Mental Health, Religion & Culture (MHRC) is an international, peer-reviewed journal publishing empirically-based work which explores the relationships between mental health and aspects of religion and culture, and discusses conceptual and philosophical aspects. Contributions are encouraged from a range of disciplines including: psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, sociology and other social sciences, philosophy, theology and religious studies, community and social work, counselling and pastoral work.
The journal is published ten times per year and has an expert senior editor team of Kate Loewenthal, Simon Dein, Christopher Alan Lewis and Kenneth Pargament.
The journal is now seeking a small team of Associate Editors (AEs) to help the journal build on its current success. AEs will work collaboratively with the journal’s senior editors to enhance and maintain the journal’s quality and reputation.
Time commitment is flexible, but the AE needs to be willing and able to reserve enough time to work with manuscripts to ensure a smooth, timely, and high-quality peer review process.
The work of the AEs will be voluntary, and the time commitment will be flexible, however AEs need to be willing and able to reserve enough time to work on 3 – 6 manuscripts per year. We offer a 3-year term, which can be renewed. Working as an AE of MHRC will be a rewarding and learning experience, on a team where collaborative spirit and mutual learning are valued.
It will be the AE’s primary responsibility to ensure a smooth, timely, and high-quality peer review process. This will involve
- Preliminary assessment of manuscripts
- Overseeing and coordinating the review process
- Making editorial decisions about papers
- Liaising with authors for revisions
All manuscript handling will involve working on ScholarOne.
Preliminary assessment of manuscripts
Papers will be assigned to the AE based on the keywords, expertise and interests of the AE. At assignment the option to decline to handle a paper will be available for reasons such as a conflict of interest or poor timing of the request. Once a paper has been assigned, the AE will be expected to read the paper to make a preliminary assessment as to whether the paper should be sent for review.
Overseeing and coordinating the review process
If the AE’s initial assessment is favourable the AE will select suitable reviewers to consider the manuscript. The AE will use their knowledge of the subject area, their network and online tools to aid in identifying and recruiting appropriate reviewers.
The AE will take responsibility for sending invitations to review and managing the peer review process until there are at least 2 double-blinded peer reviews available. This will include keeping track on the progress of the paper and selecting more reviewer names if those initially invited decline to review.
Making editorial decisions about papers
After reviewer reports are submitted the AE will use the comments to decide whether the paper is suitable for the journal. For papers that are suitable the AE will provide the authors guidance on how to address the reviewers’ comments and any other matters the AE highlights that will improve the paper. If the reviews are negative a reject decision can be made.
After a first decision has been made on the paper, where revisions are requested, the AE will be expected to also handle any revised paper submitted, re-reading the paper, sending for re-review and making a further decision.
Liaising with authors for revisions
When the paper is at a standard the AE considers acceptable for publication in the journal a final read will be required and where unsatisfactory text or revisions are found the authors should be asked to improve the manuscript before it is sent to our production colleagues.
Throughout the process you will have the support of our Journal Editorial Office colleague, Suruthi Dhavaseelan, who will assist with any process queries about ScholarOne. There is also online training available to AEs if required.
The Editors will provide guidance for the AE for all matters relating to the academic merits of the papers being handled.
The Portfolio Manager, Liz Baker, is also available for advice and support if necessary.
The Editor Resources pages provides valuable assistance for queries on a range of publishing topics.
Application
If you are interested in becoming an AE for MHRC, please e-mail your CV and a 1-page statement of interest explaining your qualifications and motivation for this position to the Portfolio Manager, Ms Liz Baker (jbradt@drexel.edu), before Friday 24th July, 2020.
Liz Baker, (elizabeth.baker@tandf.co.uk)
May 2020