Job Description:
The American Journal of Physical Anthropology (AJPA), the official Journal of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA), is currently looking for an Editor-in-Chief starting April 1, 2019. The Editor-in-Chief oversees the peer review of manuscripts, distributes the manuscripts to Associate Editors (based on their area of expertise), and is ultimately responsible for all editorial decisions made at the Journal. In addition, he/she commissions high-quality articles and topical special issues, manages the editorial board, and works closely with the Journal Publishing Manager, Editorial Assistant and Production Editor at Wiley, with the President of the AAPA, and with the Association’s Publication Committee. The Editor-in-Chief of AJPA is an official member of the AAPA Executive Committee.
The Editor-in-Chief of the AJPA shall:
- Be a regular member in good standing of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.
- Ensure the high quality and integrity of the Journal.
- Maintain high scientific standards in the peer-review process and ensure that the Journal adheres to ethical standards (i.e. COPE guidelines).
- Work closely with the Editorial Assistant at Wiley to ensure the manuscripts are easily submitted to the Journal via the online editorial system, rapidly screened for completeness by the Assistant and assigned to the right Associate Editors in a swift manner.
- Ensure efficient handling of the manuscripts by the Associate Editors (the Editorial Board) and maintain frequent communication with the Wiley production team once the papers are approved for publication.
- Lead the Editorial Board and advise on the composition and succession plans of the Editorial Board members and mentor new members.
- Support the preparation and realization of strategic editorial plans to maintain/increase the status and visibility of the Journal and closely work with the Journal Publishing Manager at Wiley to implement such development plan.
- Collaborate with the marketing staff at Wiley on the promotion of the Journal.
- Solicit articles and special issues in consultation with the Associate Editors and the Editorial Board.
- Drive the Journal development including the aims and scope and implement new article types as needed.
- Prepare an annual report on the status of the Journal to be delivered at the annual AAPA meeting and submit the report for publication on the AAPA website.
- Represent the Journal at the Annual Meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists and at other national and international scientific meetings as appropriate.
Desired Attributes:
- Strong leadership and communication skills.
- An experienced manager with strong organizational ability.
- An active researcher with an extensive publication record in the field.
- A recognized expert in the field, with a broad appreciation for the diverse subfields of biological anthropology.
- A wide sphere of influence and range of contacts in the field.
- Experience with an online editorial system.
- Awareness of relevant technological advances in publishing/dissemination of Science.
- Willingness to travel to conferences to promote and acquire content for the Journal.
- High professional and ethical standards.
Editorial logistics
- The Editor-in-Chief will receive an honorarium, but there is no further compensation for an editorial office, course release or travel expenses.
- The Editorial Assistant for AJPA, with whom the Editor-in-Chief will work closely, is based at Wiley and compensated as a Wiley employee.
- The appointment will be for an initial period of approximately five years.
- The AAPA and Wiley are open to new editorial arrangements for AJPA, such as a smaller number of Associate Editors who would be themselves under contract with Wiley, handle most of the submissions, and would be supported by a larger editorial board who would carry out the majority of the reviews. Such editorial options will be discussed at the interview. Candidate suggestions for editorial (re)organization are welcome and should be included as part of the candidate’s vision for the Journal in the cover letter for the position.
Application process:
Please email the following to the Chair of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists Publication Committee: Lyle Konigsberg ([email protected]) by November 30, 2018.
For questions about the position please contact Lyle Konigsberg, or Peter Ellison, the current AJPA Editor ([email protected]).
Selection timeline:
- Deadline for applications: November 30, 2018
- Shortlisting of candidates: December, 2018
- Interviews for shortlisted candidates: January, 2019
- Start date for the new Editor-in-Chief: April 1, 2019 [Note that this allows for a three-month transition period during which the appointed editor will begin to process new submissions while Peter Ellison, the retiring Editor, continues to process prior submissions.]
- Full responsibility for the Journal: July 1, 2019
About the American Journal of Physical Anthropology
The American Journal of Physical Anthropology (AJPA) is the official journal of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA). The Journal is published monthly. In addition, two supplements appear annually: the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, which publishes major review articles, and the Annual Meeting Issue, containing the AAPA Annual Meeting abstracts. The AJPA Editor is not responsible for these supplementary issues. The Yearbook of Physical Anthropology has its own editor, appointed by the Association, and the Annual Meeting abstract issue is handled by the AAPA Vice President and Program Committee. As measured by impact factor, the AJPA is among the top journals listed in the anthropology category by the Social Science Citation Index. The reputation of the AJPA as the leading publication in physical anthropology is built on its century-long record of publishing high quality scientific articles in a wide range of topics.
The Journal welcomes for consideration manuscripts that contribute to an understanding of human and non-human primate evolution and variation. Within this framework, the AJPA publishes in broad areas of biological anthropology, and seeks submissions in new and developing fronts that contribute to the growth of the science and increased understanding in the field. The AJPA publishes scientific articles, as well as invited commentaries, book reviews, and short communications dealing mostly with methodological and technical issues
About the American Association of Physical Anthropologists:
The American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) is an American international scientific society of physical anthropologists, based in the United States. It was formed in 1930. The purpose of the Association is the advancement of the science of physical (biological) anthropology.
