The role of Associate Editor (AE) is very important. AEs are at the heart of our knowledge production systems, as they work with the great majority of peer reviewed papers. As such it is also a very demanding role, as AEs handle heavy and complex workloads and face raising expectations in terms of timelines and accountability. It is also an important career progression stage, as colleagues transition from being focused exclusively on their own intellectual project to making a more systemic contribution to the development of their own discipline. Further, being an AE can be an important step in career development, as it helps with progression to full professorships (many associate editors are also associate professors) and to editor-in-chief positions.

However, while it is a both a key passage point in academic careers and a central node in our knowledge production system, it is also largely under-supported. The role of AE is largely unremunerated, unrecognised and often unacknowledged by employers, sometime begrudged by authors and very often lacking structured support mechanisms. Many journals do not have the resources or indeed bandwidth to run formal training programmes. Many editorial teams are geographically dispersed which limits the possibility of mentoring and on the job learning. Furthermore, as AEs are supposedly appointed because of their expertise, many might feel uncomfortable in reaching out to their fellow editors. As such it can be a lonely experience especially for new appointed AEs.

In this context, we recognize that there is a need for a development space aimed at colleagues who are transitioning to an AE role or at an early stage in their tenure of such roles. This 3-hour Pre-Colloquium Professional Development Workshop provides that space through a series of carefully structured activities. These will be guided by the facilitators and other invited experienced editors who will contribute to panel discussions and plenary debates.

In this online workshop delegates will

1. Engage in a series of guided learning activities which concern some of the key issues and challenges that they might encounter in their new role

2. Network and develop relationships with their equivalents across other journals in the same disciplinary field and

3. Have the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from senior colleagues in their community

The format will be a mixture of panel presentations, plenary discussions, and round table activities.