Careers Outside Academia:

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Careers Outside Academia Scientific
Editing Britta Mädge, PhD Scientific
Editor, Cell
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Too many or too few options?
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Career options in editing

• Different journals
• - research/review
• - Cell Press/npg/academic journals

• Different editorial jobs
• - manuscripts/reviews/news/copyeditor

• Book editing

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The editors at Cell

• Full time, professional editors
• Scientific editors Decide which research
  articles get published in consultation with
  reviewers
• Reviews/opinion editor Invite scientist to write
  reviews/previews and edit/rewrite

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My background
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Why I became an editor

• interest in many different topics
• impatience with experimental work

• What I like about my job
• service to the scientific community
• guide authors to improve their work
• see science moving
• interact with scientists

• OK, some things are not so great
• conveying negative reviews to authors
• workload can be high

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A day in the life of an editor

• read in depth new papers and related papers
• find reviewers
• evaluate revisions and reviews
• make decisions reject/review/accept papers
• discuss papers with other editors
• phone calls/email with reviewers, authors
• read other journals
• Editorial meeting
• develop ideas for review articles
• conferences, lab-visits, local seminars

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Career options as scientific editor

• move up editorial ladder
• move towards publishing
• administration/science policy in
• industry, academia, government

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With these qualities and qualifications

• general interest in science
• think critically
• decisiveness, but able to revise your
• opinion
• diplomatic
• work well under deadline pressure
• team worker
• training in life-sciences and a PhD

editing could be for you!
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If you are interested in editing

• go to seminars, journal clubs, conferences
• talk to your friends and coworkers about science
• Look at Cell, Science and Nature every week
• (including the news)
• Writing try freelancing
• Review papers for your group leader
• consider an internship

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Where to look for editorial positions

• http//www.sciencejobs.com/
• http//www.nature.com/naturejobs/
• http//recruit.sciencemag.org/
• Journal homepages