Career Spotlight - How to find the way into science editing
My interest in science writing has inspired me to look at careers in editors. Along with scientific research background, I start to get intrigued by the positions of journal editors – I can still be close to research without having to work in the lab. (Wow!) More to that, I will be surrounded with a broader range of science as well as with those brilliant scientists!
But, what do the job and the workflow look like?
This post is about my first attempt to talk to a real journal editor and ask questions that are on my mind for a while. I’ve known about Dr. Dongare since my first 1st-authored paper published in Communications Chemistry (at that time he was in the editorial group) and found that we have worked at the same department. Though we’ve never met in person, the adoption of virtual meetings in this pandemic has positioned me to meet people with flexibility.
Dr. Prateek Dongare earned his PhD in Chemistry from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. He is currently a Team Manager & Senior Editor at Nature Communication, based in Berlin. Before joining Nature in 2018, Prateek worked in the chemistry department at UNC as post-doc.
The interview took place on June 12th, 2020 via Zoom. The recording can be found here. We’ve covered his transition from a lab-based chemist to a journal editor, the responsibilities and working routine, the career path in the publication field, and much more. If you want to listen to a specific Q&A, scroll down this post and you’ll find the time stamps associated to the video.
The transition from graduate school to pursue a career in a scientific journal.
Being a journal editor was not on Prateek’s radar when he was in graduate school. The transition from research to publication started when he worked at UNC as a postdoc researcher. At that time, Prateek had many opportunities to help his supervisor manage manuscripts. In the process, he found that he was fascinated by how the publication works. To explore the work firsthand, Prateek would meet and talk with journal editors when attending scientific conferences. The more he explored, the more he’s determined to make the transition. “This is something I like,” Prateek reflected, “and I want to do things I like.” He officially applied to and was accepted as the editor position for Communications Chemistry in 2018.
Now working as an editor, Prateek enjoys meeting scientists and researchers at conference events. They discuss recent research progress and chat about what has been happening in the lab. The interaction and connection in the science community is an invaluable experience and learning process, fulfilling his editor's life with meaningful purpose.
The responsibilities of a scientific journal editor.
When being asked about a typical day, Prateek replies breezily, “In a normal working day, you’d have a coffee.” Usually, mornings start with replying to emails and followed with the main responsibility of editorial work - prioritize and track the status of the submitted manuscripts. Once editors read the papers, they would decide whether to reach out to referees for the reviewing process. Otherwise, they acknowledge the authors with returned decisions. In between these daily tasks, editor members would meet and discuss important topics such as new developments in science, concerns and feedback in the community.
As a Team Manager, Prateek has responsibilities that are a bit different from editorial team members. He is in charge of making appropriate decisions when ethical issues are coming up. Prateek also needs to assign the submitted papers across the team and overview the final decisions. Besides the publication process, he is also responsible for recruiting and training new talents when there’s a position open. As a leader, Prateek said, “I work with my team to see what they need.”
In terms of managing any decision conflicts between team members, one of Prateek’s strategies is, that scientists and researchers are trained with, put forward with logical argument and back up with proof. “(Because) it is the beauty of science,” said Prateek, “one can always argue based on facts.”
The most rewarding and challenging part of the work.
For Prateek, work at the forefront and observing the research development is very exciting. For a long time, he has been fascinated by the journey of the manuscript before landing the job position. He enjoys the process from initially assessing the manuscript to evaluating comments, and from overseeing the publication to hearing people discuss the paper at conferences. “It’s really exciting to see the part of getting the paper from zero to all the way finished,” Prateek says.
The most challenging part is to turn down papers. In particular, to reject a lot of interesting and exciting research. “People probably don’t believe that,” Prateek smiled when talked of this aspect of the editor’s mission, “coming from an academic background, I understand how much hard work it takes. It's a very difficult decision to decline a paper.”
Standing from a compassionate front, Prateek also finds it challenging when the review process is delayed due to external circumstances that are out of his or team’s reach. “Again, it’s from my experience,” Prateek said, “(as editors) we want to work with authors to meet the expectations and deadlines, but sometimes it’s out of our control to manage.”
The career path for a journal editor’s in 5-10 years.
There are many ways to develop working as scientific editors. The career ladder can start with a position at the Associate and Senior Editor. As experiences and skillsets grow, one can become a Team Manager or a Chief Editor. There are also paths toward guideline and policy management where the work is still close to the editorial teams but not necessarily in direct involvement with research papers. Besides these routes, some editors might find passions in curating journals and publishing content for the individual community.
Advice to a PhD student who wants to be successful in the field.
For the field of journal publication, one of the best and powerful tools is connectivity and communication. “Every little conversation and interaction can teach you something,” Prateek said, “especially to someone who works in a field that’s interested you.” For example, he has approached many editors to find out if the profession would fit him. The reason for needing to connect is that they have been a few steps ahead of you and there are always opportunities you can learn about.
Prateek also points out that most of the researchers might feel shy in taking initiatives. The advice is to try to start by participating in a group discussion where you have the opportunity to learn and get involved in the conversation. Besides in-person interaction, social media is a great communication platform as well. “It’s always nice to send an electronic message.” Prateek suggests, “because things can happen.”
The desirable candidate type for the editorial jobs.
The most important factor in looking for editor candidates is that they need to match the required background and profile. The needed professional background can be varied as it depends on the team’s vision and demand. Ideally, the candidates would hold peer-review publications as the experience demonstrates the understanding of the reviewing process, which is the main pillar in editorial career.
In terms of personality, Prateek would look for people who can get along with team members. He also observes how they approach colleagues and co-workers. The editorial career is, after all, built on successful teamwork and communication.
If there are further questions, connect Dr. Prateek Dongare as the following!
His profile and email can be found at Nature Communication.
Twitter handle @prateek_zz
The recording can be found on YouTube.
1:00 Introducing Dr. Dongare
3:50 The transition from graduate school to pursue a career in a scientific journal
7:20 The responsibilities of a scientific journal editor
13:16 The workflow in reviewing the submitted paper
16:30 The most rewarding and challenging part of the work
20:50 Managing the conflicting opinions
22:40 Traveling and attending conferences as an editor
25:50 The career path for a journal editor’s in 5-10 years
27:30 Advice to a PhD student who wants to be successful in the field
32:00 The desirable candidate type for the editorial jobs