New editor perspectives: Dirk Van Raemdonck

How did you come to your editorship? Early 2023, the Board of Directors of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) launched a call for an inaugural editor-in-chief for a new open access journal, the J Heart Lung Transplant Open (JHLTO) accompanying the flagship journal JHLT. As I was nearing the end of my professional clinical career as a thoracic surgeon, I submitted my candidature to look for a new challenge. I was interviewed at the ISHLT 2023 annual meeting and happily got selected as the first EIC for JHLTO amongst four other candidates thereafter.

How would you describe a typical working day [in terms of your editorial work]? I wake up early in the morning and check the Editorial Manager platform for new submissions and reviews. I assign new papers to associate editors and make decisions on papers that were reviewed. This will take me about one hour on average every day.

What’s been the proudest achievement of your editorship so far? I am delighted that we have published seven volumes so far – quite an achievement for a brand-new journal… We have also been accepted for indexation in the Directory of Open Access Journals and have applied for PubMed scientific review.

How do you measure success as an editor? For me, knowing that we are serving our authors well by ensuring that papers are handled expeditiously is most important. I therefore pay close attention to the median editorial and publication speeds for published articles.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you on day one? Being a reviewer for several journals in the past, I was confident I could do the job as an editor. However, rejecting a paper continues to be a tough decision to make for an editor.

What’s has surprised you most as an editor? The scientific quality of submitted papers on average is very good. There is no page limit for open access journals; this makes it easier to accept good papers. Two thirds of submitted papers are being accepted.

What is the most important attribute for being an editor in your opinion? The role of editor is one which requires a close awareness of the development of the field covered by the journal. Being an editor both demands and enables this and therefore I have obtained significant new knowledge on lung and (especially) heart transplantation and mechanical support in patients with end-stage cardiopulmonary failure. I am grateful to be exposed to the latest knowledge and techniques in this way.

Name one item/tool/resource that you cannot do without in your role? It’s too difficult to name just one! I’d have to list a few things such as: - The Editorial Manager review platform and a speedy connection to the internet - An extensive list of potential reviewers available in the system - A responsive Journal Manager to solve issues with submitted papers - Good feedback and support from my Publisher at Elsevier