Associate editor guidelines

Introduction

As an Associate Editor, you help ensure that manuscripts are assessed fairly, reviewed rigorously, and improved through constructive feedback. You work closely with reviewers, authors, and the journal team to maintain scientific quality and support a timely, transparent editorial process.

These guidelines outline your core responsibilities, explain the main tools you will use (Loop, My Frontiers, and the Review Forum), and summarize key tasks such as handling manuscripts, inviting reviewers, and supporting section development activities. They are intended to be a practical reference you can return to throughout your editorial work.

Your role is to support your journal and section by managing peer review of manuscripts within your area of expertise. You help ensure that editorial decisions are informed by rigorous assessment and constructive reviewer feedback, and that the process runs fairly and efficiently for authors and reviewers.

Your main activities typically include:

• Completing an initial assessment of assigned manuscripts for fit, quality, and compliance with journal policies.

• Selecting and inviting qualified reviewers and ensuring reviews are appropriate in scope and tone.

• Reviewing reports and guiding authors through revision during the Review Forum discussion.

• Making an editorial recommendation in line with reviewer feedback, journal standards, and editorial policies.

• Supporting your journal community by suggesting reviewers and contributing to section activities (such as Research Topics, where relevant).

Your journal team will support you throughout your work as an Associate Editor, including guidance on the platform, process questions, and research integrity or policy queries. The quickest way to talk to us is to sign in to My Frontiers and connect with our chatbot (the green chat icon in the bottom-right corner).

Loop is a free academic network that helps researchers present their profile, connect with colleagues, and track publications.

As a Topic Editor, Loop can help you:

• Improve discoverability of your work and editorial contributions

• Connect with researchers in and beyond your field

• Keep your publications linked to your profile

Getting started (overview)

• Create or update your profile

• Add a profile photo and affiliation

• Link your ORCID for easier discovery

My Frontiers is your central workspace for Frontiers activity, including Research Topics and editorial assignments.

In My Frontiers, you can:

• View active and past assignments

• Track tasks and deadlines

• Access your Research Topic workspace

• Send and receive platform messages (including from the Review Forum)

Key areas you may use:

• Dashboard: overview of tasks and activity

• My projects: access your Research Topic and editorial assignments

• Resources: up-to-date guidance for your roles

• Inbox: message history across Frontiers tools

• Certificates: editor certificates (where applicable)

Learn how to get started with My Frontiers.

The Review Forum is where peer review takes place. It enables direct, constructive dialogue between authors, reviewers, and the handling editor to clarify points and improve the manuscript.

Detailed, role-specific instructions for handling manuscripts in the Review Forum are provided separately in the peer review guidelines for editors.

A strong reviewer community supports timely, fair, and high-quality peer review. As an Associate Editor, you may be asked to suggest or invite qualified reviewers to strengthen coverage in your Specialty Section.

Community reviewers are subject-matter experts who contribute review reports to support editorial decisions. They are typically PhD-qualified (or equivalent). In some cases, experienced senior postdoctoral researchers may be appropriate, where they bring relevant expertise.

When inviting reviewers, aim for:

• appropriate expertise within the Specialty Section scope

• diversity across geography, institution types, and career stages

• balanced representation, including gender diversity where possible

How to invite community reviewers

You can invite community reviewers through My Frontiers.

To invite reviewers:

1. Log in to your Frontiers account

2. Open My Frontiers

3. Access the Invite Colleagues area (in the appropriate platform view, where applicable)

4. Enter email addresses or select from suggested experts

5. Select Invite to send invitations

Invitation emails
An official invitation email is generated automatically and includes links for the invitee to accept or decline. You may be able to add a short personal note, but the official invitation text itself cannot be edited.

After acceptance
Invitees who accept will be prompted to create or complete a Loop profile. Once completed, they will be listed on the journal website as community reviewers.

Tracking invitation status
You can track invitations and responses through the Invite Colleagues area in My Frontiers.

Alternative option
If preferred, you can send the journal team a list of colleagues you would like to invite, and they can contact them on your behalf.

Research Topics are focused collections of peer-reviewed articles centered on a defined theme or emerging question. As an Associate Editor, you may contribute by proposing, co-editing, or supporting Research Topics within your journal or specialty section.

Research Topics can help to:

• highlight important developments and emerging methods

• convene researchers working on related questions

• encourage high-quality submissions within a defined scope

Your journal team can support you with planning, platform training, outreach templates, and progress monitoring.

Note: Detailed operational guidance for running a Research Topic is provided in the Topic Editor Guidelines. If you are a Topic Editor, refer to those role-specific instructions.

Find out more information on leading a Topic and its benefits. You can also contact the journal team to learn how to get started on your own topic now.

Annual Content Plans support journals and specialty sections in planning activities across the year. They are developed collaboratively with editorial leadership and journal teams to:

• identify priority themes and emerging areas

• map potential Research Topics and timelines

• align initiatives with the section’s scope and community needs

In practice, this approach helps distribute workload, supports consistent content development, and ensures Research Topics reflect both field trends and editorial expertise.

The fastest way to get a response is to sign in to My Frontiers and connect with our chatbot (the green chat icon in the bottom-right corner).

If you have specific questions, please see the contact guide below to direct your query to the appropriate party: