Announcing the Launch of the ALPSP Editorial Board Engagement Special Interest Group

Editorial boards play a vital role in the success and integrity of scholarly journals. From shaping journal strategy and maintaining editorial standards to championing their publications within their communities, editorial board members are central to a journal's development and reputation.

The idea for the Editorial Board Engagement Group began in October 2025, when four publishing professionals from different organisations started sharing experiences about the opportunities and challenges of engaging and supporting editorial board members. Despite representing different publishers, we quickly realised that many of the questions we faced were remarkably similar. At the same time, it became clear that there was no dedicated forum within scholarly publishing for the professionals working on editorial board engagement.

What began as informal conversations among colleagues evolved into a shared vision: creating a supportive community where professionals could exchange ideas, discuss challenges, share best practices and learn from one another. We are delighted that this vision has now become a reality through the launch of the ALPSP Editorial Board Engagement Special Interest Group (SIG) on 14 August 2026.

As the newest ALPSP SIG, we look forward to welcoming others into the community and helping shape the future of editorial board engagement together.

Why This Group Is Needed

Editorial board engagement sits at the heart of scholarly publishing. Strong relationships with editorial board members contribute to journal quality, community development, research integrity and long-term sustainability.

Yet the professionals responsible for supporting and engaging editorial board members often have limited opportunities to connect with peers beyond their own organisations. Whether recruiting new board members, developing engagement strategies, supporting diversity initiatives or recognising contributions, many of us face similar challenges regardless of publisher size, discipline or business model.

While numerous communities exist for authors, reviewers and editors themselves, there has been no dedicated forum focused specifically on the professionals whose work centres on editorial board member engagement and management.

The Editorial Board Engagement SIG was established to help address this gap by creating a collaborative space where experiences, ideas and practical solutions can be shared openly across the scholarly publishing community. By bringing together colleagues from different organisations and backgrounds, we hope to reduce silos, foster collaboration and advance best practice across the industry.

What the Group Will Do

The Editorial Board Engagement SIG's mission is simple: to create a network of professionals involved in editorial board engagement who can learn from one another, discuss challenges and share best practices.

Through regular conversations and collaborative activities, members will have the opportunity to exchange practical insights, compare approaches and explore solutions to common challenges. The group is intended to be both a professional network and a learning community, helping members develop their expertise while contributing to broader industry discussions.

Key aims of the group include:

• Discussing best practices for editorial board engagement and management
• Sharing experiences and lessons learned across publishers
• Reducing organisational silos and encouraging cross-industry collaboration
• Building meaningful professional relationships
• Supporting professional development for those working in editorial board-focused roles
• Exploring emerging issues affecting editorial boards and their members

Ultimately, the group seeks to create a space where practitioners can openly discuss challenges, celebrate successes and learn from one another.

What Members Can Expect

The Editorial Board Engagement SIG will host recurring meetings, creating opportunities for members to connect, share experiences and explore topics of mutual interest.

In addition, members will be able to continue conversations between meetings through dedicated forums and chat spaces on the groups.io platform.

Discussion topics will be shaped by members and may include:

• Understanding editorial board member motivations and challenges
• Recruitment, retention and succession planning
• Rewards, recognition and engagement strategies
• Measuring and promoting diversity within editorial boards
• Organisational stakeholder engagement
• Emerging trends affecting editorial board participation and expectations
• Reporting, metrics and ways of measuring engagement success

Whether members are new to working with editorial boards or have years of experience, this SIG aims to provide valuable opportunities to expand networks, gain new perspectives and take away practical ideas that can be applied within their own organisations.

A Co-Chair Perspective

The Editorial Board Engagement SIG is co-chaired by:

• Damaris Critchlow, MDPI
• Dena Emmerson, PLOS
• Teresa Mathews, Karger/OUP
• Victoria Merriman, IOP Publishing

Together, we represent different organisations, publishing models and professional backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to supporting those who work closely with editorial board members.

Join the Conversation

If your role includes working with, supporting or engaging editorial board members, we invite you to become part of the ALPSP Editorial Board Engagement SIG.

Whether you are looking to expand your professional network, learn from peers, share best practices or contribute to shaping future conversations around editorial board engagement, we would be delighted to welcome you. To learn more and register, visit the Editorial Board Engagement Special Interest Group page on the ALPSP website.

What started as a conversation among four colleagues now has the opportunity to grow into a vibrant and supportive community. We hope you will join us as we build that community together.

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About the Authors

This post has been written on behalf of the ALPSP Editorial Board Engagement Special Interest Group by its co-chairs: Damaris Critchlow (MDPI), Dena Emmerson (PLOS), Teresa Mathews (Karger/OUP), and Victoria Merriman (IOP Publishing). In preparing this article, the authors used Microsoft Copilot to assist with drafting and language refinement. All content was reviewed, edited and approved by the authors.