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After many years as editor of Educational Researcher ( @ERjournal_AERA), and 17 months after taking on my last new submission, I think I just sent a decision letter on my *last* manuscript at ER.
(It was an acceptance. Good to go out on a high note.)
(It was an acceptance. Good to go out on a high note.)
Being editor of ER was a real professional highlight. I think what I enjoyed most is that a generalist journal like ER gets such diverse submissions from across the spectrum of education research. It made me read way more broadly than usual. I learned a ton.
One thing I really learned is deep respect for the review process. As an author, everyone has a not-great experience at some point, and it's easy to become cynical about peer review. As an editor, you see just how often the process makes the final product better.
Is every review great? Nah. But I have been repeatedly impressed with the time and care that incredibly busy people put into providing their peers thoughtful feedback. Uncompensated. While fighting off repeated emails from the submission system reminding them to do their review.
I was especially impressed when that feedback came from very senior people. Because another thing I learned is that senior people review at waaaayyy lower rates than junior folks. So assistant professors overrun with review requests, thank a senior colleague.
Seriously, one time I swear I got the DECLINE from a full professor before I clicked to send the review request. Shockingly fast.
(Which *is* better than the requests that languish in purgatory, auto-declined from lack of response.)
But senior folks, peer review needs you.
(Which *is* better than the requests that languish in purgatory, auto-declined from lack of response.)
But senior folks, peer review needs you.
Anyway, I will miss working with authors on their manuscripts. I will miss thinking through referees' insightful reviews. And I will miss working with our great team of associate editors: @jensteeledc, @daphnabassok, @vdennen, and others not on Twitter. They were the best.
Luckily I get to keep a toe in the editing waters as associate editor and policy briefs editor over at @EFPJournal. Which has all of the fun of reading great papers and working with a great team but with someone else writing desk rejection letters (the worst part of the job).
I've enjoyed seeing the work that @ajmceachin, @sarahlouwou, @ThadDomina, @ahnjune, @DThompsonDorsey, and their team are doing to make the impact of @ERjournal_AERA even greater. Best of luck to them.
And now I get to go back to just being a reader of ER. And big fan.
And now I get to go back to just being a reader of ER. And big fan.
