# Expectations on JOSS editors

## Editorial load

Our goal is for editors to handle between 3-4 submissions at any one time, and 8-12 submissions per year. During the trial period for editors (usually the first 90 days), we recommend new editors handle 1-2 submissions as they learn the JOSS editorial system and processes.

## Completing the trial period

JOSS has a 90-day trial period for new editors. At the end of the trial, the editor or JOSS editorial board can decide to part ways if either party determines editing for JOSS isn't a good fit for the editor. The most important traits the editorial board will be looking for with new editors are:

- Demonstrating professionalism in communications with authors, reviewers, and the wider editorial team.
- Editorial responsibility, including [keeping up with their assigned submissions](#continued-attention-to-assigned-submissions).
- Encouraging good social (software community) practices. For example, thanking reviewers and making them feel like they are part of a team working together.

If you're struggling with your editorial work, please let your buddy or an EiC know.

## Responding to editorial assignments

As documented above, usually, papers will be assigned to you by one of the TEiCs. We ask that editors do their best to respond in a timely fashion (~ 3 working days) to invites to edit a new submission.

You can adjust the total amount of papers you are able to handle in [your editor profile](https://joss.theoj.org/editor_profile). This will signal to track editors that you are available to take on more papers.

## Continued attention to assigned submissions

As an editor, part of your role is to ensure that submissions you're responsible for are progressing smoothly through the editorial process. This means that:

- During pre-review, and before reviewers have been identified, editors should be checking on their submissions twice per week to ensure reviewers are identified in a timely fashion. 
- During review, editors should check on their submissions once or twice per week (even for just a few minutes) to see if their input is required (e.g., if someone has asked a question that requires your input).

Your editorial dashboard (e.g. `https://joss.theoj.org/dashboard/youreditorname`) is the best place to check if there have been any updates to the papers you are editing.

**If reviews go stale**

Sometimes reviews go quiet, either because a reviewer has failed to complete their review or an author has been slow to respond to a reviewer's feedback. **As the editor, we need you to prompt the author/or reviewer(s) to revisit the submission if there has been no response within 7-10 days unless there's a clear statement in the review thread that says an action is coming at a slightly later time, perhaps because a reviewer committed to a review by a certain date, or an author is making changes and says they will be done by a certain date.**

[EditorialBot has functionality](https://joss.readthedocs.io/en/latest/editorial_bot.html#reminding-reviewers-and-authors) to remind an author or review to return to a review at a certain point in the future. For example:

```
@editorialbot remind @reviewer in five days
```

**Managing author timeliness**

Just as we expect reviewers to complete their reviews in 4-6 weeks, authors should generally respond to reviewer feedback within 2 weeks and complete requested changes within 4-6 weeks, unless otherwise negotiated with the editor. If an author becomes unresponsive without communication, editors should use their judgment to:

1. Send a friendly reminder to the author
2. Request a commitment to a response timeline
3. If there's no response after a reasonable period (typically 4 weeks) without explanation, warn the author that their paper may be rejected due to lack of engagement
4. Escalate to the Track Editor-in-Chief for a decision on whether to reject the submission

This ensures reviewers' time is respected and prevents reviews from stalling indefinitely.

## Out of office

Sometimes we need time away from our editing duties at JOSS. If you're planning on being out of the office for more than two weeks, please let the JOSS editorial team know.

## Voting on papers flagged as potentially out of scope

Once per week, an email is sent to all JOSS editors with a summary of the papers that are currently flagged as potentially out of scope. Editors are asked to review these submissions and vote on the JOSS website if they have an opinion about a submission.

```{important}
Your input (vote) on submissions that are undergoing a scope review is incredibly valuable to the EiC team. Please try and vote early, and often!
```