors
- Have opportunities to help shape the future of Journal of Ecology through submitting ideas and getting involved in journal initiatives
We expect the role to take up approximately 4 hours per month to begin with, which may increase with experience.
⭐️ Testimonials
Our sister journal, Journal of Applied Ecology, has been running a similar program since 2015, and you can take a look at the feedback some of their past mentees have given about their experiences below:
“Over the past two years, I have not only developed my editorial skills from zero, but also better understood how the peer review process works at a high-impact journal. These unique insights are critical for early career researchers like myself. Moreover, through handling different manuscripts, I have improved my ability to make decisions in academia and answer questions such as: How to measure if a study is sound/relevant, how to integrate different ideas from other researchers and how to draw a conclusion with confidence. I’ve found my answers, thanks to the mentoring scheme” – Yanjie Xu (mentee 2021-2023)
“I really enjoyed studying the manuscript I was editing – it was a pleasant learning experience and I saw many different manuscripts with very interesting subjects, analytical techniques and forms of discussion. This helped me to understand other perspectives on applied ecology” – Gudryan Baronio (mentee 2022-2023)
“Over these two years as a mentee, I substantially improved my skills related to the publication process. Bridging the gap between ‘submitting a paper as an author’ and ‘assessing a paper as an editor’ allowed me to understanding the editorial decision-making process and makes me a better reviewer and author. In fact, this mentoring role enabled me to be much clearer as an author and to learn important details about submission handling. Moreover, this opportunity provided me great overview about how a high-impact journal can contribute to putting ecology into practice. Thanks to Journal of Applied Ecology for this excellent opportunity that I warmly recommend to early career researchers” – Fabrice Requier (mentee 2018-2019).
❓Who can apply?
The program is open to anyone from the Global South (even if they have a temporary position in the Global North), and we particularly encourage applications from women and minority genders to apply as these groups are underrepresented on our board.
✏️ How to apply
To apply, please fill out this FORM. You’ll need to include the following:
- What you know about publishing and the peer review process, as well as what you’re interested to learn more about
- A brief overview of your areas of expertise and research interests
- Which Senior Editor you feel would be best suited as your mentor based on your research areas. You can find out more about them here.
- You will also be asked to upload your CV
Deadline for applications: 1st November 2024
