The Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellowship: a case study in “two-way” ECR engagement
Here, we describe an alternative model for an ECR editorial program that emphasizes two-way engagement between ECRs and publishers, editorial boards, and the scientific community. In this model, Fellows are integrated beyond the peer review process into all aspects of publishing and editing. They contribute intellectually through Fellow-led initiatives and input to decision-making and journal policy. This fellowship model views ECRs in the same way that the broader scientific community views postdoctoral researchers—highly experienced, independent, early-career colleagues with the potential to dramatically shape the conversations and projects they are involved in. We used this model to develop the Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellowship (RCEF; Soranno and Falkenberg 2018) for the journal Limnology & Oceanography Letters, a short-format, open-access Association for the Sciences of Oceanography and Limnology (ASLO) journal founded in 2014 (Sorannoet al. 2021).
RCEF Fellows serve a two-year term and receive a $1,500 annual stipend, travel support to attend one society meeting per year, and an invitation to an annual strategy day with the journal publisher, Wiley. Fellow terms are staggered to ensure that there are always two Fellows which fosters collaboration and relationship-building within the fellowship cohort. The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of Limnology & Oceanography Letters makes the most significant commitment to the RCEF program. The Fellows and EIC meet monthly to discuss day-to-day workings of the journal and discuss current and future Fellow initiatives. These initiatives span (but are not limited to): scholarly articles, workshops, editorial programming, and outreach. Importantly, the RCEF provides a supportive, collaborative space for Fellows to develop initiatives based on their interests. While all RCEF Fellows receive the same opportunities for engagement with editors and publishing partners, no two fellowships are the same because no two Fellows have the same background, interests, and professional goals.