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How can I unassign or reassign Editors in Editorial Manager?
Last updated on April 11, 2022Watch this short video to see how to reassign submissions.
In Editorial Manager, the action Unassign Editor brings up a screen called Modify Editor Chain, where the user can potentially either remove an Editor from the list of assigned Editors, or replace one Editor with a different Editor.
The only way to add more Editors to a chain is for the current 'Handling Editor' (the last active assigned Editor) to use the 'Assign Editor' function.
If an editor is changing roles or leaving the journal, and all current assignments need to be transferred, this can be done in one batch under certain conditions. See How can I reassign multiple submissions from one editor to another in Editorial Manager?
How?
- Locate the submission via Search Submissions, or in one of the status folders on the Editor Main Menu.
- Click 'Unassign Editor' in the action list.The Unassign Editor action appears only when all of the following are true:
- The logged in Editor has the appropriate permissions (permissions can be different for your own assignments, subordinate assignments, etc). Contact your Journal Manager or other Support Representative with any questions about your permissions.
- Submission has at least one 'Active Editor' (Editor assigned but has not yet submitted a decision or terminated). Click Details to verify at least one Editor is listed without a decision term.
- Submission is not currently being edited (check the main menu for 'View All Assigned Submissions being Edited').
- Submission is not at Send Back to Author status.
- The Modify Editor Chain screen appears, listing all Editors assigned to the current version of the submission.
- To replace an Editor, select a name in the 'New Editor' column.
- Only Editors with the same role as currently assigned will appear. To select Editors of a different role, first change the Role drop-down.
- If the current assigned Editor is the only person with that role, the message ' No users have this role' will appear. Simply change the role first and then select someone of a different role.
- If the selected role is configured for 'Search-based selection' then the drop down in New Editor is replaced by an Editor Search link to search by classification matches.
- The same person cannot have two places in the Editor chain at once.
- To remove one step of the chain entirely, click the Trashcan icon on that row. Doing this will reduce the number of Editors in the chain, and it cannot be increased except by the handling editor using Assign Editor.
Depending on the Editor's status on the submission, and the overall status of the submission, not all Editors can be removed or replaced. The Editors who cannot be removed have no trashcan icon, Editors who cannot be replaced have no selection control in the Role or New Editor columns.
This occurs in the following cases:
- If the Editor performing the Unassign has restricted permission settings, for example.
- Editors can be restricted from unassigning themselves.
- Editors can be limited to unassign only their own subordinates (those names lower than their own in the chain).
- If the Editor has saved or submitted a decision:
- The Editor cannot be removed.
- The Editor can be replaced by another Editor, but only one with the same role.
- Editors who have been terminated due to another Editor's decision cannot be replaced or removed.
- If the submission has unprocessed reviews (invitations, open reviews, or reviews that were submitted after the last complete decision was made) there must be an Active Editor remaining in the list.
- The last active Editor cannot be removed while there are unprocessed reviews.
- The last active Editor can be replaced by another Editor with the same role or a different role that has Invite Reviewer permissions.
- If the Editor to be removed is the only Active Editor remaining who has Make a Decision permission, the Editor cannot be removed. The Editor can be replaced by an Editor with Make a Decision permission.
- After all changes have been made, click one of the 'Confirm Selections' buttons to proceed with either the default or customized letters.
- Customizing also allows you see who will get letters, and choose to skip one or more recipients.
- It is especially important to send a letter a new Editor who is becoming the handling Editor (i.e. last listed active Editor) so they are aware of the new assignment.
The Unassign Editor action is recorded as a line in the Status History, but the details of who was removed or replaced are not listed there.
For Replaced Editors:
- The new Editor will have the same start date as the originally assigned Editor in their activity history.
- The Editor name is updated from old to new in Details, View Reviews and Comments, etc.
- All trace of the assignment is removed from the old Editor's activity history, and inserted into the new Editor's history.
- Past correspondence from/to the old Editor is shown in history with the new Editor listed as the sender/recipient within the History screen, but opening the letter from history will show the original Editor name.
For Removed Editors
- All trace of the assignment is removed from the Editor's activity history and from all reports.
- The Editor name is removed from Details, View Reviews and Comments, etc.
- Past correspondence can still be seen in history with the removed Editor as sender or recipient.
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