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Create Editor Chain Templates

Assigning Editors creates a chain of responsibility for a submission. In the most basic workflow, the order of assignment dictates the order in which Editors are asked to make a decision on a submission.

Example of a basic Editor chain:

  1. Managing Editor goes to the New Submissions Requiring Assignment folder and assigns a submission to the Editor-in-Chief.
  2. Editor-in-Chief goes to the New Assignments folder and assigns/invites the Associate Editor.
  3. Associate Editor goes to the New Assignments folder and invites Reviewers.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Managing Editor goes to the All Submissions with Editors Decision folder and sends the Decision letter to the Author.

Chain workflows depend on RoleManager assignment permissions and PolicyManager settings as described in Options for Editor Assignment.

Publications can create Editor chain templates to enable the assignment of an entire chain (or the first part of one) in one action. Templates define the default number of assignments in the chain, the default Editor roles that are eligible for each place in the chain, and the default assignment letter for each Editor in the chain. Each Article Type is configured to use a specific template.

For details on using an Editor chain, see Assign Submission to Editor Chain.

Reassign Editor chains for revised submissions

For some publications, a revised submission is often handled by the same set of Editors as previous versions. The submission does not require any action by higher-level Editors until it is time to make a decision. Publications may choose to reassign an entire Editor chain from a previous version of a submission with the assignment (and optional notification) going to the last assigned Editor of the previous version. 

When this option is enabled, the Editor/editorial office can click the Assign Editor link from the Revised Submissions Requiring Assignment folder to open the Reassign Editor page. The page will display the Editor chain from the previous version if it is valid. (A previous Editor chain is considered invalid if one or more of the Editors is no longer available, e.g., their Editor role was removed or changed.)

A previously assigned chain may be edited (Edit Chain button) or a new one created (Create a New Chain button) from the applicable template. The option to assign only the first Editor is also available (Assign Individual Editor button).

When reassigning a chain, Editors are assigned directly to the submission (not invited) even if their role is configured to receive invitations.

For details on configuration for reassigning Editor chains in Direct-to-Editor workflows, see Direct-to-Editor Feature.

To Configure:

Editor chain templates must first be created and then assigned to Article Types.

To create templates, go to PolicyManager > Editor Assignment Policies > Define Editor Assignment Chain Templates.

The Define Editor Assignment Chain Templates page displays a list of all configured templates. To create a new question, click Add Another Editor Assignment Chain Template. To edit an existing template, click the Edit icon next to it. Clicking either opens a pop-up window where details can be edited/created.

  1. In the text box, enter a description (name) for the template.
  2. Use the drop-down menu to select an Editor role and click Add to Chain.
  3. Use the Assignment Letter drop-down list to select a letter to send to this Editor. (Leave blank if notification letter is not necessary.)
  4. Add as many Editor roles/steps to the chain as needed.
  5. When finished, click the Save icon. (This also closes the pop-up window.)

When multiple steps have been added to the chain, the order may be rearranged by using the grip tool on the left to drag and drop a step to its proper location in the chain.

Note: An Editor role placed at the top or in the middle of the chain must have the Assign Editor permission. If a role is incorrectly positioned, the system displays a warning message.

To associate chain templates with Article Types, go to PolicyManager > Submission Policies > Edit Article Types. On the Edit Article Types page, click the Edit link next to the applicable article. On the Edit Article Type page, go to the Editor Parameters section:

  1. Editor Assignment Chain Template: Use the drop-down list to select the template. 
  2. When finished, click Submit.

For details on Article Type configuration, see Configure Article Types.

Note: Changes to configuration of an existing Article Type are not applied retroactively. New configurations will not affect submissions in process. They will apply only to submissions initiated after the configuration change.

To set the option to reassign chains for revisions, go to PolicyManager > Editor Assignment Policies > Set Editor Assignment Options.

The Revised Submissions section provides two options for handling incoming revisions.

Option 1: Revisions go to Revised Submissions or Revised Submissions Requiring Assignment folder.

  1. Use the radio button to select this option.
  2. Check the box next to the setting, Allow reassignment to previous Editors.
  3. Use the drop-down menu to select a default letter to send when the Editor chain is assigned to the revision. If no letter is selected here and the assigning Editor chooses to send the default letter, then no letter will be delivered (but the submission's status will change). If the assigning Editor chooses to send a custom letter, an empty letter form is displayed and may be completed.
  4. When finished, click Submit.

Option 2: Revisions are automatically directed to the first-assigned Editor of the previous version.

  1. Use the radio button to select this option.
  2. Check the box next to the setting, Allow reassignment to previous Editors.
  3. When finished, click Submit.

Note: No letter is configurable for this option. If the assigning Editor chooses to send the default letter, then no letter will be delivered (but the submission’s status will change). If the assigning Editor chooses to send a custom letter, an empty letter form is displayed and may be completed.

Customize Editor chain

In default configuration of a chain, Editors make a decision in the reverse order of their assignment to the submission (as in example above). Each Editor role in the chain must have RoleManager permission, Make a Decision. No other special settings are required.

If necessary, the default (straight up-and-down) chain may be altered to allow particular Editor roles to be included or excluded from parts of the decision-making process. Caution: Changes to configuration of the Editor chain should be made with care; altering the chain may cause confusion if not implemented properly.

Note: The configurations described for customizing the chain affect both new and revised submissions. If the publication requires different workflows for new submissions and revised submissions, or different workflows based on Article Type, decision-making permissions should be configured as loosely as possible to allow Editors maximum flexibility.

Below are three business scenarios and the required RoleManager settings to accomplish the goals.

Scenario 1: Editor is not involved in decision-making process 

An Editor role is assigned to the manuscript on the way down the chain. This Editor role is responsible only for assigning other Editors and/or selecting Reviewers. This role does not have decision-making permissions. This Editor should be skipped when the manuscript comes back up the chain.

TO CONFIGURE:

To remove an Editor role from the decision-making process (and skip that role when the manuscript moves up the chain), do not give that role the RoleManager permission, Make a Decision.

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

Scenario 2: Editor is involved in decision-making but not in assigning subordinate Editors

A publication may require a particular Editor role to make a decision after a subordinate Editor's decision has been made, or to make a decision after a specific decision has been made by the subordinate Editor. This Editor role is excluded from the assignment process (i.e., does not assign subordinate Editors or Reviewers) and so is not needed as the manuscript moves down the chain. The Editor is assigned to the chain after the subordinate Editor makes a decision.

Example A (Editor role makes all final decisions):

Editor-in-Chief is not involved in assigning subordinate Editors. (Editorial office makes assignments.) Editor-in-Chief is only interested in making a final decision on manuscripts. This is accomplished as follows:

  1. Editorial office staff assigns submissions directly to subordinate Editors.
  2. Subordinate Editors invite/manage Reviewers and make decisions. When the process is complete, the submission moves to the Submissions with Editor's Decision folder.
  3. Editorial office staff goes to the Submissions with Editors Decision folder and clicks Assign Editor to assign the submission to the Editor-in-Chief.
  4. 4Editor-in-Chief goes to the New Assignments folder, clicks Submit Editors Decision and Comments. After examining reviews and feedback from Reviewers and subordinate Editors, the Editor-in-Chief submits a decision.
  5. Editorial office staff receives notice that the Editor-in-Chief has made a decision. Staff goes back to the Submissions with Editors Decision folder and clicks Notify Author.

Example B (Editor role makes final decision sometimes):

Editor-in-Chief is not involved in assigning subordinate Editors. (Editorial office makes assignments.) Editor-in-Chief is not involved if a subordinate Editor's decision is Reject or Revise. Editor-in-Chief is only interested in making a final decision on accepted manuscripts. This is accomplished as follows:

  1. Editorial office staff assigns submissions directly to subordinate Editors.
  2. Subordinate Editors invite/manage Reviewers and make decisions. When the process is complete, the submission moves to the Submissions with Editor's Decision folder.
  3. Editorial office staff checks the decision.
    • If the decision is Reject or Revise, staff clicks Notify Author.
    • If the decision is Accept, staff clicks Assign Editor to assign the submission to the Editor-in-Chief.
  4. For Accept decisions, Editor-in-Chief goes to the New Assignments folder, clicks Submit Editor's Decision and Comments. After examining reviews and feedback from Reviewers and subordinate Editors, the Editor-in-Chief submits a decision.
  5. Editorial office staff receives notice that the Editor-in-Chief has made a decision. Staff goes back to the Submissions with Editors Decision folder and clicks Notify Author.

This workflow is achieved by either assigning or not assigning an Editor role at key points in the workflow.

TO CONFIGURE:

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

All Editor roles in the chain must have the permission:

Subordinate Editor roles should not have the permissions:

Editorial staff (someone other than a decision-making Editor) must have the permission:

Scenario 3: Editor is involved in assigning subordinate Editors, but only makes a decision if the subordinate Editor's decision is X (conditional decision-making) 

This scenario combines elements of scenarios one and two. An Editor role is assigned at/near the start of the chain and is responsible for assigning other Editors and/or selecting Reviewers. This Editor role is asked to make a decision only in certain instances, based on a subordinate Editor's decision.

Example:

  1. Editor-in-Chief assigns Associate Editors.
  2. Associate Editors invite/manage Reviewers and make decisions.
    • If the decision is Reject or Revise, Editorial office staff is notified. Staff accesses submission in Submissions with Editor's Decision folder and clicks Notify Author.
    • If the decision is Accept, Editor-in-Chief is notified.
  3. For Accept decisions, Editor-in-Chief goes to the New Assignments folder, clicks Submit Editor's Decision and Comments. After examining reviews and feedback from Reviewers and subordinate Editors, the Editor-in-Chief submits a decision.
  4. Editorial office staff receives notice that the Editor-in-Chief has made a decision. Staff goes back to the Submissions with Editors Decision folder and clicks Notify Author.
TO CONFIGURE:

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

All Editor roles in the chain must have the permission:

Subordinate Editor roles should not have the permissions:

Editorial staff (someone other than a decision-making Editor) must have the permission:

To configure a role to be skipped in the Editor chain under certain conditions, go to RoleManager > Editor Roles. Grant permissions to the applicable Editor roles:

  1. Make a Decision: Only one of the sub-permissions should be configured (do not set both).
    1. Skipped in Decision Chain if previous Editor's Decision IS: This setting allows a submission to skip this Editor role in the decision-making chain if the previous Editor's decision is the term(s) highlighted in the selection list. The list shows all configured decision terms. More than one can be highlighted.
    2. Skipped in Decision Chain if previous Editor's Decision IS NOT: This setting allows a submission to skip this Editor role in the decision-making chain unless the previous Editor's decision is the term(s) highlighted in the selection list. The list shows all configured decision terms. More than one can be highlighted.

For example, if the first sub-permission is set with "Minor Revision" selected, then the Editor is skipped in the chain any time a decision of Minor Revision is made. When any other decision is made, the Editor is not skipped.

Conversely, if the second sub-permission is set with "Minor Revision" selected, then the Editor is skipped in the chain any time a decision that is not Minor Revision is made. The Editor is included in the decision chain only when a decision of Minor Revision is made on a submission.

These two sub-configurations work independently of each other. Do not set both.

Note: The option to select from the two sub-permissions provides flexibility and ease of use for the publication. If an Editor always makes the final decision on Accepts, then Skipped in Decision Chain if previous Editor's Decision IS NOT may be set by highlighting one term, Accept. Even if the publication adds new Editor Decision Terms, there is no need to reconfigure this setting. If the publication had to use Skipped in Decision Chain if previous Editor's Decision IS, then all Decision Terms other than Accept would be highlighted for proper configuration. If the publication added new Editor Decision Terms, then the settings would have to be updated to include the new terms in the exclusion.

 

 

 

 

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