Initiating a Commentary

A Commentary is created when an Editor determines that a particular submission requires a commentary or a response (perhaps from an expert, one of the Reviewers, etc.). The existing submission can be anywhere in the workflow (just received, under review, in final disposition, etc.).

The Editor (with appropriate RoleManager permission) clicks the Action link ‘Solicit Commentary’ on a submission record.

The first step in the ‘Solicit Commentary’ process is for the Editor to enter the following information on the ‘Target Publication Schedule page’:

- ‘Author Invitation Due’: This is the number of days the Author has to respond to the invitation. If a zero is entered, this indicates the invitation due date feature is not being used.

- ‘Author Submission Due’: This is entered as a number (i.e. number of days), which is used to calculate an actual date from the Target Publication Date. This means that the Author’s due date is set backward FROM the ‘Target Publication Date’, and is not set FORWARD from the date of invitation or date the invitation was accepted. If a zero is entered, this indicates the submission due date feature is not being used.

The second step is to confirm the information entered in the ‘Target Publication Schedule’ step above.

The third step is to select an Author(s) from the ‘Author Selection Summary’ page by clicking the ‘Invite Authors’ link. This page is similar to the ‘Reviewer Selection Summary’ page. The ‘Author Selection Summary’ page is the starting point for the Author selection process. It also displays the list of Authors invited to submit a Commentary, and shows the status of each Author invitation.

The ‘Author Selection Summary’ screen lists the following Author Selection modes: ‘Search for Authors’ and ‘Search by Personal Classifications’. Other functions available from the Author Selection Summary page include access to the ‘Manuscript Details’ page and the ‘Un-invite Author’ function.

Search for Authors Mode: When ‘Search for Authors’ is selected from the search mode drop-down box, the Editor is delivered to a search interface. The user can enter up to three sets of criteria.

When the results are returned, the user can select one or more Authors to invite by checking the box next to the person’s name.

Search by Personal Classifications Mode: When ‘Search by Personal Classifications’ is selected, the Editor can search for Authors based on the Personal Classifications associated with each Author. The Editor is delivered to a page that lists all of the Classifications that are assigned to people in the system with a checkbox next to each term. The Editor can select a maximum of 5 Classification Terms. A list of Authors associated with the selected Classifications is returned. The user can select one or more Authors to invite by checking the box next to the person’s name in the results that are returned.

Note: The list of Classifications may appear incomplete because it is a list of all Classifications assigned to people; it is not a complete list of Classifications. If a Classification term does not appear in the list, it means no one in the system has selected that term as a Personal Classification

The fourth step, after an Author(s) is selected, is to send either the default invitation letter (as set up in ActionManager), or customize the default letter.

Multiple Authors can be invited at the same time. The Editor will have an opportunity to customize each letter by clicking on the letter name next to the Author name. The Editor will also have the opportunity to NOT invite an Author from the list of invited Authors, without having to back out of the entire process, by checking the ‘Do Not Invite’ checkbox next to the Author name.

Authors can also be ‘Un-invited’ by clicking the ‘Un-invite’ link on the ‘Author Selection Summary’ page. Authors can be un-invited after they are invited, as well as after they have agreed to submit but before actually submitting the paper.

To Configure Actionmanager: The following new Events in ActionManager are used for Commentaries. The first four events do not affect Document Status and are only used for sending Letters at the appropriate times. The fifth event can affect Document Status and can also be used to send letters at the appropriate times.

For the events ‘Solicit Commentary on Submission’, ‘Un-invite Authors’, ‘Author Agrees to Invitation’, and ‘Author Declines Invitation’, you should create new Letters in PolicyManager, ‘Edit Letters’. Then go to ActionManager and configure letters in the appropriate Roles.

For example, the Author Role should be set up to receive a letter on the ‘Solicit Commentary on Submission’ and ‘Un-invite Authors’ events. The Editor who is sending out (or monitoring) Author invitations should receive a letter on the ‘Author Agrees to Invitation’ and ‘Author Declines Invitation’ events.

For the ‘New Child Submission Sent to Journal’ event, this event is triggered when an Author submits a Commentary on an already-submitted manuscript OR a submission related to a Proposal.

A status change should be configured for this event in the ‘Document Status’ section of ActionManager. You must first create a Document Status Term in PolicyManager, ‘Edit Document Status’. Then you can go into ActionManager and select the newly created status term from the drop-down box next to the ‘New Child Submission Sent to Journal’ event.

Note: This Document Status affects the child submission, not the parent submission

A letter can be configured for this event in the ‘Letters’ section of ActionManager. A letter should be set up to go to any Editor role that needs to know when Authors have submitted a Commentary on an already-submitted manuscript OR a submission related to a Proposal. You can also set up a letter to go to the Author to confirm receipt of the submission by the journal, if desired. You must first create a letter in PolicyManager, ‘Edit Letters’. Then you can go into ActionManager and select the newly created letter from the drop-down box next to the ‘New Child Submission Sent to Journal’ event.

To Configure PolicyManager: You will need to create Article Types that can be used for Commentaries. The key setting on any Article Type that you want to use for Commentaries is the ‘Invited’ checkbox. Any Article Type with the ‘Invited’ checkbox checked will only appear for the Author when the Author has been INVITED to submit a paper. This means that an Author using the regular ‘Submit Manuscript’ interface will not see any Article Type that is designated as ‘Invited’. Only Authors actually invited will be able to select an invited Article Type.