Service Spotlight: A Q&A on the Transfer Desk

We recently had the chance to chat with Louisa Flintoft, the new Editorial Director for Submissions—which includes responsibility of the Transfer Desk. Dr. Flintoft holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Genetics, and has worked across Springer Nature, which positions her well for a role spanning the entire Springer Nature group. What do you think sets the Springer Nature Transfer Desk apart from other services? The Transfer Desk provides a proactive service to authors who have not been successful with their initial choice of journal, by helping them to find a good fit for their paper. We do not just provide authors with … Read more…

How Publishers Can Help Drive Diversity & Inclusion in Peer Review

If journal editors often rely on their own networks of contacts to recruit peer reviewers, then could diversity in editorial boards help improve diversity and inclusion in peer reviewers? As the pool of researchers becomes more diverse (in all dimensions, including in race, gender, geography, culture), there is a pressing need for a more varied pool of peers to review their work. Journal editors and editorial board members often begin their search for reviewers from their own contacts—their own personal networks. Following from this—could increasing diversity in editors and editorial boards help drive diversity in peer review? How can a … Read more…