Qualifications
The primary qualifications of an editor are a record of scholarly accomplishment in an area germane to the mission of the journal and substantial experience in the publication process, particularly with respect to manuscript reviewing and editing. Secondary qualifications include organizational and management skills, objectivity and fairness, ability to adhere to publication time lines, sensitivity in dealing with authors and reviewers, membership in the Association, availability, and willingness to comply with policies or procedures established by the Publications Board.
Nominations
The appointment of editors of the scholarly journals is one of the most important activities of the Publications Board. The nomination process is an open one; nominations, including self-nominations, are sought through advertisement in the Association’s journals and other communication vehicles. Potential nominees may be directly solicited by members of the Board but not until after public announcement of the search.
The Board established an additional means of filling editorial positions: an Editorial Pool, whereby people make known their general interest in being considered for a position as an editor (or associate editor). Announcements of the Editorial Pool appear (on a space-available basis) in issues of all the journals. Interested individuals convey information on their area(s) of expertise, the names of three references, and a copy of their current curriculum vitae to the Publications Office. In turn, that information is relayed to the Publications Board and/or the appropriate editor.
Nomination Procedures
A nomination consists of a nominating letter, a curriculum vitae, from two to four supporting letters, and a letter from the nominee indicating willingness to serve if asked. (The latter minimizes the possibility that a nominee will, after being offered the position, determine that he or she cannot serve.) The nominating letters generally outline both the broad and specific qualifications of the nominee and the personal and professional characteristics that commend him or her for the position.
Review of Nominations
Nomination materials are distributed to members of the Publications Board before the meeting in which the final candidate slate is selected. Review of nominations by the Publications Board typically begins with open and informal discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the candidates. All members of the Board, both voting and nonvoting, participate in this process. Following this discussion, the voting members of the Board indicate by open vote which nominees are acceptable and then by secret ballot rank the acceptable nominees. The discussions and outcome of the voting by the Board are kept confidential.
Each nominee who is deemed acceptable by a majority of those voting is included on a list (unranked, in alphabetical order) forwarded to the Executive Board. The Executive Board may object to, and hence veto, one or more of the nominations, but it may not add names to the list. After the slate is approved by the Executive Board, the Chair of the Publications Board confirms the willingness of the top-ranked candidate to accept the editorship and prepares a resolution for final Legislative Council approval of the editorship appointment. Although the Executive Board vets the slate of nominees, the Publications Board maintains control of the process.
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