Generally, functioning of the journal is overseen by an Editorial Advisory board, which consists of eminent and competent researchers in the field, who contribute by inviting contributions and proposing expert opinions on the suitability of submissions. The editorial board consists of the following important positions:
The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) plays a leading role in the journal and makes major decisions for developing and promoting the journal. The EiC has considerable knowledge and expertise about the editorial activities of the journal, and is greatly involved in all key procedures of publication. The Editor-in-Chief:
The Co-Editor assists and facilitates the Editor-in-Chief in performing different editorial tasks for the journal, from being equally involved in the peer-reviewing, revision and finalization of articles as well as the selection of the editorial team. The Co-Editor is expected to:
An Associate Editor assists the Editor-in-chief in finalizing the manuscripts. An Associate Editor is expected to:
A Regional Editor is involved in handling and managing article submissions and other publication processes. The regional editor is appointed from specific geographical boundaries and is expected to show greater involvement to represent that particular geographical region, and be aware of the current geographical issues. The regional editor assists in the following:
A Section Editor is responsible for a section dedicated to an area of interest in the general discipline of the journal that requires specific expertise. A section editor is expected to:
The Editorial board is a panel of researchers with expertise in the relevant field. They are appointed by the publishers in consent with the Editor-in-Chief of the journal for a specified term of 2-3 years. Editorial board members are involved in:
The Associate Editorial Board Members are young and emerging researchers or scientists who are at the early stage of their careers. This responsibility provides a platform for such researchers to interact with experts in the relevant field. The Associate EBMs are expected to:
The editorial board must be geographically diverse, having members from various regions based on their field of expertise, however, the size of the board may vary from journal to journal.
The Editorial board plays an essential role in the progress of the journal, so members are appointed as per the following criteria
Editorial board members are appointed based on the selection criteria stated above. Guest editors, previous authors or peer reviewers who have worked for the journal or have been recommended by other board members can be considered for editorial board membership.
On being invited to the editorial board, the potential candidates are given a brief description of their responsibilities, and a clear statement of the position being a voluntary position with no remuneration.
A successful journal owes a lot to a competent editorial board that must serve the journal with dedication and conviction.