Introducing Editor Essentials

A new bespoke training suite for Elsevier editors

Whether you have just joined one of our journal’s editorial teams or have been in the role for a while, you will appreciate that, while the broad research experience and network you bring is essential, this does not necessarily prepare you for the day-to-day running of a journal. You might therefore be experiencing a twinge of nerves when starting out and looking for a quick way to learn basic principles, or conversely, you might encounter situations even years into the role that make you ask “how should I deal with this situation?”.

Though our Publishing colleagues opens in new tab/window at Elsevier will often spend a good deal of time guiding and leading you through the major elements of the editor role and you’ll be carefully trained on the manuscript submission system, there is no substitute for a purpose-designed editor training course. The trouble is, such a program doesn’t exist, so we had to take the logical step of designing and building one: Enter Editor Essentials.

Elsevier’s Editor Essentials has been created both to give new editors a thorough grounding in the role and responsibilities of managing a journal, as well as to provide an opportunity to more experienced editors to deepen their knowledge on particular issues. The course has been designed to cover all the major aspects of the editor (and guest editor) role from when your first receive a submission to making a final editorial decision.

The course is broken down into individual topic modules, each delivered by publishing professionals and with input from leading editors. Each module is self-contained and most contain interactive Q&A sections describing real-life scenarios. There is also a range of resources and “further reading” on each module to facilitate more in-depth follow up.

Participating in Editor Essentials will bring you a number of advantages: it will help in getting you quickly up to speed when starting out as a new editor; it will give you the edge when dealing with specific scenarios (e.g. ethical misconduct or copy flow problems); and it will provide you with tools to strategically develop your journal, build and manage a powerful team and enjoy a successful editorship.

Editorial work is at the heart of what we do, and we are passionate about ensuring that our editors have the right tools to make their journal a success and in turn provide the best service possible to the wider research community.

^{– Claudia Lupp, Editorial Director Strategic Initiatives, Elsevier}

Whether you want to take the course in one go, break it down into sub-areas or dip in and out of the content is entirely up to you. We know some editors might not have time to view multiple modules but could still benefit from refreshing their memory of particular topics. For each completed module and for completion of the whole course, you will receive a certificate. Several modules are already live and we anticipate launching many more in the coming weeks. It is our intention to regularly review the course material and revise the modules where necessary to remain current and reflective of modern practice. And of course, should you have any suggestions for new content, we welcome feedback.

Above all, we hope that Editor Essentials helps to make the transition to your new role a little easier or allows you to brush up on a particular subject if you’ve been sitting in the editor chair for a while. Supporting you is a key priority for us and we’re confident that Editor Essentials will help to make the experience as good as it can be. So what are you waiting for? Get started with Editor Essentials today!