Request for Proposals: Co-Editor of Rhetoric of Health & Medicine

Posted on 2020-10-31

The co-editors and editorial board of the journal Rhetoric of Health & Medicine (RHM) are soliciting proposals for a co-editor with a five-year commitment. The appointed editor should be available to work with the current co-editors starting in the summer of 2021 in anticipation of founding co-editors Lisa Melonçon and Blake Scott’s rotation off the active co-editors' team and into the roles of emeritus and consulting co-editors around December of 2021. This new editor would join Cathryn Molloy (who rotated into the co-editorship in 2020 to create staggered terms) as the other active co-editor. They will be supported by a team of assistant editors and editorial assistants.

The new editor should be an accomplished RHM scholar (preferably in communication studies or a related field) who is conversant with and committed to the journal’s goals. A successful proposal must demonstrate both the prospective editor’s credentials and the host institution’s plans for supporting the journal (which could take the form of, for example, a dedicated graduate assistant or consideration of the co-editor role in annual assignment of service, research, or other duties).

About the Journal

RHM is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal published by the University of Florida Press. The journal publishes studies of health and medicine that take a rhetorical perspective. Such studies combine rhetorical analysis with any number of other methodologies, including critical/cultural analysis, ethnography, qualitative analysis, and quantitative analysis. RHM seeks to bring together humanities and social scientific research traditions in a rhetorically focused journal to allow scholars to build new interdisciplinary theories, methodologies, and insights that can impact our understanding of health, illness, healing, and wellness. 

Co-Editor Responsibilities

The co-editor will have the following duties in tandem with the larger editorial team. Cathryn and the new co-editor will mutually determine which duties and aspects each will take a primary role in overseeing. Importantly, the new co-editor will not be responsible for ever bulleted item.

  • Help assign reviewers and co-coordinate anonymous peer review of manuscripts (using Open Journal system);
  • Based on peer reviews and editorial review, make manuscript decisions and write decision letters;
  • Mentor authors, as needed, through the submission, review, revision, and publication processes;
  • Co-manage assistant editors, editorial assistants, and special issue editors;
  • Contribute to RHM’s management of production, promotion, and distribution, including subscriptions, marketing, and inclusion in new databases in collaboration with representatives from the press;
  • Engage in manuscript development work (at conferences and through email) to ensure steady stream of quality submissions, including in under-represented areas (e.g., rhetoric around health disparities);
  • Communicate with (potential) authors and answer journal-related questions;
  • Help track publication schedule and plan content of issues;
  • Help oversee copyediting process, and do round of higher-order copyediting focused on content and, for resubmitted manuscripts, ensuring requested revisions were made;
  • Send proof pages to authors for review prior to publication;
  • Proofread final journal copy prior to official publication of an issue, and deliver manuscript to press according to set schedules and deadlines;
  • Co-coordinate needed updates to the journal website;
  • Assist with transition of supplemental and open access content to updated “Rhetoricians of Health and Medicine” resource website;
  • Assist with transition of journal to affiliation with new Rhetoric of Health & Medicine Society (depending on broader RHM community and editorial board decision);
  • Provide regular updates to and otherwise communicate with the RHM associate editors and editorial board.

Proposal Instructions

Full proposals from prospective editors should be submitted by 15 January 2021 and should include the following items:

  1. Statement on RHM’s Trajectory. Considering the manuscripts (including editors’ introductions) published in RHM thus far, describe the trajectory you see RHM following, and explain how your background and area(s) of expertise might contribute to the journal’s (and the field’s) thoughtful movement forward. What does RHM mean to you and to the RHM community conceived broadly? How will you continue the important work the journal has been doing? This statement should show familiarity with the important issues confronting RHM scholarship and describe how the journal will continue to serve the field.
  2. Proposed list of additional Editorial Board members. Editorial Board members should demonstrate diversity in terms of the types of institutions and programs in technical, professional, and/or scientific communication programs, as well as diversity of new and advanced scholars in the field.
  3. Statement of Institutional Resources. Provide a detailed description of the support that your institution will provide, along with a letter from your supervisor confirming that support. Recognizing the challenges that many programs are currently facing, a letter outlining modest support will be acceptable.
  4. Examples of past editorial work. Reference any past editorial experience, including editorial roles with other journals, membership on editorial boards, or special issue editor roles.
  5. Curriculum Vitae.

 

Selection Process

A committee chaired by a co-editor (Blake) and comprised of three other RHM editorial board members (including at least one associate editor) and at least one RHM community member not on the editorial board or team will review all proposals. The committee may decide to schedule short interviews with finalists being considered. The committee will make its recommendations to the other co-editors and full board, who will make the final decision concerning the appointment of the new editor. Proposals for the editorship will be judged on several areas:

  • An articulation of a compelling vision for the journal’s (and the field’s) thoughtful movement forward;
  • The proposed editor’s academic qualifications, publishing experience, dedication to the RHM, and overall ability to work with a diverse group of scholars dedicated to academic rigor and practical relevance around the wide array of RHM issues and topics;
  • An articulation of some support from the host institution (upon request, the current co-editors can send applicants a fact sheet about the journal and its achievements to assist in negotiations of home institution support).

Terms

The new editor’s term will begin in fall of 2021, but the appointed editor should be available to work with the current co-editors during the summer of 2021 to complete needed training. The proposal should specify whether or not the editor can complete a five-year term.

Submission Process

Proposals should be sent to Lisa Melonçon, Blake Scott, and Cathryn Molloy, RHM Co-Editors, by 29 January 2021. Please send questions and proposals to rhm.journal.editors@gmail.com.