Graduate Journal of Social Science

Call for an Editor in Chief, a Web Editor and a Design & Layout Editor

The Graduate Journal of Social Science is a well-established peer-reviewed online journal with a strong international presence. The journal exists as a critical forum for discussion and exchange of ideas on interdisciplinary methodologies in the social sciences. The current Editors in Chief, the current Web editor, and the current Design & Layout Editor, are all stepping down from their respective roles. We are looking for, well-organised, and self-directed PhD students to take over these roles. There are two available editor in chief positions, one Web Editor and one Layout & Design editor.

Before considering whether you wish to apply for this position, please familiarise yourself with the journal by looking at previous editions, our editorial board and associated information pages on our website. The current Editors in Chief, design and layout editor and web editor will nonetheless oversee the transition process and introduce you thoroughly to the role.

Position Description – Editor in Chief (one position open)

Typically, students who take on the position are encouraged to oversee the journal for a minimum of two years during their doctorate studies. The position is time-consuming, but we have found it extremely rewarding; the role is fantastic for building organisational and academic skills, establishing new networks and working with authors, academics and students as well as other members of the GJSS team. Currently, there is already one new editor in chief ready to take on the role; we are now looking for a second one.

Together, the Editors in Chief are responsible for:

• Working with and managing a large editorial team made up of fellow graduate students. This means liaising with web editors, design editors, book editors, the liaison officer, copy editors, student reviewers, academic reviewers and authors.
• The journal typically publishes three editions a year; one of these is a regular edition overseen by the Editors in Chief. The other two editions are special issues produced by guest editors, but are nonetheless closely overseen and guided by the Editors in Chief throughout the publication process.
• Planning and executing editions from the initial conceptualisation of an issue until its publication. This includes devising Calls for Papers, reviewing academic articles, arranging feedback for authors and publicising editions once published.
• Working effectively to set deadlines, organise timetables for each issue and manage tasks for different editions simultaneously.
• Excellent IT skills, with particular emphasis on email communication.
• The role involves establishing networks; this may also involve applying for funding for the journal, which is entirely volunteer-run.
• The Editors in Chief should be highly proficient in working with academic English.

While the journal aims to reflect current trends across the social sciences, the expertise and interests of editors are important in shaping the direction of the journal. As a means of extending the dynamism of the journal, we would be particularly interested in recruiting editors with a social science background, however, we welcome applications from all academic fields. We would request that applicants give an indication of their own academic and theoretical background, as well as the direction in which they would take the journal. Previous experience working for the Graduate Journal of Social Science or another journal would be beneficial. Due to the collaborative and volunteer-led nature of the Graduate Journal of Social Science, we would also encourage applicants who share in the ethos of the journal.

Please send your CV and a motivation letter of 500 words or fewer detailing your skills, your academic background and information on the theoretical direction in which you may like to take the journal to editors@gjss.org.

Position Description – Web Editor

The web editor is responsible for managing the GJSS’s website (gjss.org), including:

• uploading new GJSS publications
• managing all relevant metadata for GJSS articles
• responding to and troubleshooting all website issues
• ensuring that the website is protected by enabling and updating the appropriate security measures

Proficiency in HTML and CSS required. A basic understanding of SEO and meta-data optimisation would be favourable. At the moment, the GJSS website uses Drupal as its content-management system (CMS), so knowledge of Drupal (or the ability to quickly learn how to use it) would be an advantage. General experience with web design would be an advantage. The web editor is also responsible for managing all communication in relation to the GJSS’s domain and webspace as well as e-mail accounts. This includes managing subscription and payment options for such services.

Please send your CV and a motivation letter of 500 words or fewer detailing your skills and background to editors@gjss.org.

Position Description – Design & Layout Editor

The Design & Layout editor is responsible for preparing PDFs of the GJSS issues based on copy-edited Word files. This includes the initial typesetting of the articles as well as corrections based on the proofs. Additionally, the layout editor is responsible for the cover design. In the past, the GJSS has featured both conventional academic papers and other kinds of contributions, such as photo stories.
Proficiency with a desktop publishing software package is required. We currently use Adobe InDesign, with templates for the various parts of each issue, thus continuing to use InDesign would be ideal. However, if you would like to switch to another software package, this may be possible. Additionally, it would be beneficial if you could create a Word template for authors to use for their submission (with pre-set styles for various paragraph types) early on to make importing articles easier in the future.

Please send your CV and a motivation letter of 500 words or fewer detailing your skills and background to editors@gjss.org.

The deadline for applications for all four positions is 3 June 2024.

We look forward to working with you!

Best wishes,
the GJSS editorial team