The Most Pressing Questions Authors Have For Editors

In the session entitled Essentials of Getting Your Work Published, the audience had the opportunity to ask a panel of MRS journal editors their most pressing questions. The panel was comprised of Rigoberto C. Advincula (Editor-in-Chief, MRS Communications), David F. Bahr (Editor-in-Chief, MRS Advances) Manish Chhowalla (Editor-in-Chief, MRS Energy & Sustainability), and Vincent Dusastre (Associate Editor, MRS Energy & Sustainability). Here are just a few of the questions that authors asked the panel:

• What should authors consider when recommending reviewers?
• What are the guidelines for preparing figures?
• How do I handle unethical reviewer behavior?
• AI tools - should we shy away or lean into them?
• Should I publish my results even if they contradict the consensus in my field?
• What advice do you have for new reviewers?

A throughline in the questions and subsequent discussion was the etiquette of reviewers and editors. Authors are still mystified by the entire process and its ethics. The panel asserted that content supersedes the notoriety of the authors and institutions. This is contrary to the perception of some of the community who believe fame enables ease of publishing. Another key consensus was that the primary job of the reviewer is to ascertain whether or not an article's conclusions are justified by the content presented by the authors, but they should not just suggest further experimentation. 

If you have questions for MRS journal editors about the publishing process, stop by the MRS-Springer booth (#723) in the Exhibit Hall.