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Author's editors: facilitators of science information transfer
Author(s) -
Shashok Karen
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
learned publishing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.06
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-4857
pISSN - 0953-1513
DOI - 10.1087/095315101300059495
Subject(s) - acknowledgement , documentation , public relations , engineering ethics , process (computing) , political science , set (abstract data type) , scientific communication , position (finance) , library science , computer science , sociology , business , engineering , computer security , programming language , operating system , finance
I set out to describe the multifaceted role of author's editors in scientific‐technical‐medical (STM) information transfer. Help with manuscript preparation is only part of the picture; author's editors deal with many other formats for information transfer in addition to manuscripts that report original research. They may advise authors on publication ethics, peer review, and the publication process. They may work individually with authors, or as part of a writing and documentation team. They may act as the author's mentor and advocate when circumstances threaten authors' rights or dilute their responsibilities as communicators of science. Up to now author's editors have generally remained anonymous, but I conclude that recent developments in authorship policy may give more credit and public acknowledgement to the valuable part they play in the process of communicating scientific research. I also suggest that their close interaction with the producers, distributors, and consumers of STM information puts them in a prime position to contribute to research aimed at identifying and correcting deficiencies in current publication processes.