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 keywords supplied by the authors at manuscript registration. The following information will help authors in their choice of keywords. The keywords are split into three groups: subject, timescale, and archive. The paper needs to be described in terms of one or more keywords from each of the groups. A first set of choices should be made which most closely describe the paper. If possible an additional second set should also be given. The latter will be used if no editor is available who matches the first set.

Keyword group	First choice	Second choice
Subject	carbon cycle
Timescale	Holocene
Archive	marine archives

Keyword group	First choice	Second choice
Subject	carbon cycle
Timescale	Holocene	Cenozoic
Archive	marine archives	terrestrial archives

Keyword group	First choice	Second choice
Subject	carbon cycle	greenhouse gases
Timescale	Holocene	Pleistocene
Archive	marine archives

After submission of a manuscript, the Copernicus Office Editor sends an email request to every editor whose subject areas match the first-choice 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, he/she is assigned as the editor for this submission and receives 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 editors whose subject areas match the second-choice index terms. In case of another unsuccessful call, 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, a co-editor-in-chief is asked to assign the manuscript to one of the editors.