Call for Senior Editors and Associate Editors of the IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society

A. Senior Editors

The IEEE TTS Senior Editors will typically serve a two-year term with the possibility of extending for a second term. A three-month probation period will ensue. The position is voluntary. Senior Editors play a vital role in ensuring the quality of published articles and guiding the general development of the Transactions and the rigorous peer review process. The Senior Editors may also assist with attracting high quality articles on emergent themes, as well as proposing special issues. Senior Editors are primarily responsible for assessing manuscripts for their suitability for peer review, selecting suitable reviewers who meet the IEEE TTS requirements, and recommending decisions based on the peer reviewers’ reports and their own assessment, while complying with the Transaction’s editorial policies stipulated in the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board (PSPB) Operations Manual [5]. It is expected that a Senior Editor will process 3–5 new papers per month in their field of expertise with an average review cycle lasting three to four months. Senior Editors will receive training from the Co-Editors-in-Chief (Co-EICs) with respect to detailed instructions on handling papers through the peer review process, including the use of the IEEE TTS review system. They will also be supported by IEEE’s Publishing Operations team who will provide administrative support and training. IEEE TTS uses Clarivate’s ScholarOne [6], and IEEE’s Author Portal [7]. Senior Editors directly assist the Co-EICs and liaise with Associate Editors and ad-hoc external reviewers.

B. Associate Editors

The IEEE TTS Associate Editors will typically serve a two-year term with the possibility of extending for a second term. A three-month probation period will ensue. The position is voluntary. Associate Editors are primarily specialist reviewers in one or more fields of interest associated with technology and society. Associate Editors are predominantly responsible for reviewing manuscripts through the Transaction’s peer review process, responding to suitable criteria about theoretical underpinnings; seminal literature; methodological rigor; findings, results, or discussion; unique contribution in terms of novelty; human research ethics approval; grammar, and style; and structure.

It is expected that an Associate Editor will process up to 2 papers per month in their field of expertise. The aim of a review is to provide direct feedback to author(s) to further develop a manuscript toward publication. Authors submitting to IEEE TTS should be provided with clear pathways forward for their manuscript, independent of the review decision. The expectation is that reviews are dealt with care, and adequate feedback is provided where an earnest contribution has been attempted by the author(s). The review process should be regarded a developmental opportunity for both reviewers and authors alike. The Associate Editor will adjudicate on a manuscript using their academic/ industry/ government / other expertise. When an Associate Editor reviews a particular manuscript, they will subsequently be invited to participate in additional review cycles for the manuscript in question, until an accept or reject decision is awarded by the Senior Editor in consultation with the Co-EICs. Associate Editors will receive training from the Co-EICs with respect to the peer review process. They will also be trained by the IEEE’s Publication Operations team who will provide administrative support as required. IEEE TTS uses Clarivate’s ScholarOne [6], and IEEE’s Author Portal [7]. All reviewers have the option of recording their review completions on Publons. It is expected that Associate Editors may support Senior Editors and the Co-EICs in the manuscript decision-making process, adjudicating papers during the review process and maintaining the highest quality while adhering to the publication processes and procedures of IEEE as published in the IEEE PSPB Operations Manual [5].

C. Administrator

The role of Administrator at IEEE TTS will be awarded as a significant development opportunity to an IEEE TTS Associate Editor. Any Associate Editor applicant interested in the role should clearly note this in their Cover Letter. An Administrator plays an important role in conducting a preliminary assessment of manuscripts prior to the desk review process. This includes a comprehensive check for (1) similarity; (2) scope; (3) adherence to the IEEE Transactions template [8]; (4) the English in the paper is to an acceptable publication standard; (5) correct application of the IEEE referencing style; (6) the figures and tables are at 300 dpi quality; (7) that the identifying information of every author including affiliation has been documented; (8) that each author identity in the paper matches that submitted to ScholarOne. The Administrator role requires attention to detail, excellent communication skills, the ability to correspond professionally with the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Senior Editors, Associate Editors, Authors, and IEEE Publishing Operations staff in a timely manner. The role requires daily commitment to written correspondence, manuscript submission issues, troubleshooting author or editor matters, answering inquiries from stakeholders, and end-to-end support. A modest stipend has been approved for the Administrator, if afforded in the IEEE SSIT annual budget. The Administrator will use Clarivate’s ScholarOne on a daily basis and must be diligent that queries are answered within 72 hours.

A. Requirements for Nomination

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and a cover letter including a statement of motivation, previous editorial or reviewing experience, vision for the IEEE TTS and involvement in research on technology and society.

The IEEE TTS Co-EICs are looking forward to receiving applications from qualified Senior Editor and Associate Editor candidates committed to ensuring excellence and a timely service in their reviews and adjudication. Candidates should have a solid background in technology or technology-related fields, knowledge of technology and society issues, and highly proficient English language skills.

Applications should include:

• A brief IEEE-style biography up to 230 words.
• A cover letter of no more than 1 page.
• List of 4–8 fields of interest, as identified above, within the scope of IEEE TTS in which the candidate could confidently handle submissions.
• Details regarding academic/ industry/ government/ other credentials, including affiliation and current position. An institutional Web site is desirable.
• A detailed CV in English. It is particularly important that the candidate clearly indicate their journal publications related to technology and society by using * before the relevant citation.
• Evidence of any publication in IEEE SOCIETY ON THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY outlets, e.g., IEEE TTS, and IEEE Technology and Society Magazine (IEEE TSM). Additionally, experience in and details of special sections or special issues that have been organized related to IEEE SSIT’s flagship conference, the IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society, or other international conferences in recognized academic communities is desirable.
• Evidence and details of previous or current roles on editorial boards of Scopus / Web of Science journal publications.
• Prior experience as a reviewer at IEEE TTS, IEEE TSM, or any other IEEE interdisciplinary outlet should be identified.
• A statement up to 500 words from the applicant on their vision for the IEEE TTS.

B. Submitting Your Application

Candidates can address their cover letter to Katina Michael and Roba Abbas, submitting their application to ttseic@ieee.org by February 15, 2024. The notifications to successful candidates will be March 15, 2024, effective March 2024 (date to be confirmed). Training will be provided in February and March 2024.

All applications that are submitted will be reviewed in detail considering several elements, including: prior editorial experience, topics of expertise, and publications record, among the items listed above. All candidates must be approved by the Co-EICs of IEEE TTS. We are committed to advancing diversity at the IEEE TTS, in adherence with the IEEE Diversity Statement, and encourage candidates “with different personal, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds” to respond to this call for Senior Editors and Associate Editors [9].