Search for the Next JAOA Editor in Chief

The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) is seeking applications for an Editor-in-Chief to succeed Dr. Robert Orenstein (DO), who has led the journal since 2014, at the end of his term in January 2019. The Editor-in-Chief will be responsible for carrying out the AOA's strategic agenda toward the advancement of osteopathic medical research by directing the editorial content of the JAOA. This position is a critical leadership opportunity to be undertaken at a crucial time in the JAOA’s growth as a seminal resource for osteopathic physicians, more than 50% of whom are in active practice in one of the primary care areas of medicine. The Editor-in-Chief’s role in advancing osteopathic medical research is key to ensuring DOs continue to meet the nation's rapidly growing health care needs by advancing their medical education.

Applications are due to Melissa Schmidt, Director of the JAOA, no later than December 9. They should be submitted by email: mschmidt@osteopathic.org.

Duties of the AOA Editor in Chief

A. Job Summary

The Editor-in-Chief is an ambassador for the The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) and reports directly to the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Board of Trustees. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for directing all editorial content of publications produced by the AOA’s Division of Publications, including the JAOA (a monthly research journal), Web-based programs, and custom publications (e.g., AOA Health Watch, monographs). Direction of editorial content includes responsibility for setting and achieving high standards for integrity of the content; soliciting high-quality manuscripts on topics of relevance; writing editorials on relevant topics as appropriate; developing guidelines and processes to ensure accuracy of content and timeliness of publication; regularly engaging with the JAOA Editorial Board, the osteopathic medical community, and the medical research community in general; and understanding and engaging the changing demographics and technology to advance these areas. It is expected that the editor-in-chief will commit at least 20 hours per week to these efforts, plus time for travel and educational/promotional efforts.

The Editor-in-Chief will carry out the AOA's strategic agenda toward the advancement of osteopathic medical research by directing the editorial content of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) and chairs the JAOA Editorial Advisory Board. In these capacities, the Editor-in-Chief will provide critical leadership for the future of the JAOA, incorporating his or her clinical experience. With more than 50% of osteopathic physicians (ie, DOs) in active practice in one of the primary care areas of medicine, the Editor-in-Chief’s role in advancing osteopathic medical research is key to ensuring DOs continue to meet the nation's rapidly growing health care needs by advancing their medical education, including through the study of clinical journals.

B. Minimum Qualifications or Equivalents

Education: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. 

Experience: In-depth understanding of research and publication processes, required; peer review experience, required; editor-in-chief or associate/deputy editor experience, desirable.

C. Contact With Others

As noted in the Job Summary, it is expected that in the course of fulfilling the duties of the position, the Editor-in-Chief will have contact with various constituencies, including the following:

1. AOA members: The Editor-in-Chief will receive and respond to telephone and email communications regarding manuscripts and articles. There will also be personal contact with membership at meetings, conferences, and at osteopathic medical schools.
2. Research leaders: The Editor-in-Chief will be actively engaged in identifying promising projects in the research pipeline. To that end, there may be telephone, email, and in-person communications with directors of research at osteopathic medical schools, and with officers of osteopathic medical foundations and other entities that support and/or fund research. 
3. AOA leadership: As a staff officer of the AOA, the Editor-in-Chief is expected to attend the AOA’s annual business meeting, the AOA Board’s midyear meeting, and the annual OMED (Osteopathic Medical Conference & Exposition) meeting. In addition, from time to time, there may be communications by telephone, email, and in-person with the AOA Board of Trustees, as well as with members of relevant AOA bureaus, councils, and committees (such as the Council on Research).
4. Osteopathic medical schools: The Editor-in-Chief is expected to travel to osteopathic medical schools to engage in discussions with students and faculty regarding scholarly activity, the JAOA, and strategies to amplify osteopathic research.
5. Osteopathic medical organizations: There will be frequent contact with appropriate osteopathic medical organizations concerning publications and AOA editorial policy.
6. Journal editor organizations: The Editor-in-Chief is expected to actively participate in the medical research community and should participate in the activities of one or more organizations that provide supporting resources (e.g., the Council of Science Editors, the Society for Scholarly Publishing). 
7. Others: Where appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief may be asked to represent the AOA to the media, the public, lay organizations, health care organizations, and other groups concerning issues related to AOA publications and osteopathic medicine in particular and to peer-review journals and medicine in general. In addition, the Editor-in-Chief may need to interact with industry professionals regarding grant support for AOA custom publications.

D. Job Duties

The following description of job responsibilities and standards is intended to reflect the major responsibilities and duties of the position of Editor-in-Chief. It is not intended to describe minor duties or other responsibilities that may arise or otherwise be assigned from time to time

1. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. (a) Review manuscripts submitted for publication and assign them to appropriate experts for review; (b) Evaluate completed reviews and make final decisions regarding acceptance, rejection, or revision, taking into consideration the scientific and clinical merit of the manuscripts, how well they are written, and publishing priorities; (c) Communicate final decisions regarding publication to authors; (d) Commit to creating a strategic plan for the JAOA, especially concerning steps related to achieving an Impact Factor; (e) Conduct regular telephone calls with the JAOA’s staff director, Associate Editors, and the JAOA Editorial Board, and otherwise communicate with them on a regular basis; (f) Appoint Associate editors to assist in driving mission and goals; (g) Encourage contributions and manuscript submissions from the profession (including meeting with faculty at osteopathic medical schools and at medical conferences); (h) Promote the JAOA and increase knowledge of research journals through attendance at scholarly meetings such as those of the Council of Science Editors, the Society for Scholarly Publishing, and the Peer Review Congress; (i) Enhance the visibility of the editor-in-chief and the JAOA throughout the profession through new outlets, such as podcasts or videos shared via AOA websites and social media.
2. AOA custom publications. (a) Approve guest editors and authors for custom publications; (b) Review processes and content; (c) Exercise final editorial authority over each publication. 
3. Promotion of scholarly activity. (a) Pursue strategies and tactics to drive awareness of best practices in research and other scholarly activities; (b) Participate in educating leaders in the profession (e.g., deans, faculty) regarding available tools and channels to teach, participate in, present, and publish osteopathic medical research; (c) Travel to colleges, specialty society meetings, etc, to engage in these tactics, developing productive relationships with leaders to amplify osteopathic medical research in scholarly publishing.