ARTICLE IN PRESS Resident Editors of the Journal of Voice Editorial Board Robert T. Sataloff, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Traditional medical education provides virtually no formal training regarding publication. Not even basic writing techniques are taught, let alone information about the editorial process or skills required to participate effectively on an editorial board. Most nonmedical graduate training programs have similar weaknesses. This problem has been addressed in prior publications.1–5 More than a decade ago, the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal started inviting a small number of residents to participate as student members of the editorial board. This initiative was successful, and we started a similar program for the Journal of Voice. This editorial reviews much of the material described previously in Ear, Nose and Throat Journal and in previous Journal of Voice editorials,1–5 and it serves as a call for applications for resident/student members of our editorial board. Much of the content of the previous editorial is repeated here and will be repeated again periodically to remind our readers of the existence and importance of the Journal of Voice resident/student editor program. It is extremely valuable to provide residents and graduate students with editorial training. Such training improves an individual’s writing, as well as his or her ability to judge the value of published works. Editorial board experience should include the development of skills in incisive, analytical reading and critique of literature, of course. In addition, reviewers need to be familiar with the latest concepts and problems in publication ethics, current definitions of duplicate publication, standards regarding conflicts of interest that might affect writers or editorial board members, political and economic issues that affect publication, problems associated with standardization (even relatively “simple” issues such as nomenclature), and various other topics and skills essential to the evolution of medicine and science. When we established the program for the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal and invited residents to serve 2-year terms on our editorial board, we believed that participation on an editorial board would give residents opportunities to develop the desired skills, not only by reviewing manuscripts but also by reading reviews of the same manuscripts submitted by expert, experienced members of the editorial board. Having served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Voice for over 30 years and of the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal for more than 10 years,
From the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Robert T. Sataloff, Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. E-mail:
[email protected] Journal of Voice, Vol. ■■, No. ■■, pp. ■■-■■ 0892-1997 © 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Voice Foundation. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.07.013
I have been fascinated with the educational aspects of the position. After I read and analyze manuscripts, I select worldclass reviewers to assess them. Reading their insights (and seeing what I have missed during the initial reading of the article) has been one of the most instructive experiences of my career. Sharing a small portion of that experience with residents seemed like a good way to expand their analytical horizons. During the first decade of this program, our experience has been favorable; but some of our observations have been unanticipated. We were not surprised by the fact that many of the residents’ reviews were insightful and added valuable observations used in the decision-making process. Nor were we surprised that our initial experience was so successful that it led us to increase the number of resident members of the editorial board from two to eight. What did surprise us somewhat was that residents’ reviews were occasionally substantially more insightful and extensive than reviews from our experienced editorial board members. This led us to discuss the content and quality of editorial analysis and to consider a rating system for our reviewers. Sharing reviews and feedback has improved the quality of the reviews that we receive editorial board members. I credit the presence of residents on the editorial board with highlighting the need for these editorial quality-improvement measures. Follow-up questionnaires have indicated that the resident members of the editorial board have found the experience productive, and all members surveyed were interested in continuing to serve on the editorial board after completing residency, if invited to do so.1–3 Several were invited and have been outstanding reviewers. Based on this excellent experience with another journal, in 2011,4 the Journal of Voice invited applications from otolaryngology residents, fellows, and graduate students to serve 2-year terms as student members of the editorial board. The invitation is being offered again on an ongoing basis. Interested applicants should write to the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Voice (Robert T. Sataloff, MD, at
[email protected]) and provide a letter stating the reasons for the interest in the position and the applicant’s long-term professional plans, a CV, and a letter of support from his or her chair or program director. Student members of the editorial board usually will be invited to review between 6 and 12 manuscripts per year. (It could be a little more or fewer.) They will have an opportunity to read the reviews of those manuscripts provided by permanent members of the editorial board. They also will be listed on the masthead and invited to attend the meeting of the editorial board during The Voice Foundation’s Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice held each June in Philadelphia. Attendance at the editorial board meeting (and The Voice Foundation Symposium) is encouraged but not mandatory. Our experience with resident/graduate student members of the Journal of Voice editorial board has been excellent, and we have
ARTICLE IN PRESS 2 been pleased that several of our resident/student members have remained on the editorial board as full members following graduation. The editorial board of the Journal of Voice looks forward to welcoming new resident/graduate student members and to continuing what we hope will be a long and productive program.
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REFERENCES 1. Sataloff RT. Education: A new opportunity for residents [Editorial]. Ear Nose Throat J. 2006;85:8. 2. Sataloff RT. The editorial process: resident education and participation [Editorial]. Ear Nose Throat J. 2008;87:364–365. 3. Sataloff RT. Resident editors [Editorial]. Ear Nose Throat J. 2009;88:984–986. 4. Sataloff RT. Resident editors [Editorial]. J Voice. 2011;25:129. 5. Sataloff RT. Resident editors [Editorial]. J Voice. 2014;28:131–132.