Instructions for JCR Associate Editors

Access a Submission

To access the full submission (cover letter, author information, data collection statement, data archiving link, notes from staff, etc.), log in to your ScholarOne account and go to the “Associate Editor Center”:

 

Then scroll down to access the submission in the appropriate queue on the left side of the page:

Submissions move through the queues as follows:

  • Select Reviewers: The editor has not selected the required number of reviewers (the default is 3 reviewers but the editor may change this)
  • Invite Reviewers: The editor has selected reviewers but has not invited the required number of reviewers
  • Assign Reviewers: The editor has invited the required number of reviewers but we are waiting for one or more reviewers to agree
  • Awaiting Reviewer Scores: One or more reviewers have agreed to review and we are waiting for the required number of reviewers to submit their reviews
  • Overdue Reviewer Scores: One or more reviews are overdue
  • Make Recommendation: The required number of reviews has been submitted and we are ready for your AE report

Once you’re in the queue, scroll down and click the blue “Take Action” button to go to the main submission page:

As an AE, you cannot search for, select, or invite reviewers, but you can access the full submission details at any time after it is assigned to you.

After all of the reviews are in, you’ll receive an automated notification with all reviews included in the email and a link to directly access the submission and submit your report.

Search for a Submission

You can only access submissions that have been assigned to you.

To search for a specific submission, use the “Quick Search” on the right side of the”Associate Editor Dashboard”:

  • You can search by manuscript ID, manuscript title, author name, or keyword
  • Use an asterisk to shorten the search term (e.g., search for manuscript JCONRES-2023-632 by entering “*632”)

To view all manuscripts that have been assigned to you, leave the “Quick Search” fields blank and just click the “Search” button.

To expand the search parameters, click “Show Advanced Search” (the advanced search form will appear at the bottom of the screen).

Companion Papers

When we receive a resubmission of a rejected mansucript or a submission is closely related to a prior submission, we flag the submission with a blue star () and link the previous submission as a companion paper.

To access a companion paper, scroll down to the Companion Papers section near the bottom of the main submission page and click “view details” next to the manuscript title to get access to the entire previous submission:

Note: Clicking “view submission” or the manuscript title limits your access to the previous submission.

Suggest Reviewers

When you are assigned a new manuscript, the editor will ask you to suggest appropriate reviewers. You may recommend ERB members or ad hoc reviewers.

The editor will usually includes some names of potential reviewers in the assignment email and you can just respond to their email (AEs cannot search for or select reviewers on the JCR ScholarOne site).

If the editor has pre-selected  reviewers (we invite three reviewers on most submissions but the editor may select more than three as backups for declines), you can view their selections near the bottom of the main manuscript information page:

If the authors have recommended reviewers (authors may also include opposed reviewers and explain why they are unsuitable), these are listed right below.

Rate the Reviewers

Please rate all reviewers on each submission.

Click “view review” for each reviewer and scroll down to the “Quality Assessment” section to rate the reviewer using the following scale:

Number Your Points

AE reports should focus around a “punch list” prioritizing the review team’s concerns and recommendations.

Please number your points using a simple numbering system (1, 2, 3…).

Check the Reviewer Numbers

Please check the reviewer numbers before preparing your report.

The system automatically assigns the reviewer numbers as the reviews are submitted:

  • Reviewer numbers are assigned in the order the reviews are received (e.g., the first reviewer to submit on the first round is Reviewer 1)
  • Reviewers keep the same reviewer number on subsequent rounds (e.g., Reviewer 1 from the first round remains Reviewer 1 on later rounds even if they are last to submit)
  • Reviewer numbers do not distinguish between regular reviewers and trainee reviewers

To check reviewer numbers, click “view review” for each reviewer in the list. The reviewer number is listed at the top of the new window that pops up:

Note:

On the main “Manuscript Information” page, reviewers are listed in the order they were selected and trainees are flagged (). However, on the “Awaiting Recommendation” page where you submit your AE report, the reviewers are listed in the order they submit their reviews and the trainee flags do not carry over.

Don’t Refer to Trainee Reviews

Please check if there is a trainee before preparing your report.

Trainee reviews should not determine the outcome of the paper in any way. You may note which reviews were provided by trainees or briefly comment on the quality of a trainee review, but please do not ask the authors to do anything suggested by a trainee or consider them in your decision recommendation.

When there is a trainee, staff will leave a note on the submission. This note is available at the very bottom of each page:

Don’t Refer to Confidential Comments

The confidential comments to the editor provide an outlet for reviewers to voice concerns and frustrations that do not belong in their review.

We encourage reviewers to be candid in their confidential comments with the understanding that we will not share these comments with the authors and other reviewers.

Don’t Mention Your Recommendation

Only the editor should know your decision recommendation. Please do not indicate or allude to your recommendation in your AE report.

In addition, please make sure that the tone of your report is consistent with your recommendation, i.e., do not write a very positive AE Report and then recommend rejection (or vice versa).

Providing Feedback on Desk Rejects

When a new manuscript is submitted, we may ask you to evaluate whether it should be desk rejected.

If you are recommending desk rejection:

In the “Progress” module (on the right side of your screen and near the bottom of the page), change the “# reviews required to make decision” from “3” to “0” and click “Save”:

The system will move the paper forward to the “Awaiting Recommendation” stage.

In the “Recommendation” module:

  • Select “Desk Reject”
  • Enter comments to the editor only
  • Click “Save as Draft” and then click “Submit”

If you have any questions, contact the editorial office.