Create Editor Forms

In order to submit their decisions, Editors access the Decision and Comments page (by clicking the Submit Editor's Decision and Comments link for a submission). The elements that appear on this page are configured in PolicyManager as Editor Forms. Publications can create multiple forms to tailor the settings to particular Article Types and/or Editor roles.

In addition to the elements described below, the Decision and Comments page includes decision terms (e.g., Accept, Revise, Reject). These must also be configured. For details, see Create Decision Terms and Associate Decision Letters .

Editor Forms may also include:

Custom Review Questions: Questions to guide feedback from Editors. For details, see Create Custom Review Questions.
Decision Phrases: Publication-defined collection of phrases for use in decision letters to save Editors time when composing letters and to provide a consistent voice in communications with Authors. For details, see Create Editor Decision Phrases .

The Decision and Comments page contains two textboxes: Confidential Comments to Editor and Comments to Author. When the Editor accesses the page, both boxes are pre-populated with corresponding comments from Reviewers (and any lower-level Editor comments). (Depending on publication configuration, a third box, Production Notes, may also appear on the page.)

The Editor Form has three components: customized instructions, the form, and the optional display of configured Custom Review Questions and Responses. The Editor Instructions are displayed in a pop-up window when the Editor clicks the Editor Instructions button.

The Editor Form is displayed in the Confidential Comments to Editor box above any submitted comments from Reviewers or subordinate Editors. The form content allows Editors to address specific questions posed by the publication when submitting a decision.

Publications can have different text for each Editor Role/Article Type combination (just as a publication can have multiple Review Forms). An unlimited number of Editor Forms is allowed. When Editors navigate to their Decision and Comments page, the appropriate Editor Instructions and Editor Form text are displayed.

For related information, see this video on adding custom questions to Editor forms.

To Configure:

Go to PolicyManager > Reviewer and Editor Form Policies > Editor Decision Policies > Create/Edit Editor Forms. Click the Edit link next to an existing form or click the Add button to create a new one.

The Add/Edit Editor Form page includes the following settings:

Editor Form Name: Enter a name for the form.

Editor Instructions: Enter any customized instructions. These are accessed from the form page via the Editor Instructions button, which opens a pop-up window where the instructions are displayed.

Default Text for Confidential Comments to Editor: Enter any questions/prompts for the Editor to use in assessment of the submission (e.g., conflict of interest statement). On the Editor Form this box will also display any "Confidential Comments to Editor" made by Reviewers on the Review Form.

Current Custom Review Question List: Click the Add Custom Review Question button to open a pop-up window where configured questions are shown. Check the box next to a question to add it to the form (or use Select All/Clear All options). When finished selecting, click the Save icon. Once questions appear in the list on the Add/Edit Editor Form page, check the box next to a question to make it required for submission of the Editor's decision.

Current Editor Decision Phrase List: Click the Add Editor Decision Phrase button to open a pop-up window where configured phrases are shown. Check the box next to a phrase to add it to the form (or use Select All/Clear All options). When finished selecting, click the Save icon.

Display Custom Review Questions and Responses Grid: Check the box to include the list of questions and Reviewers' responses on the Decision and Comments page.

Order of sections: Enter the preferred numbered order in the boxes in the Order column and click the Update Order button. The order that appears here is the order the sections appear on the Decision and Comments page.

When finished, click Submit.

After an Editor form is created, it must be associated with Article Type(s) and Editor role(s). (The default form is automatically associated with all Article Types and Editor roles.)

From the Create Editor Forms page, click the Match Editor Forms to Article Types and Editor Roles link.

Go to PolicyManager > Reviewer and Editor Form Policies > Editor Decision Policies > Match Editor Forms to Article Types and Editor Roles.

The Match Editor Forms to Article Types and Editor Roles page displays all Article Types (left column) and all Editor roles (each in its own column). For each Article Type, use the drop-down lists to select the appropriate Editor Form for each Editor role. When finished, click Submit.