Hansen Yuan, MD, established and has served as the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Spine Surgery since it's inaugural issue in 2007. As he plans for his retirement from the role after his long and successful tenure, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery has begun a global search his successor. Qualified individuals interested in applying for this position are invited to send their CV and letter of interest to IJSS Managing Editor Audrey Lusher at audrey@ijssurgery.com. The job description follows.
DUTIES OF THE IJSS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A. Job Summary
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for directing all editorial content of the International Journal of Spine Surgery (IJSS). Direction of editorial content includes responsibility for setting and achieving high standards for integrity of the content; soliciting high-quality manuscripts on topics of relevance; regularly engaging with the IJSS Editorial Board and the international spine surgery community. It is expected that the editor-in-chief will commit up to 30 hours per month to these efforts (outlined in parts C and D), plus time for travel to relevant meetings.
The Editor-in-Chief is expected to fulfill a 5-year term with the option to renew for a second term if mutually agreed upon by the editor-in-chief and ISASS Board.
B. Minimum Qualifications or Equivalents
Education: MD or DO specializing in spine surgery.
Experience and Qualifications:
- In-depth understanding of research and publication processes
- Review experience required
- Editor-in-chief or associate/deputy editor experience preferred
- Widely recognized as a spine surgery thought leader
- Demonstrated academic credibility
- Curriculum vitae supports a strong and sustained commitment to quality spine research
- Passion to serve ISASS and dedicated to evolving and growing the IJSS
- Director of an academic spine center preferred
C. Contact With Others
In the course of fulfilling the duties of the position, the editor-in-chief will have contact with various constituencies, including the following:
- ISASS members: The editor-in-chief will occasionally receive and respond to telephone and email communications regarding high-priority, time-sensitive, or controversial manuscripts. There will also be personal contact with membership at meetings and conferences. (2 hours per month)
- Research leaders: The editor-in-chief will be actively engaged in identifying promising projects in the research pipeline. To that end, there may be telephone, email and in-person communications with researchers across the globe. (2 hours per month)
- ISASS leadership: The editor-in-chief is expected to attend the ISASS annual business meeting and conference. In addition, there may be communications by telephone, email, and in-person with the ISASS president, Board of Trustees, and members of relevant committees. (5 hours per month)
- Others: Where appropriate, the editor-in-chief may be asked to represent the IJSS to the media, the public, lay organizations, health care organizations, and other groups concerning issues related to the IJSS and to peer-review journals and spine surgery in general. In addition, the editor-in-chief may need to interact with industry professionals regarding grant support for IJSS focus issues. (2 hours per month)
D. Job Duties
The following description of job responsibilities and standards is intended to reflect the major responsibilities and duties of the position of editor-in-chief. It is not intended to describe minor duties or other responsibilities that may arise from time-to-time.
- Advise and mentor section editors in best practices and expectations of roles. (1 hour per month)
- Direct managing editor in assigning section editors for submitted manuscripts, as needed. (1 hour per month)
- Conduct reviews of aging manuscripts to ensure reasonable turnaround for authors. (4 hours per month)
- Serve as mediator for cases in which authors disagree with section editors’ decisions. (<1 hour per month)
- Commit to creating and following a strategic plan for the IJSS, especially concerning steps related to achieving an Impact Factor. (2 hours per month)
- Conduct regular telephone calls with the IJSS managing editor and Editorial Board, and otherwise communicate with them on a regular basis. (2 hours per month)
- Ensure that section editors are active and appoint new or remove inactive section editors as needed to drive the IJSS mission and goals. (<1 hour per month)
- Encourage contributions and manuscript submissions from throughout the international spine surgery profession. (<1 hour per month)
- Promote the IJSS at meetings outside ISASS. (<1 hour per month)