Finding an editor

Copernicus Publications has established an innovative online editorial support system, the Copernicus Office Editor, to automate the selection of editors and reviewers. This helps to minimize the time that a paper spends in review. Editors are selected based on their own expertise and on a set of manuscript subject areas supplied by the authors at manuscript registration. The subject areas are split into two groups: approach & properties and processes. The paper needs to be described in terms of one selection from each of the two groups.

After submission of a manuscript, the Copernicus Office Editor sends an email request to every editor whose subject areas match the selected index terms. Based on the manuscript information and abstract, the addressed editorial board members are asked to act as the responsible editor for the new submission. As soon as one of them accepts the task, they are assigned as the editor for this submission and receive the complete manuscript. The authors are informed accordingly.

If none of the initially addressed editors accepts the task within a few days, the request is extended to all members of the editorial board.

If none of the editorial board members is available to start the review process, the co-editors-in-chief are asked to assign the manuscript to one of the editors.