The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) invites applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief for its journal, Limnology & Oceanography Methods (LOM). The selected candidate will be an accomplished aquatic scientist with a broad vision of aquatic sciences, its future, and considerable technical interest in the publication and editorial domains. The new EIC will overlap and begin handling new submissions in January or February 2024 in transition with the founding EIC, Dr. Paul Kemp, who will be retiring from the position on July 31, 2024.

LOM was founded in 2002, and the scope of the journal broadly encompasses limnology and oceanography and publishes manuscripts whose primary focus is methodological, method development and validation. The current journal scope is available here. The new EIC will have the opportunity to expand the journal scope into new areas that could include models, data papers, data assimilation and machine learning tools, and infrastructure and approaches relevant to how we, as a community, perform and deliver aquatic science. The journal currently receives approximately 115 submissions annually, publishes twelve online issues with a total of approximately 800 pages (60 articles) each volume year, and has a 2022 Impact Factor of 3.162.

The new EIC will be responsible for growing submissions and publishing articles with a broader scope while ensuring that accepted and published articles meet the highest scientific standards. This includes attracting and actively soliciting relevant contributions in core and emerging areas. Depending on scope development, a co-EIC model may be considered to ensure breadth in journal leadership. The EIC will work with and recruit recognized individuals to serve as associate editors (this number is set by the ASLO Board at 24 currently), and together with this team, work to develop new manuscript peer reviewers. The EIC makes the final decision on adjudication of manuscripts, with the goals of promoting the best scientific research available and of maintaining ASLO’s leadership position in the scientific and scholarly publishing community.

Ideally, applicants must be dynamic, internationally recognized leaders in the aquatic sciences and have a strong record of scholarly publications, with involvement, experience, and interest in the publishing process. A keen appreciation and understanding of the needs of the various reader constituencies, together with a broad understanding of online publishing models, are beneficial. The EIC should be highly organized, responsive to rapid changes in journal publishing, and dedicated to ensuring a robust and efficient publication pipeline, and attentive to optimizing cycle times at every step from submission through publication. The EIC collaborates closely with all ASLO Editors on cross-journal initiatives including publishing workshops (web-based and in-person at ASLO conferences) and the biannual Spotlight on ASLO Authors scientific session. Developing a broad understanding of ASLO’s journals and competitor aquatic science journals will be essential for journal success.

ASLO partners with Wiley for the full support of publishing activities, including peer review services, production, digital development, sales, marketing, and distribution of its journals. A full-time, highly experienced Wiley staff member serves as the Associate Managing Editor for ASLO journals, working closely with the EIC and Associate Editors to ensure the timely, efficient handling of all manuscripts by Editorial Assistants utilizing the ScholarOne online submission system. A full-time, highly experienced Wiley staff member oversees all aspects of LOM production, including management of editing, composition, and page layout. Wiley provides all ASLO EICs with a vast array of journal statistics, competitive analysis, bibliographic reports, and data to support and enhance journal operations and inform new initiatives.

The ASLO Board, with advisement from the ASLO Publications Committee (PC), is responsible for all financial and business decisions for the ASLO Publications portfolio.

All ASLO EICs attend an annual one-day strategic planning meeting, typically in September, with Wiley staff at their headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey. EICs also attend portions of Board meetings typically held prior to ASLO scientific meetings.

The EIC serves a three-year term, renewable upon evaluation and recommendation by the PC to the ASLO Board of Directors. The EIC is evaluated annually by the PC and is responsible for reporting journal outcomes and progress to the PC and ASLO Board throughout the year, including in conjunction with scheduled ASLO scientific meetings. The EIC responds to ad hoc requests from the PC and ASLO Board for information throughout the year, and frequently participates in author and reviewer workshops at ASLO scientific meetings. This is a part-time appointment, and a competitive honorarium will be provided along with a travel budget. All applications must include a letter of interest, your vision statement for LOM (maximum two pages double-spaced), a copy of your CV, the names and complete contact information of three references attesting to your qualifications in scholarly publishing. The deadline for receipt of applications is October 1, 2023.  All applications will be reviewed by the ASLO Publications Committee.  Virtual interviews via Zoom with selected applicants are expected to occur in November 2023.

Nominations and applications for the position should be submitted via e-mail to Martin Jimenez at mjimenez@aslo.org.  Questions about the position may be directed to Jack Middelburg, ASLO Publications Committee Chair, at J.B.M.Middelburg@uu.nl.