The role of a journal editor requires ringmaster skills

“Editing an academic journal is a vital and rewarding task, but also time-consuming and often frustrating,” write eight contributors for Times Higher Education. These current and former editors of academic journals note that one will need the “skills of a ringmaster” to become one of these academic gatekeepers. One contributor notes that while submissions management systems can be frustrating for many, these tools are invaluable for managing the submissions process at a journal. The contributor also notes that while there are many who criticize abuses of power on behalf of journal editors or peer reviewers, such instances are very rare and easily corrected by a journal’s editorial staff. Times Higher Education