Unassign Editor or Replace Editor (Modify Editor Chain)

Occasionally, an Editor/editorial office may make an incorrect Editor assignment. For example, the assigned Editor may be unavailable during the timeframe required, or the assigning Editor simply clicks the wrong button on the Assign Editor page.

Editors (with permission) may unassign an Editor, i.e., undo the Editor assignment. This enables a user to remove an Editor from the chain and/or replace an Editor assignment anywhere in the chain.

The submission's Details page tracks any changes made to the Editor chain.

An Action link, Unassign Editor, appears for any submission that is not currently being edited (no open Edit Submission session) and has not had a final disposition set. The link takes the user to the Modify Editor Chain page.

Remove an Editor

The Modify Editor Chain page lists Editors by their positions in the chain. To remove an Editor from the chain without supplying a replacement, click the trash can icon next to the Editor's name, confirm the removal, and proceed to send letters.

Replace an Editor

An Editor may be selected to replace the one being unassigned.

The mechanism for choosing a replacement Editor depends on whether the Editor role (selected in the drop-down list) is one configured with the RoleManager setting, Always Use Search-based Selection for Editor Chain Assignment/Replacement. If the search function is in use, then an Editor Search link appears. Otherwise, a drop-down list appears, showing the names of Editors with the designated role. Choose an Editor using the applicable mechanism, confirm selection, and proceed to send letters.

Conditions apply as to when and how an Editor may be removed/replaced:

If the Editor has saved or submitted a decision, the Editor cannot be removed. The Editor can be replaced by another Editor with the same role.
If the submission has unprocessed reviews (invitations, open reviews, or reviews that were submitted after the last complete decision was made), the Editor cannot be removed. The Editor can be replaced by another Editor with the same role or a different role.
If the Editor to be removed has Make a Decision permission, the Editor Chain must be able to be completed after an Editor is removed, i.e., there must be another Editor with Make a Decision permission whose assignment is open. If no other active Editors in the chain have Make a Decision permission, the Editor cannot be removed. The Editor must be replaced by an Editor with the same or a different role (with Make a Decision permission).

Note: Replacing an Editor in the chain is not dependent on the method by which the Editor was assigned (e.g., Autonomous Editor assignment, Editor Chain assignment, Suggest Editor, individual assignment, etc.).

Editors may unassign themselves

Many publications give Editors the permission to unassign themselves. This permission is particularly important when the editorial office practices little oversight over Editors, or when no editorial office exists.

If a publication uses Direct-to-Editor functionality, this permission should be enabled for all Editors who have Direct-to-Editor folders.

Note: Editors who do not have permission to unassign other Editors must contact the editorial office in order to request a change in assignment. Similarly, Editors who do not have permission to unassign themselves must contact the editorial office or the upper-level Assigning Editor to request removal or replacement.

Batch reassign open assignments

Multiple open assignments can be transferred from one Editor to another or from one Editor to several Editors. This is useful if an Editor leaving a publication still has open assignments that must be transferred to other Editors. Batch reassignment is performed from the departing Editor’s Search People – Update Information page. Editors (with permissions) will see a Transfer Editor Assignments button.

The Transfer Editor Assignments page displays information on assignments associated with the Editor. Assignments that are eligible for transfer to another Editor are displayed in a grid and may be selected for reassignment. The message, Feature is not available for this Editor, appears when:

The Editor has no assignments that are eligible for transfer.
No other user has the same role as this Editor. (Assignments may only be transferred to an Editor with a matching role.)
The Editor has saved one or more automated reminder reports. (Saved reports must be deleted before this Editor’s assignments may be transferred.)

To reassign a batch of open assignments:

Go to the Search People – Update Information page of the Editor currently assigned.
Click the Transfer Editor Assignments button. This opens the Transfer Editor Assignments page. Assignments eligible for transfer are listed in a grid.
Use the checkboxes in the Select column to choose assignments to transfer.
Click Proceed. This opens the Replace Editor for Selected Submissions page.
Select a new Editor. Mechanism for selection may be a drop-down list or Editor search. Once a new Editor is selected an alert will display in the assignment grid to flag potential conflict the new Editor may have with a submission (e.g., the Editor may be an Author of the submission).
Use the drop-down lists to select letters to send to the new Editor and the current Editor. Letters may be customized.
Click Proceed to complete the reassignments and send letters.

The reassignment confirmation page includes a link to return the user to the Select Assignments for Transfer page if additional active assignments require reassignment.

To configure:

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

Assign Editor: Allows an Editor to assign Editors (including him/herself).
Unassign Other Editors: Allows an Editor to undo the assignment to a submission of other Editors.
Unassign Myself: Allows an Editor to undo his/her own assignment to a submission. Two sub-permissions allow further flexibility in modifying Editor chains:
1. Unassign Subordinate Editors: Allows an Editor to remove the assignment(s) of lower-level Editor(s).
2. Replace Editor: Allows an Editor to switch his/her own assignment (and/or that of a lower-level Editor if the user also has the sub-permission, Unassign Subordinate Editors) to another Editor.

Different combinations of these permissions allow Editors to accomplish different actions:

Assign Editor and Unassign Other Editors: Allows users to unassign and replace unassigned Editors with new selections. Editors with this permission do not need to be in the Editor chain.
Unassign Myself and Replace Editor: Allow users to remove their own assignment and replace themselves with another Editor.
Unassign Myself and Unassign Subordinate Editors: Allows users to remove their own assignments and assignments of Editors below them in the chain.
Unassign Myself and Unassign Subordinate Editors and Replace Editor: Allows users to remove their own assignments and assignments of Editors below them in the chain and replace the unassigned Editors with new selections.
Search People and Assign Editor and Unassign Other Editors: Allows users to make batch reassignments.
Search People and Assign Editor and Replace Editor (sub-permission of Unassign Myself): Allows users to batch reassign their own assignments to new Editors.

To customize instructions, go to PolicyManager > Editor Assignment Policies > Edit Instructions on Modify Editor Chain Page. Enter instructions in the text box and click Submit. (Click the applicable link to view or revert to default instructions.)

For single Editor assignments, letters may be configured to notify the Editor being unassigned and to notify other Editors.

Go to PolicyManager > Email and Letter Policies > Edit Letters. Letter Family: Invite/Assign/Unassign Editor.

To associate letters with ActionManager events, go to ActionManager > Editor Letters. In the Editor Assigned section, use the drop-down lists to match a letter (configured above) with each of these events (as needed):

Editor Unassigned: Use this event for notifying the Editor being unassigned.
Editor Unassigned Notification: Use this event for notifying other Editors of the change.

The merge field %EDITOR_REPLACEMENT% inserts the names of the Editor being replaced and the replacement Editor into letters in the Invite/Assign/Unassign Editor letter family.

For batch reassignments, letters may be configured to notify both the Editor being replaced and the new Editor.

Go to PolicyManager > Email and Letter Policies > Edit Letters. Letter Family: Invite/Assign/Unassign Editor.

Letter Family: Assign/Unassign Editor for Submission Batch.

Go to PolicyManager > Editor Assignment Policies > Configure Batch Editor Assignment Pages.

Use the drop-down menus to select default letters for notification of assignment and unassignment. (The menus display only letters configured in the Assign/Unassign Editor for Submission Batch family.)
Optional: Edit or enter instructions to be displayed on the Replace Editor for Selected Submissions page.
When finished, click Submit.

For details on letter configuration, see Create Letters.

For related information, see:

Options for Editor Assignment

Allow Editors to Terminate Editor and Reviewer Assignments