The Humble Art of Journal Editing

The publication of scholarly research is both a major driver of social progress and a significant industry in its own right. Scholarly research is the focus of attention for countless numbers of scholars globally and a key measure of scholarly excellence. Much has been written about the conduct of research that is designed to help scholars attain appropriate standards of rigor and relevance, and indeed craft their research outputs in ways appropriate for different venues, notably as journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and books. However, although scholarly researchers fulfill roles other than as authors, for instance as journal reviewers and editors, there is a dearth of consolidated information about the nature of editorial work. Drawing on over two decades of experience in editing scholarly journals, the author offers a more systematic guide to scholarly journal editing. The book begins with an introduction to the art of scholarly journal editing, the nature of that art (Chapter 1), and an examination of editorial promulgation of cultural values of scholarly journals with an emphasis on responsible research (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 examines the many issues associated with sourcing content, and opines on the novelty, breadth, and depth of research, including discussions of indigenous theorization, serendipity, iconoclastic research, and the value of special issues. Chapter 4 deals with the review process and offers advice for formulating effective reviewer guidelines that lead to constructive and developmental advice for authors. The next two chapters discuss the audience of the journal as well as publisher relations. Finally, the book is concluded with thoughts and recommendations about emerging challenges, such as the ethics of AI tools (like ChatGPT), predatory journals, and the open-access movement. Offering a practical guide to editing scholarly journals, this book will be a key resource for scholars making the leap from researcher to editor, regardless of discipline.