Elsevier



Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, est. 1950Editors-in-Chief: Denis Noble, Tom L. Blundell, Peter KohlGuide for Guest EditorsThe following guidelines provide essential information for Guest Editors (GE) who have been appointed by the Editors-in-Chief (EiC) of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (PBMB) to prepare a Themed Issue (TI). The purpose of this document is to outline the roles and responsibilities of EiC, GE, Publishing Content Specialist (Divya Pillai, d.pillai@), Journal Manager (Saranya Srinivasalu, s.srinivasalu.1@), Publisher (Elsevier) and TI-Authors to facilitate efficient communication thereby ensuring timely publication of the issue.Aims and Scope of the JournalPBMB, an international review journal, covers the ground between the physical and biological sciences. It indicates to the physicist the great variety of unsolved problems awaiting attention in biology and medicine. The biologist and biochemist will find that this journal presents new and stimulating ideas and novel approaches to studying and influencing structural and functional properties of the living organism. This journal will be of particular interest to biophysicists, biologists, biochemists, cell physiologists, systems biologists, and molecular biologists.GE are internationally acknowledged experts in their field. TI contain a collection of authoritative critical Reviews that cover different aspects of the subject area. TI may include substantive Original Papers, as long as they fit the scope of the TI and provide suitable contextualisation via a mini-review like introduction. The aim of each TI is to provide a coordinated, critical, readable, and stimulating review of a selected area. The journal homepage can be viewed at: Team and RolesEditor-in-Chief (EiC)Receives suggestions for TI, using the proposal form that can be downloaded missions TI and appoints GE, either pro-actively, based on suggestions from the editorial board, or in response to proposals received and reviewed by the three Editors-in-ChiefAgrees with GE to wording of a ‘call-for-papers’, to be published on PBMB web pages, to invite broad participation in TIUpon submission of papers, EiC assigns individual papers to the GE who handle peer-review, with exception of communications co-authored by GE, for which EiC will arrange peer-reviewActs as point of contact in case of any content-related questions, including ethics of publishingEiC also may commission substantive stand-alone reviews for publication in PBMB outside TIGuest Editor (GE): Propose TI scope Identify 6-12 topics for critical Reviews in the TI and actively approach potential lead authorsDraft ‘call-for-papers’ for publication on PBMB web site, inviting additional contributions based on submission of a ‘letter of intent’ (title, abstract, authors) to the GE, to allow balancing and to avoid overlap of potential contributionsSecure agreement from potential authors to contribute to the TI. We find that direct contact from the GE to a potential author is usually more successful than an automated invitation via the Elsevier manuscript handing system.Provide EiC with a summary of expected contributions Each TI should have a minimum of 8 contributions (Reviews, or Original Papers with a mini-review-like introduction), although we would recommend aiming for 12 or more to allow some flexibility if authors subsequently withdraw or if papers are rejected in peer-review.Set deadlines and assure timely preparation of the TI (see below and proposal form for guide on timing).Maintain contact with authors during the preparation phase, and highlight any potential delays to the EiC.Familiarize with the EVISE online editorial system of PBMB (training is offered).Handle peer-review of manuscripts within the journal editorial system (a minimum of two peer-reviews is obligatory; this may include other contributors to the TI); if peer-reviews are solicited and obtained outside EVISE, they must be forwarded to the Journal Manager for uploading to EVISE for complete and transparent documentation of the editorial processPeer-reviewers should be invited to comment on the scientific content and presentation of papers as usual, with recommendations including reject (in case of non-salvageable problems), major revision (where revised manuscripts are re-sent to peer-reviewers), minor revision (where revised manuscripts are assessed by GE) or acceptUpon completion of peer-review (i.e. when either reject or accept recommendations are reached), make final recommendations on paper acceptance to the EiCProvide running list (order of papers in printed volume) of all manuscripts and identify classification of each paper as either Review or Original. Provide an editorial that introduces the TI and all papers contained therein; editorials will be printed in the TI and made available for Open Access free of chargePropose suitable cover images for the TI to the EiC; these should be ‘original’ illustrations contained in or related to the TI (Note: the switch to cover art is currently being prepared at PBMB)Publishing Content Specialist (Divya Pillai, d.pillai@) Monitors the entire editorial process and sends monthly status update of the Special issueReview Call for Papers, approved by EiC, and updates the journal webpage.Guide GE through the process of TI preparationResponsible for setting up the EVISE Editorial system for TI article submissionMain contact for special content and for all non-editorial and non-production related questionsAssist in bulk order deals, invoicing and dispatch of copies.Sends you the complimentary copies once a Special Issue is published online.Journal Manager (Saranya Srinivasalu, s.srinivasalu.1@)Implements all web-based steps for TI productionReceives list of anticipated contributions, generated by GE and approved by EiC, and monitors submissionsDirects all manuscripts received for a TI to the EiC for assignment to GE Supports GEs in handling papers and peer-reviews in EVISEMain contact for all production related questions and EVISE technical queriesSupports production process from acceptance to publication, both in print and electronicallyEnsures timely on-line versions of accepted papers with their final DOI, including correct identification of papers as either Reviews or Original papersimplements adherence to running order as specified by GE, and makes editorials by GE Open AccessTime ScheduleBelow is a recommended standard timeline for TI publicationStageTimeStart: TI proposal by GE to EiC- review by EiC If approved:- invite key contributors- write call-for-papers (to be agreed with EiC and published on PBMB web site) - receive expressions-of-interest - compile list of all expected contributions to TI and hand to EiCallow 3 weeksallow 6-8 weeksSubmission deadline - set by GE, needs to be specified in letter of invitationAt least 3 months(typically 4-6 months)Submission of manuscripts- First peer review Set 3 weeks deadline, but allow 4-6 weeks Revision and re-submission by authors4-6 weeksSecond peer review (if needed)3 weeksFinal revisions by authors and decision by GE3 weeksContingency time1 monthProduction process until ‘online’ (all articles to reach “Article in Press” from acceptance, if no embargo is applied)2-3 weeks Compilation of Themed Issue and publication on Science Direct4 weeks after last manuscript (editorial by GE) is receivedPublication in print 4 weeksTotal from first submission until online About 6 monthsTotal from first submission until printed About 8 monthsTotal from first proposal of a TI to print12-18 monthsSubmission deadlines should be set realistically to provide authors enough time to prepare their manuscripts. Once timelines are agreed, they should be treated it as absolutely firm. If a TI has to be rescheduled, it may have to be deferred by several months, due to the scheduling of other issues of the journal; this would also have negative impact on authors who have already submitted – so severely delayed papers may not be included in TI.As a general guideline, extending the final submission deadline by 2-3 weeks is rarely a problem; slightly longer extensions may be possible if (i) most other articles have been received in time and (ii) the GE is confident the article will be submitted. Any proposed deadline extensions should be discussed and agreed with the EiC in consultation with the Publishing Content SpecialistAuthor ListYou are entitled to enlarge upon or tune the scope of the topic you have been invited to cover if you feel such changes will provide a more balanced, timely, and engaging TI. Aim for reviews that complement each other and consider the final running order of manuscripts which, ideally, will ‘tell a story’ in its own right. Conceptual papers are welcome. Hypothesis generating communications should be experimentally testable and indicate a path to validation. Some overlap between contributions will be unavoidable, but repetition should be avoided.PBMB welcomes submission of Original research papers ONLY within the context of TI. It is up to the GE to decide, whether scope and focus of any Original manuscripts fit and strengthen the thematic focus. Combinations of Reviews and Original research are often particularly useful if a TI is loosely associated with a scientific meeting, as is often the case. Authors whom you invite to contribute should have sufficient experience to write knowledgeably. Above all they must be reliable. A major aim of the journal is to ensure currency of content and the Publisher will do everything possible to ensure speedy publication. It is equally vital that the GE and the contributors help by meeting deadlines. Therefore, it is essential that you choose authors who, with suitable encouragement by GE, will submit manuscripts on time.GE-authored manuscripts are welcome. Their peer-review is handled independently by an EiC.Once you have finalized your confirmed author list, please pass names and e-mail contacts of authors to the Journal Manager, who will send formal invitations via EVISE to authors containing a personal link for uploading manuscripts to the on-line editorial system.Authors will only be able to submit their manuscript if they have been invited and have received their personalized submission link. Please contact the Journal Manager if authors are encountering any problem.Authors will be provided with a link to the Guide for Authors on the author gateway () but please emphasise the need for writing in as readable a form as possible. In view of the broad readership of PBMB, concepts and terminology should be suitably introdcued.EVISE editorial systemAs a first step GE should create an account in EVISE by following the on-screen instructions at: EVISE has a single sign-on system for all Elsevier journals, so GE who have already registered an EVISE account as an author, reviewer or editor in any other Elsevier journal will be able to use their existing long-on credentials.Secondly, GEs are advised to take one of the EVISE online training tutorials to assure a smooth handling of manuscripts, reviews and decisions. Please note that all editorial tasks should be performed and/or recorded in our online editorial system to assure that journal specific anonymity (towards authors and reviewers) and to log appropriate records for each manuscript, according to good scientific publishing practice.We have a variety of tailored online tutorials; please choose the one that best suit your schedule and learning preference and confirm to the Publishing Content Specialist when you have familiarized yourself with the system:E-learning platform: demo: for individual editorial tasks: webinars of approx. 1 hour with one of our EVISE trainers with Q&A session, please register at: (Asia Pacific) (Europe, Middle East, Africa) (North America, EST) (North America, PST)Editor resourcesResources for editors can be found at our page: . In addition, editors can download our Editors Pack which provides key information about Elsevier, as well as more specific details on the role of an editor and the tools available to support you: __data/assets/pdf_file/0015/90123/EditorWelcomePack.pdfPeer ReviewAs a GE, you will be provided with editorial access to the journal editorial system and you are asked to handle peer-review of submitted manuscripts within this system.GE will make decisions of relevance and quality of the manuscript based on at least 2 independent referees’ reports. Reviewer invitations and reviewers’ reports will be managed within the editorial system to guarantee the fairness and the anonymity of the peer-review process. As with author invitations, a personal approach to potential reviewers in preparation of the system-generated invite may be a prudent approach towards getting fast and positive returns.Please take note of any potential conflicts of interest, including those highlighted by submitting authors (if applicable), and act accordingly. GE can act as reviewers of manuscripts as long as they did not author them; inviting other contributors to a TI to act as peer-reviewers is acceptable. Review of GE-authored manuscripts is conducted by the EiC who commissioned the TI.Once referees’ reports are submitted, the GE decide on whether or not authors need to revise their manuscripts, with recommendations including rejection, major revision (incl. a second round of external peer-review), minor revision (with re-review by the GE only) or acceptance, according to referees reports. Final decisions (accept, revise or reject) will be confirmed by the EiC, who will inform the authors. For all accepted manuscripts, the GE must identify whether papers are to be classed as review or Original.If invited to revise a manuscript, Authors are required to submit a point-by-point response to the Editorial Decision letter. PBMB is working towards a new online system where for accepted manuscripts the Editorial Decision and the Author Rebuttal are published as an online supplement (under development). Language editing is a responsibility of authors; in case of problems with the written English, they should be advised by the GE at revision stage that a native speaker check must be implemented by authors before final acceptance. GE must ensure that all papers in a TI are presented in a sound and comprehensible manner.Publication of manuscriptsUpon acceptance, manuscripts will be proofed and published online as “Accepted Manuscript” in the Article in Press section of the journal (). Articles will be labelled as either Review of Original and receive a DOI at this stage; they are immediately citable and indexed in MEDLINE, PubMED and Scopus.Concomitantly proofs will be sent to authors for review. Corrected proof should be returned to the Publisher within 72 hours and will be compiled online. The article and related indexed data will then be updated to “Corrected proof”.When all articles belonging to one TI reach the Corrected proof stage and the Editorial has been completed, the TI will be compiled online and processed for print in the appropriate volume in due course. If necessary, manuscripts can be embargoed and only made available online at either corrected stage or at compilation of the TI. If any of these options are applicable, the GE must flag this – on the authors request – to the journal manager upon acceptance.EditorialWhen all articles are accepted and close to full submission, the GE is expected to write a 300 to 500 word editorial, summarizing briefly introducing the TI and explaining how the individual papers are related, putting in perspective any controversies or arguments. This editorial will be Open Access at no cost.GEs are invited to propose an image for the cover of the Themed Issue. This can be one of the original images from a paper in the Themed Issue, or something different – for example a schematic that illustrates the topic. Please provide credits of the image and a small figure legend to the EiC for final approval (under development). The Editorial, along with the EiC-approved cover image and suitable figure legend, should be submitted by the GE to the journal manager who will then compile it together with all articles part of the same Themed Issue.Open AccessGE editorials for all TI are freely available online for 2 years.Should an author wish to publish her/his paper Open Access, PBMB charges an article processing fee. For further information on the options available, please visit: can arrange ‘Sponsored Open Access’ for an entire TI at preferential rates. If this is desired – please raise the possibility with the Publishing Content Manager as early as possible. PaymentGuest Editors and authors are paid a small honorarium on publication.Authors: US $100 per articleGuest Editor: US $400 if sole Guest Editor or US $200 if Co-Guest Editor. Guest editors who are also authors of papers will receive up to a max of $500 total honorarium.Core ethical responsibilities of Guest EditorsPeer-review The GE is responsible for ensuring that the peer-review process is fair, unbiased, and timely. The GE should select reviewers who have suitable expertise in the relevant field. The GE must review all disclosures of potential conflicts of interest made by authors and reviewers in order to determine whether there is any potential for bias.All articles must be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers, and where necessary the GE should seek additional opinions.The GE must follow best practice guidance provided by the Publisher on avoiding the selection of fraudulent peer reviewers (for example not using an author-suggested reviewer email address unless it has been verified as the reviewer’s correct contact information from an independent source).Authors are required to provide a point-by-point response to all reviewer comments contained in the editorial decision letter. These will be published, with the letter, upon acceptance of the manuscript (under development).Journal metrics GE shall not attempt to influence the Journal’s ranking by artificially increasing any Journal metric. In particular, the Editor shall not require that references to any particular Journal’s articles be included, except for genuine scholarly reasons, and authors should not be required to include references to the GE’s own work.Transparency and processGE shall use the publisher’s electronic submission system for all journal communications and make appropriate use of the publisher’s systems for the detection of plagiarism.ConfidentialityThe GE must protect the confidentiality of all material submitted to the Journal and all communications with reviewers. Unless reviewers have agreed to disclose their names, the GE must protect reviewers’ identities.Disclosure and conflicts of interestThe GE should follow the Journal’s policy relating to the disclosure of conflicts of interest by authors and reviewers. TI may include submissions from the GE, but their number should be kept to the minimum necessary. The GE must not be involved in decisions about papers which s/he has contributed to. Peer-review of any such submission will be handled independently, as described above.You will receive support and guidance from EiC, Publishing Content Specialist and Journal Manager throughout the process. ................
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