(1 Sep 2026) As the first cohort to complete the program in JGR: Biogeosciences, we wanted to share our experiences in the hope that more AGU journal editorial boards will consider offering this opportunity.
Over the past two years, we’ve learned the ropes of scientific publishing and journal editing from reviewer recruitment through synthesizing feedback and issuing editorial recommendations. Upon joining the editorial team, our role was primarily that of a reviewer as we familiarized ourselves with the editorial process under the guidance of mentors and demonstrated our ability to provide and recognize a useful peer review. Following this onboarding period, we transitioned into an associate editor (AE) role, actively handling manuscripts from start to finish. The workload was typically sporadic, with concentrated time spent reading incoming manuscripts, searching for and contacting reviewers, synthesizing feedback, and drafting recommendations for the handling editor. When revisions were recommended, we were typically looped back in upon resubmission to assess whether concerns were sufficiently addressed and if an additional review cycle was warranted.
Read more here.
