How I manage a scientific journal

Since 2018, I’ve had the privilege of serving as Editor-in-Chief of ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías, and in November, I took the role of Chair of the Editorial Board for Structural Engineering International. Managing a scientific journal is a demanding tasks that contains many aspects readers and authors typically do not notice. It requires balancing long-term strategy with the daily details that need to be addressed to ensure manuscripts move smoothly through the editorial pipeline.

To stay on top of things, I rely on a few core tools and routines that help me keep everything organized and progressing, with a focus on ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías:

• Weekly editorial meeting: Every week, I meet with the editorial staff at the publishing house USFQ
  Press to discuss pending items, manuscript flow, and progress toward our major milestones; especially indexation, which is a top priority for Avances.
• Tracking sheet for manuscripts: I usea spreadsheet where I track each manuscript’s progress: current status, deadlines, and who is responsible for the current stage. This gives me an overview of the entire pipeline at a glance.
• Weekly review of the editorial system: At least once a week, I log into our online manuscript system and open each active manuscript to update my tracking sheet. I also generate personalized task lists for each handling editor and send a status email on a weekly basis. This routine helps prevent bottlenecks and ensures timely follow-up.
• Biannual editorial board meetings: Twice a year, I organize a meeting with all editors. These sessions allow us to remind us of our goals and the activities we will plan to achieve these goals. They’re also a good moment to celebrate what we’ve accomplished together.
• Focus on visibility: To support the journal’s growth, I work with the staff in the publishing house on increasing visibility and readership through social media, academic networks, and outreach at events. A journal thrives when its content reaches the right audience.
• Indexation: Together with the editorial staff, we’ve developed tracking sheets for indexation criteria. We review which elements need improvement and how we are doing with achieving the goals. The indexation criteria have also helped us clarify information on the website.

Managing a journal is not just about processing manuscripts; it’s about creating an environment where authors know their work is treated fairly, reviewed rigorously, and published within a reasonable amount of time. Keeping the journal organized is what allows us to serve the academic community well, build a platform that researchers can trust, and in the case of Avances: truly contribute to the open science ecosystem.