Editorial Policies and Procedures of the Journal Molecular Endocrinology

Purpose of the Journal

Molecular Endocrinology is owned and published by The Endocrine Society. As established by the editor-in-chief, the associate editors, and the editorial board under the auspices of the Publications Committee, the policy of the journal is to review and publish papers that use a molecular approach to study the regulatory mechanisms of hormones and related substances in non-primate and primate cells. Molecular Endocrinology’s mission is to significantly broaden the knowledge base of its readers and to do so the journal must concentrate on only those papers that fall within its purview.

In an effort to encourage the submission of high quality papers to our journal, The Endocrine Society will only levy page charges of $90.00 per page after a manuscript has been accepted for publication.

The Editorial Board

Molecular Endocrinology is headed by an editor-in-chief, six associate editors, and an editorial board of 49 members. The editor is appointed by the Council of the Society, and the associate editors and editorial board members are appointed by the editor-in-chief in consultation with the Publications Committee. The associate editors serve a 5-year term, and editorial board members serve a 3-year term. Board members are chosen based on the journal’s need for representation from a particular scientific area, with the individual’s commitment to maintaining high journal standards as illustrated in previous objective and prompt reviews.

The Review Process

All manuscripts must be submitted using the format outlined in the Instructions to Authors. Molecular Endocrinology uses a “pre-review” process to establish the appropriateness of each submitted article. Every manuscript’s cover letter, title page, and abstract are sent to the editor-in-chief and associate editors no later than a day after receipt. These individuals conduct a “pre-review” of the manuscript to determine whether it should enter the formal review process. This process was established in an effort to shorten the lengthy review period. Manuscripts that are judged unlikely to be accepted for publication are quickly returned to the author. Returning manuscripts after pre-review also saves time and frustration for authors who would otherwise have to wait several weeks before submitting their manuscript elsewhere. Any author who is a member of The Endocrine Society and who wishes to have a manuscript reviewed despite the editor’s decision to return it may submit a request in writing, and the editorial office will initiate a formal review.

Manuscripts accepted into the formal review process are reviewed by two or three individuals who are highly competent and recognized in the particular field of the submitted manuscript. The journal office contacts reviewers that have been recommended by the editor-in-chief, associate editors, and/or the authors. Authors are encouraged to submit in their cover letters names of individuals they feel are appropriate and qualified to review their manuscript. Reviewers are given a two-week deadline to complete the review.

When the reviews are completed, a decision is made to either give the authors the opportunity to revise according to the reviewer suggestions, or to reject the paper based on the reviewers’ criticisms and the editor’s opinion of the paper. In some instances it is necessary to seek the opinion of a third reviewer if further comment is necessary to make the final decision.

When the editors have completed their decision, the decision letter and reviewers’ comments are sent to the author. Any questions or concerns regarding the editorial decision on any manuscript must be made directly to the Molecular Endocrinology editorial office.

Revised manuscripts are evaluated to determine whether THE AUTHORS HAVE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED AND ANSWERED THE CRITIQUES of the reviewers and editors. Depending upon this evaluation, manuscripts may be accepted, returned for further revision, or rejected. If a paper is accepted, the paper is immediately sent to the press and slotted for the next available print issue. Accepted manuscripts are also published online as Rapid Electronic Publications (http://mend.endojournals.org/rep.shtml) usually within two weeks of acceptance.

Molecular Endocrinology tries to complete the review cycle in 32 days. This time, however, may vary.

Grounds for Declining a Manuscript

The second manner in which Molecular Endocrinology will decline a manuscript is after it has completed the formal review process. Grounds for rejection are established by the editor-in-chief, associate editors, and editorial board members. Manuscripts that do not meet the standards of the journal are returned to the authors with substantial comments describing the basis for the decision. Manuscripts may be rejected if the findings are not sufficiently novel, do not provide sufficient new insights into mechanisms of action, do not contain enough new information, or are too preliminary to warrant publication.