Ancient Mesoamerica’s Editorial and Advisory Boards

Ancient Mesoamerica draws upon the expertise of its Editorial and Advisory Boards to support the Editorial team. Our Boards serve an important role, reflecting the breadth of a journal’s field and supporting a rigorous and fair review process. They help ensure we meet our commitments to equity and inclusion in our publishing, and the membership of our Boards aim to reflect the diversity of the disciplinary communities the journal serves. We further expect our Board members to follow best practices while upholding the ethical standards of the journal and to support the Press and Editorial team in ensuring that the journal and the scholarship it publishes are in line with our ethical guidelines.

Board members serve a three year term, which is renewable. We outline below the process by which members of the Boards are nominated and recruited, and the role description for both Editorial and Advisory Board members.

 Timetable and Process for appointments to the Ancient Mesoamerica boards

• April/May: The Ancient Mesoamerica Editors and Editorial/Advisory Board members are asked to suggest new appointments, outlining relevant scholarship, experience, and what the new board member would bring to the journal (in particular, how would the new member improve representation of the disciplinary community). Any identified competing interests should be raised at this point
• Suggestions for term renewals and new member nominations are reviewed by the Ancient Mesoamerica Editors and Editorial staff at Cambridge University Press
• Proposed members are asked to disclose any additional competing interests prior to nomination for approval by the Press Syndicate
• Final approval by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
• Three year terms begin on 1st January (terms dates and lengths may be varied if appropriate)
  

Note: Competing interests may include, but are not limited to, financial, professional, contractual or personal relationships or situations that may exert an influence on the activity of a Board member. The existence of a competing interest may not disqualify an individual from serving, but it should be disclosed

The Role of the Editorial Board

Supporting editorial peer review

• Periodically assist initial editorial review of submissions and special section proposals within your fields of expertise
• Undertake peer review on a regular basis (but no more than 5 times per year)
• Suggest reviewers for submissions, with emphasis given to the recruitment of scholars who will increase the diversity of the reviewer pool

Supporting journal development

• Participate in Editorial Board meetings (including an annual joint meeting with the Advisory Board)
• Contribute to editorial policy development, where appropriate, especially with regard to new developments in your areas of expertise
• Suggest areas for expansion and development where appropriate (such as emerging areas and subfields of research, as well as research undertaken by scholars belonging to groups currently underrepresented in the journal)
• Support the Editorial Team in realizing the ongoing development of the journal

Identifying new contributors and promoting the journal

• Recommend contributors submit to the journal, including recommending the journal to conference and seminar presenters whose papers may be appropriate for consideration and assisting with outreach to underrepresented groups working within the discipline and related fields
• Occasionally take flyers, etc., to conferences which you are attending but which the editors/publishers are not
• Recommend articles/themes for promotion, and suitable events at which the publisher could promote the journal to readers/authors

The Role of the Advisory Board

• Undertake peer review at least once per year and review special section proposals as appropriate
• Regularly suggest reviewers for submissions, especially where this effort helps to diversify the reviewer pool
• Participate in an annual Advisory Board meeting (to be held in conjunction with an Editorial Board meeting)
• Contribute to journal development, particularly with regard to new developments in the wider field of Mesoamerican studies as appropriate
• Recommend contributors submit to the journal, including recommending the journal to conference and seminar presenters whose papers may be appropriate for consideration and encouraging scholars from underrepresented groups to submit their work to the journal
• Occasionally take flyers, etc, to conferences which you are attending but which the editors/publishers are not

Description of Editorial and Advisory Board, and outline of responsibilities, last updated July 23, 2021