Behind every reputable academic journal stands an editorial board that helps maintain the journal’s academic direction, quality standards, and publication ethics. While authors and reviewers play highly visible roles in scholarly publishing, editors coordinate many of the decisions that move a manuscript from submission to publication.
For researchers who want to become journal editors, understanding how an editorial board works is an important first step.
In this article, Future Matrix Publications explains the structure of an academic journal editorial board, the responsibilities of different editors, how editorial decisions work, and what researchers can do to prepare for an editorial role.
What Is an Editorial Board?
An editorial board is a group of academics, researchers, and subject specialists who support the editorial activities and academic development of a scholarly journal.
The exact structure varies between journals. However, an editorial board may include:
- Editor-in-Chief
- Managing Editor
- Associate Editors
- Section Editors
- Academic Editors
- Editorial Board Members
- Guest Editors for special issues
Each role carries different responsibilities. Together, the team helps the journal manage manuscripts, coordinate peer review, maintain academic standards, and develop its subject coverage.
1. Editor-in-Chief: Leading the Journal
The Editor-in-Chief usually holds the senior academic editorial role.
The Editor-in-Chief helps establish the journal’s editorial direction and oversees important editorial policies and decisions.
Typical responsibilities may include:
- Defining the journal’s academic scope and direction
- Maintaining editorial standards
- Supervising the editorial team
- Handling complex editorial cases
- Supporting publication ethics
- Reviewing recommendations from other editors
- Making or overseeing final editorial decisions
- Helping develop the journal’s long-term strategy
The Editor-in-Chief does not necessarily handle every manuscript personally. Instead, the journal may distribute manuscripts among associate, section, or academic editors according to subject expertise.
2. Managing Editor: Coordinating the Editorial Process
A Managing Editor often focuses on the operational side of journal publishing.
The Managing Editor may coordinate communication among authors, reviewers, editors, and the production team.
Depending on the journal, this role can involve checking submissions, monitoring deadlines, maintaining editorial records, coordinating manuscript progress, and supporting issue preparation.
The Editor-in-Chief usually concentrates more heavily on academic leadership, while the Managing Editor helps keep the publication workflow organized.
3. Associate and Section Editors: Managing Subject Areas
Large or multidisciplinary journals may receive manuscripts across several research areas.
Associate Editors or Section Editors help manage manuscripts that fall within their expertise.
For example, after receiving a manuscript, an editor may:
Check the manuscript → Evaluate its relevance → Identify suitable reviewers → Manage peer review → Assess reviewer comments → Recommend or make an editorial decision
This structure distributes editorial responsibilities and allows subject specialists to evaluate manuscripts within their areas of expertise.
4. Editorial Board Members: More Than a Name on a Website
Researchers sometimes assume that editorial board membership simply means displaying an academic’s name and affiliation on a journal website.
A meaningful editorial board should contribute to the journal’s academic development.
Depending on the journal and assigned role, board members may:
- Provide subject expertise
- Review manuscripts
- Recommend suitable reviewers
- Advise editors on specialist topics
- Contribute to editorial policies
- Suggest emerging research areas
- Support special issues
- Promote good publication practices
- Help strengthen the journal’s academic network
Journals should clearly define editorial responsibilities rather than treating board membership as a purely honorary position.
5. How a Manuscript Moves Through the Editorial Process
Understanding the manuscript workflow helps explain how an academic journal editorial board actually operates.
A typical process may look like this:
Manuscript Submission → Initial Editorial Screening → Editor Assignment → Peer Review → Reviewer Reports → Editorial Assessment → Revision → Final Decision → Production & Publication
During the initial screening, editors may check whether the manuscript fits the journal’s aims and scope and meets basic submission requirements.
If the manuscript proceeds to peer review, the responsible editor identifies appropriate reviewers and evaluates their reports.
The editor then considers the manuscript, reviewer feedback, author responses, and journal requirements before making or recommending the next editorial decision.
6. Editors and Peer Reviewers Have Different Roles
Editors and peer reviewers work together, but their responsibilities differ.
Reviewers evaluate the manuscript and provide expert comments and recommendations.
Editors manage the overall evaluation process and make or recommend editorial decisions according to the journal’s procedures.
An editor should not simply count reviewer recommendations.
For example, two reviewers may provide different opinions about the same manuscript. The editor must examine the reasoning behind those recommendations and determine the appropriate next step.
This responsibility makes editorial judgment an important part of scholarly publishing.
7. Publication Ethics Is a Major Editorial Responsibility
Editors must also help maintain publication ethics and academic integrity.
Potential issues can include:
- Plagiarism
- Duplicate publication
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
- Authorship disputes
- Data or image concerns
- Research ethics issues
- Manipulation of the peer-review process
Editors should follow the journal’s established policies when concerns arise and document important decisions appropriately.
Strong editorial procedures help journals handle such cases consistently and transparently.
8. Editors Should Manage Conflicts of Interest
Editors need to recognize situations in which personal or professional relationships could affect—or appear to affect—their impartiality.
For example, an editor may have a recent collaboration with an author or another relevant conflict.
In such situations, the journal should follow its conflict-of-interest policy and assign the manuscript to another appropriate editor when necessary.
Clear conflict-of-interest procedures support the credibility of the editorial process.
9. How Do You Become a Journal Editor?
There is no single route to becoming an academic journal editor.
Journals generally look for researchers who demonstrate relevant subject expertise, research experience, publication knowledge, professionalism, and an understanding of peer review.
Researchers who want to build experience can focus on:
Publishing Research: Build expertise and a credible publication record within your research field.
Peer Reviewing: Reviewing manuscripts can help researchers understand editorial expectations and develop critical evaluation skills.
Developing Subject Expertise: Journals need editors who understand their subject areas deeply.
Building Academic Networks: Conferences, research collaborations, professional societies, and scholarly activities can help researchers become more involved in their academic communities.
Learning Publication Ethics: Editors should understand conflicts of interest, authorship, peer review, corrections, retractions, and other ethical issues.
Gaining Editorial Experience: Researchers may begin as reviewers, guest editors, section editors, or editorial board members before taking on broader responsibilities.
10. What Makes a Good Journal Editor?
A good editor needs more than an impressive academic CV.
Effective editors should combine subject expertise with communication, organization, fairness, and sound editorial judgment.
They should evaluate manuscripts consistently, communicate professionally with authors and reviewers, respect confidentiality, identify potential conflicts of interest, and apply journal policies fairly.
Editors also need good time management because editorial work often takes place alongside research, teaching, and other academic responsibilities.
11. How Editorial Boards Help Shape a Journal’s Future
An editorial board does more than process manuscripts.
Board members can help identify emerging research areas, review journal policies, strengthen subject coverage, recommend improvements, contribute ideas for special issues, and support the journal’s long-term academic development.
A diverse editorial board can also bring expertise from different research areas, institutions, and geographic regions.
However, journals should select board members because of genuine academic relevance and expected contribution—not simply to create a long list of names.
How Future Matrix Publications Supports Academic Journals
Future Matrix Publications supports journals with different aspects of academic publishing and journal development.
Depending on a journal’s requirements, our support can include editorial workflow planning, journal policy development, OJS setup and optimization, publication-process support, website organization, indexing readiness, and journal publishing assistance.
We help journal teams build organized publishing systems while maintaining an important principle: journal editors and their designated academic decision-makers should retain responsibility for peer review and editorial decisions.
A well-structured editorial system can help editors, reviewers, and authors work more efficiently while supporting transparency and academic integrity.
Conclusion
Becoming an editor means taking responsibility for much more than accepting or rejecting manuscripts.
Editors help coordinate peer review, evaluate research, communicate with authors and reviewers, apply journal policies, address ethical concerns, and contribute to the academic direction of their journals.
For researchers interested in becoming a journal editor, developing subject expertise, gaining peer-review experience, understanding publication ethics, and participating actively in the academic community can provide a strong foundation.
Behind every well-managed scholarly journal stands an editorial team working to protect quality, integrity, and effective scholarly communication.
