AJCN Editor Search

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) announces the search for Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that publishes meritorious work in basic, clinical, and population sciences relevant to human nutrition. The AJCN is the leading journal in clinical nutrition worldwide, having the highest impact factor among peer-reviewed research journals in the nutrition and dietetics category and subscribers on six continents. The five-year appointment of the new Editor will begin January 1, 2019.

Applicants should have achieved a high level of visibility in clinical nutrition research and practice and have demonstrated strong leadership skills. In addition, it is important to have a broad perspective of the field of human nutrition and clinical research experience and to be astute about emerging areas of research. Previous editorial experience and the ability to articulate a clear vision for AJCN are key elements upon which applicants will be evaluated.

Applications should be received by June 1, 2018 and include a cover letter describing the reasons for the candidate’s interest in the position, a brief description of the candidate’s editorial experience (including the evaluation the manuscripts of others), and a curriculum vitae. After review of applications, the top candidates will be asked to provide additional information on their qualifications and their strategic vision for the journal. Screening of applications will begin June 1, 2018. Finalists will be interviewed by the AJCN Editor Search Committee in mid-2018.

All applications and nominations should be addressed to the Committee Chair, Dr. Kathleen Rasmussen, and submitted electronically to Lisa Marshall, Senior Consultant, KWF Consulting (lisa.marshall@kwfco.com).

Editor Position Description and Responsibilities

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) is an official scientific journal of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). The purpose of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) is to publish original research studies in basic, clinical, and population sciences relevant to human nutrition. Solicited editorials, book reviews, solicited or unsolicited review articles, invited controversy position papers, and letters to the Editor that relate to prior AJCN articles are also welcome.

The Editor-in-Chief leads Associate Editors and an Editorial Board in conducting peer review of manuscripts submitted for publication. The Editor-in-Chief reports to the ASN Board of Directors and to the ASN Publications Management Committee. The ASN partnership withOxford University Press (OUP) transferred management of the peer review system and related support services to OUP effective January 1, 2018. Production and editorial staff at OUP work directly the AJCN Editor-in-Chief as needed to produce and publish issues of AJCN. Staff in the ASN office in Rockville oversee and monitor the quality and timeliness of services provided by OUP.

The Editor-in-Chief is expected to serve in this position for five (5) years and may be reappointed once.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities of the AJCN Editor-in-Chief consist of the following:

1. Ensure the highest quality and most relevant clinical nutrition science is published in the Journal
2. Develop and execute a clear vision for the direction of the Journal to ensure it is broadly representative of contemporary clinical nutrition and integrates ASN’s educational objectives
3. Uphold transparency of research reporting to maintain the quality of science published in AJCN
4. Act as ambassador of the Journal to the international author/editor/reviewer/member communities interested in nutrition science and attend ASN annual meetings
5. Solicit high-quality manuscripts from potential authors
6. Nominate to the Publications Management Committee, for approval by the ASN Board of Directors, Associate Editors and Editorial Board members who contribute diversity in expertise and representation to the Editorial Board and its processes
7. Maintain oversight of the process for submission and peer review of manuscripts, establishing policies and guidelines to ensure timeliness and adherence to best practices
8. Select a sufficient pool of expert reviewers to reach conclusions and make decisions on manuscripts in a timely manner
9. Lead annual meetings of the Editorial Board and Associate Editors and maintain regular communications with Associate Editors on matters related to editorial policies, the composition of the editorial board, editorial peer review, and, as needed, other issues of importance to the journal and scientific publishing
10. Prepare and submit a yearly report of journal activities to the Publications Management Committee
11. Keep abreast of and work to improve Journal metrics, including time to first decision, review time, revision time, articles published, rejection rate, Impact Factor, and other quantitative and qualitative measures deemed appropriate by the ASN Board of Directors
12. Approve proposals for publication of supplements (with Associate Editors) and appoint guest editors
13. Work within ASN’s organizational framework for the journal, as outlined in this document, the ASN Bylaws, the Publications Management Committee charge statement, and other management and policy documents.
14. Maintain regular, ongoing communications with Oxford University Press (OUP) to ensure the timely and accurate publication of articles and issues.
15. Work with ASN staff and Publications Management Committee to resolve any issues related to scientific integrity
16. Integrate multimedia content that will increase interest and readership of the Journal

Editor Qualifications

The AJCN Editor-in-Chief will have a broad perspective of the field of human nutrition and be astute to emerging areas of research. A high level of visibility and recognized leadership in rigorous clinical nutrition research, scholarly publication, and practice is expected. The successful candidate will have extensive experience with prominent, peer-reviewed scholarly journals as a writer and as part of the editorial process, and access to a large network of experts working in fields relevant to clinical nutrition.

Applicants should be familiar with AJCN and its competitors and have the ability to articulate a clear vision for the future of AJCN. Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills and sufficient time available to meet the demands of the Editor-in-Chief position of a monthly, peer- reviewed journal are essential. The AJCN Editor-in-Chief may not serve concurrently as a member of the ASN Board of Directors. If an ASN Board member applies for the position of Editor-in-Chief and is offered the position, the individual must resign from the Board effective with the appointment as Editor.

ASN Publications Management Committee 2018 Recommendation: 

Qualifications of the Editor include:

• MD and/or PhD or equivalent
• Record of recent clinical experience and clinical research
• High level of visibility in clinical nutrition research and practice
• Editorial experience, preferably as a journal Editor or Associate Editor
• Member of ASN preferred
• Well organized; demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a variety of project staff; responsive to feedback
• The ability to be transparent with respect to funding disclosure and disclosure of possible conflicts of interest
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Regular user of online journal features and functionality
• Working familiarity with open access publishing a plus

AJCN Search Committee

Chair: Kathleen M. Rasmussen, ScD, Cornell University

Robert F. Bertolo, PhD, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Marian Neuhouser, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Gordon L. Jensen, MD, PhD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Nancy F. Krebs, MD, MS, University of Colorado, Denver

Eric B. Rimm, ScD, Harvard Medical School

David S. Seres, MD, ScM, PNS, Columbia University

ASN Staff:

John Courtney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Karen King, Vice President for Publications and Member Services