Further supplementary written evidence
submitted by Dr Mark Patterson, Public Library of Science (PLoS)
(PR 54b)
What training does PLoS provide for its editors
and how often is this refreshed?
We have three types of journals, and the training/support
of editors is somewhat different on each of them. In general,
our goal is to provide solid ongoing support and advice to all
of the academic and staff editors who are involved in the PLoS
Journals, supported by materials and documentation that is reviewed
and updated as and when needed. PLoS also has its own ethics committee
(chaired by the Chief Editor of PLoS Medicine, who is currently
the Secretary of the Committee on Publication Ethics, and another
member being a Senior Editor from a PLoS community journal) that
provides guidance across all PLoS publications.
(i) PLoS Biology and PLoS Medicine are run by
professional, staff editors, with PhDs or MD degrees and relevant
research experience. Staff editors undergo substantial training
on the job, and all editorial decisions are discussed to ensure
consistent standards of decision making. Staff editors also have
the opportunity to attend relevant external training sessions.
(ii) The PLoS Community Journals—PLoS Computational
Biology, PLoS Genetics, PLoS Pathogens and PLoS Neglected Tropical
Diseases—are run by internationally renowned academic Editors-in-Chief
(EICs), who take overall editorial responsibility for the journal.
The EICs and their editorial boards are supported by PLoS staff,
who provide initial training and ongoing support in the use of
the journal management system. PLoS staff also send occasional
communications on best practice to the editorial boards. There
is a weekly telephone call with the EICs and other Senior Editors
to discuss specific manuscripts or editorial issues, and PLoS
hosts a regular (roughly annual) in-person meeting of the EICs
so that issues relating to the running of the journals can be
aired and discussed. The EICs and Section/Deputy Editors ensure
the consistency of the decision-making, and they provide advice
and guidance to the wider group of Associate Editors. The journals
have an electronic discussion facility so that all submissions
can be discussed with colleagues on the journal or with editors
who work on other PLoS journals (on a confidential basis). The
PLoS staff editors are occasionally brought in to discussions
to provide support on specific content issues or matters pertaining
to publishing ethics.
(iii) Responsibility for the editorial decisions
on PLoS ONE also rests with a community-based editorial board,
but PLoS ONE has a less hierarchical editorial structure than
the PLoS Community Journals. Newly recruited Editorial Board members
receive a pack of information providing guidance about the editorial
process and standards associated with PLoS ONE. We also provide
Board members with videos explaining the operation of the journal
management system, and in the next few months we will be introducing
an online training course for all new recruits. Much additional
support and ongoing advice are provided by PLoS ONE administrative
staff. PLoS ONE also employs professional staff editors (currently
five editors who all have post-graduate research experience) who
are not involved in the review of individual manuscripts, but
are on hand to advise and discuss specific problems or queries
with Academic Editors (matters relating to content issues, publishing
ethics, reporting standards and so on). As with the other PLoS
journals, any submission can be discussed in confidence with other
board members or staff using the journal management system. The
Editorial Board also has a dedicated private online forum where
any matters relating to the running of PLoS ONE can be discussed.
Editors frequently post questions on the forum which can be seen
by all Board members and are then discussed and answered with
the aid of experienced PLoS staff.
Dr Mark Patterson
Director of Publishing
Public Library of Science
7 June 2011
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