Building and Maintaining a Strong Editorial Board and Cadre of Ad Hoc Reviewers

Abstract

Some of the most important decisions you will make as an editor—and some of the decisions that will have the greatest impact on the success of your editorship—have to be made before the first manuscript ever crosses your desk or pops up on your computer screen. Whom you choose as your associate editors, whom you choose as your editorial board members, and whom you invite to be ad hoc reviewers determine the quality of the reviewing “service” your faculty colleagues will experience as “customers.” Moreover, these choices send important signals to the marketplace about your values, priorities, and preferences as an editor.