The publication of scholarly research is both a major driver of social progress and a
significant industry in its own right. Scholarly research is the focus of attention for
countless numbers of scholars globally and a key measure of scholarly excellence. Much has been
written about the conduct of research that is designed to help scholars attain appropriate
standards of rigor and relevance and indeed craft their research outputs in ways appropriate
for different venues notably as journal articles conference papers book chapters and books.
However although scholarly researchers fulfill roles other than as authors for instance as
journal reviewers and editors there is a dearth of consolidated information about the nature
of editorial work. Drawing on over two decades of experience in editing scholarly journals the
author offers a more systematic guide to scholarly journal editing. The book begins with an
introduction to the art of scholarly journal editing the nature of that art (Chapter 1) and an
examination of editorial promulgation of cultural values of scholarly journals with an emphasis
on responsible research (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 examines the many issues associated with
sourcing content and opines on the novelty breadth and depth of research including
discussions of indigenous theorization serendipity iconoclastic research and the value of
special issues. Chapter 4 deals with the review process and offers advice for formulating
effective reviewer guidelines that lead to constructive and developmental advice for authors.
The next two chapters discuss the audience of the journal as well as publisher relations.
Finally the book is concluded with thoughts and recommendations about emerging challenges
such as the ethics of AI tools (like ChatGPT) predatory journals and the open-access
movement. Offering a practical guide to editing scholarly journals this book will be a key
resource for scholars making the leap from researcher to editor regardless of discipline.
