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.