Being an editor: then and now
Abstract
(AEM) from 1988 to 1996. I reflect on the challenges of the pre-internet world when all communications, including paper manuscripts, traveled by post. It was a time when editors chose the reviewers without the "benefit" of reviewers suggested by the authors. I describe the advantages and disadvantages of being an editor in those times, using seven memorable papers as examples of our efforts to advance both the field and our esteemed journal. I do so in the hope that this perspective brings relevance to present-day authors, reviewers, and editors.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Publishing and Scholarly Communication
Academic Writing and Publishing
Academic Publishing and Open Access
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e0006626–e0006626
- Publication date
- 10 February 2026
- Language
- EN