Configure Editor Decision-making

Editors (depending on permissions) can make decisions on submissions, draft Decision letters, and send the letters to Authors. The usual workflow of an Editor chain involves the assigning of lower-level Editors as the submission moves down the chain and making decisions as the submission moves back up.

Example of a basic Editor chain:

Managing Editor goes to the New Submissions Requiring Assignment folder and assigns a submission to the Editor-in-Chief.
Editor-in-Chief goes to the New Assignments folder and assigns/invites the Associate Editor.
Associate Editor goes to the New Assignments folder and invites Reviewers.
After reviews are submitted, Associate Editor goes to the Submissions with Required Reviews Complete folder, looks at and edits the reviews, and makes a decision on the submission.
Editor-in-Chief goes to the Submissions with Required Reviews Complete folder, looks at reviews and Associate Editor's comments, and makes a decision on the submission.
Managing Editor goes to the All Submissions with Editors Decision folder and sends the Decision letter to the Author.

Note: A publication can configure Editor chain templates to streamline the assignment process. For details, see Create Editor Chain Templates.

Make a decision

All Editor roles in a decision chain must have permission to make a decision on a submission. Contributing a decision on a submission is separate from permissions to draft and send the decision letter to the Author.

To streamline workflows, Editor roles can be configured so that they are skipped over in an Editor chain when particular decisions are made by the previous Editor in the chain. The decision is recorded as "[Skipped]" in the Editor Assignments table. This decision is displayed on the Views Reviews and Comments pop-up window and in the Editors section on the submission's Details page.

Draft decision letter

One or more Editor roles must have permission to draft the decision letter to the Author. Editors with this permission may enter text into the body of the Notify Author letter in the system. For example, in the Editor chain described above, all Editor roles may have permission to draft the letter; each Editor could enter and edit text as the submission is passed up the decision chain. Editors who do not have this permission do not see the letter page after completing the Editor form.

When more than one Editor in the chain has permission to draft the letter, an Editor may overwrite the draft passed along by a previous Editor.

Send letter to notify Author of decision

One or more Editor roles must have permission to send the letter to notify the Author of the decision. In the Editor chain described above, the Managing Editor role requires this permission.

At some publications editorial office staff are responsible for notifying the Author. In this workflow, the staff role would require the permission to notify the Author.

Permissions to draft letters and notify an Author can be set individually for each decision.

Rescind decision

Editors (with permission) may rescind a decision before or after the Author has been notified of the decision.

If the initial decision was to reject the manuscript, the submission moves from the Author's Submissions with a Decision folder back to the Submissions Being Processed or Revisions Being Processed folder (as appropriate).

If the initial decision was to request a revision and the Author has not yet submitted (or started to submit) the revision, the submission moves from the Author's Submissions Needing Revision folder to the Author's Submissions Being Processed or Revisions Being Processed folder (as appropriate).

If the Author has started submitting the revision (i.e., manuscript is in the Incomplete Submissions Being Revised or Revisions Waiting for Author's Approval folders), the Editor is not allowed to rescind the decision.

To configure:

Chain workflows depend on RoleManager assignment permissions and PolicyManager settings as well as decision-making permissions. For details, see Options for Editor Assignment.

All Editor roles in a basic chain must have permission to make a decision on a submission, and at least one Editor role must have permission to notify the Author of a decision.

Go to RoleManager > Editor Roles. Grant permissions to the applicable Editor roles:

Make a Decision
Terminate Outstanding Reviewer and Editor Assignments when Making a Decision: See Allow Editors to Terminate Editor and Reviewer Assignments.
Skipped in Decision Chain… permissions: See Customize Editor Chain.
Notify Author after making a decision: This sub-permission allows the Editor role to notify Authors after making a decision on a submission. Use the radio buttons to define Notify Author parameters.
1. Draft notification letter for any decision: Allows the Editor role to write and save the letter after any type of editorial decision (Accept, Reject, etc.).
  1. Check the box to enable the Editor role to send the letter (rather than saving it and having another Editor/editorial staff send it).
2. Only notify after selected decisions: Limits the Editor role to notifying the Author only for decisions selected from the list. The list includes all configured decision terms. For each decision term, click the appropriate radio button:
  1. Decision Only: Editor role may submit a decision; user does not draft the letter.
  2. Draft: Editor role may write and save draft of a decision letter (to be sent by another Editor/staff).
  3. Draft and Send: Editor role may write and send the letter.
Modify Editor Manuscript Rating Answers During Decision Process
Edit Editor Comments and Ratings After Decision
Notify Author of Editor's Decision when Editor Chain is Complete: Permission for a role not part or the decision-making chain to send the decision notification to the Author. For more information, see Create Editor Chain Templates.
1. And Modify Editor's Decision
Rescind Decision
Override Author Revision Due Date: See Create Decision Terms and Associate Decision Letters.

Letters should be configured to notify the Author of a decision and can be configured to notify other roles that a decision has been made. See Create Decision Terms and Associate Decision Letters.

Letters should be configured to notify the Author (and impacted Editor roles) of the rescinded decision. For details on letter configuration, see Create Letters.