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Job Description

The Transportation Research Record (TRR) editor in chief (EIC) is a new position and unique opportunity for the successful candidate to play a key role in shaping the future of the journal. The EIC will be well-known and highly respected by their peers, with a demonstrated record of nationally and internationally recognized research and scholarship, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse international and cross-cultural audiences. TRB invites a single individual or small team to apply to serve as Editor/s in Chief.

The EIC works with the Editorial Board to actively solicit work of exceptional importance and appeal for the transportation community. The editor is sensitive to emerging transportation issues and committed to taking a broad, diverse view of scholarship and practice. Doing so requires an acceptance of—and openness to—a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives. The EIC develops a strategic vision for the journal and is knowledgeable about the changing landscape of scholarly, peer-reviewed publications.

The EIC is appointed by the NAS president with the concurrence of the TRB Executive Director and the TRB Director of Technical Activities. The EIC serves as an ex officio member of the TRR Advisory Board on major matters of editorial policy and reports to the TRB Director of Technical Activities.

The general responsibilities of the EIC are to:

  • Work with the TRR Editorial Board, the TRR Advisory Board, and TRB leadership to develop and execute a clear vision and strategy for the journal and to ensure the high quality of research published in TRR.
     
  • Act as ambassador of TRR to the global TRB and transportation author/editor/reviewer community.
     
  • Identify and appoint Associate Editors and Editorial Board members who contribute expertise as well as disciplinary and demographic diversity.
     
  • Set rigorous review standards and exert the necessary judgment to publish only manuscripts of exceptional importance relevant to TRR’s broad audience.

More specific responsibilities are to:

  • Actively promote the journal at the TRB Annual Meeting and to a broad range of authors, readers, and subscribers from around the world.
     
  • Work directly with journal staff on editorial, media, and marketing initiatives.
     
  • Serve as the public voice of TRR through editorials in the journal and through interactions with the public.
     
  • Ensure that the journal reflects the highest standards of reliability, reproducibility, accessibility, openness, and integrity.
     
  • Support best practices in scientific publishing in handling allegations of scientific misconduct, authorship disputes, conflict of interest, data availability, ethical conduct of research, etc., acting with impartiality, confidentiality, and fairness.
     
  • Oversee the submission and review of manuscripts to ensure timeliness and adherence to editorial guidelines.
     
  • Keep abreast of and work to improve journal metrics, including time to first decision, review time, revision time, types of articles published, rejection rate, citations, and other quantitative and qualitative measures. Identify areas in need of performance improvement and explore ideas for potential enhancements to the journal.
     
  • Lead and support recruiting initiatives, including special feature themes, collaborative collections, and the search for and mentoring of the successor to the inaugural EIC.

Term
The inaugural EIC will be appointed for a 1-year trial, with a 2-year extension upon mutual agreement.

Time Commitment
The EIC should expect to spend the equivalent of 2 days per week on average related to the journal (i.e., 16 hours/week). A stipend will be provided for use at the discretion of the successful candidate.

Qualifications

·    Scholarship and recognized leadership in advancing knowledge in subject areas relevant to the journal.

·    Extensive experience and recognized accomplishment as an author and editor in prominent, peer-reviewed scholarly journals.

·    Access to a broad network of experts working in fields relevant to the journal.

·    Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.

·    The ability to meet the time demands of the EIC position.

 

Application Process and Timeline
Interested candidates should submit the following to the Search Committee via plockhart@nas.edu by March 15, 2024:

  • A current curriculum vitae
     
  • A one-page letter of interest summarizing their suitability and qualifications for the role, including examples of how the candidate/s successfully fulfilled roles similar to those described above
     
  • A vision statement (~1000 words) for the journal (note that breaking the journal into multiple disciplines is not an option during the inaugural term)

March 15, 2024: Deadline for applications
April: Search Committee interviews finalists
May: NAS/TRB prepares selection letter and notifies the successful candidate
June: TRB formally announces new EIC