Do you have strong technical background in science and good eye for detail? Are your analytical skills really high? Are you the kind of person of loves going through papers with ground-breaking research? Do you want a change from working hours in the lab on experiments yourself, but still be part of the world of research?
If yes, then you might want to consider becoming a scientific editor. A very common career path chosen by many people in the science field with advanced degrees, being a scientific editor gives you the chance to read about latest research going on around the world, and help them get it publish to reach a wider audience.
Responsibilities of a Scientific Editor
On a daily basis, a scientific editor –
Reads different kinds of scientific papers – original research, reviews, general articles etc. submitted for publication to the journal
Evaluates the submissions. A scientific editor has to decide whether they fall in the scope of topics the journal publishes, and meet the journal’s standards with respect to content and reporting. They also verify whether the submissions are written according to the guidelines given to authors.
If the submission meets all these criteria, peer review process is coordinated and initiated by the scientific editor.
In the peer-review process, the editor selects and invites experts of the respective fields to evaluate the manuscripts under review. The editor ensures the process goes smoothly and in a timely manner.
After the peer-review process is over, the editor’s responsibility is to communicate the feedback with the author. Any revisions, changes, additions, or general publishing guidelines are informed to the author.
Write editorial summaries about accepted manuscripts as part of documentation, so that they can be accessed later for any future references.
Research and discuss about scientific advancements and literature, both latest and old, with the editorial team, and others in the scientific community through in-person and virtual meetings. Occasionally write posts on research highlights.
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Groundwork to become a Scientific Editor
If you want to become a scientific editor, you could start right from your graduation. In fact, an editorial experience is not really required to apply for editorial positions in most cases. Here are some things you could before you start off to apply to these positions –
Start writing and publishing scientific research and review articles, commentaries and even perspectives, whenever you get the chance. The experience of being an author lets you understand from both perspectives – an editor and an author.
Help out your colleagues and advisors to write their research papers. It is important that you could understand and state others’ work as clear as yours, because when you’re an editor, you’d be expected to understand from the author’s point of view.
Read papers from different from your field of specialization. Often, we tend to keep ourselves updated on only some particular topics, losing touch of others. As an editor, you’d be reading about a broader scope of topics in the manuscripts sent. It is important that you are quickly able to grasp what the authors are talking about.
Help out peer reviewing papers when you get the chance. This helps you learn how to comment on work of others through constructive criticism.
Do freelance editing. If you are at graduate level, try joining an editorial board of the institute’s student-led science journal. This would give you hands-on experience of the whole editing, reviewing and publishing process.
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Talk to an editor of a scientific journal. No advice is better than the one first-hand from a scientific editor themselves. They might be able to give you pointers that you can’t find on the internet, and also some insiders about their experiences.
How to apply for Scientific Editor positions
Normally, vacancies for scientific editor positions are advertised online in their respective websites. Once you apply, you might be called for an interview. Some publishing firms might require you to complete tasks, similar to which you would be required to do in the position. So in this process, you’ll get an idea of what will be expected of you on a daily basis, and also if you would really be interested in the same too.
As exotic and technical as the career path seems, being a scientific editor has its own perks and excitement. For a person who loves to read science and also help out others, this is a career worth considering.
