Annals Specialty Editors for Upper Limb and Lower Limb

The Annals, our leading pan-surgical research journal, seeks two new Specialty Editors:

  • Specialty Editor for Upper Limb
  • Specialty Editor for Lower Limb

These voluntary roles offer the chance to contribute to the direction of surgical publishing, be part of an expert editorial board and promote high-quality research for the surgical community.

It’s an opportunity to give back to the surgical profession, develop your editorial skills, and join a respected community that sets the standard for surgical research—here in the UK and internationally.

Who can apply

To be eligible for a Specialty Editor role, candidates must:

  • be an established or honorary consultant, SAS surgeon or equivalent senior medical appointment in the NHS or nearing the end of surgical training (ST7/8) and must be a Fellow or Member of RCS England;
  • be an advocate for innovation and integrity in medical publishing.

We're looking for candidates who have:

  • editorial experience at a medical research journal (desired but not essential);
  • awareness of current research topics within the specialty and trends in medical publishing;
  • ability to embrace new technologies and working methods;
  • enthusiasm for promoting the journal and attracting new submissions;
  • commitment to best practice and integrity in research and publishing, including publication misconduct.

What to expect as a Specialty Editor

Annals is a fully open-access, online journal, publishing eight issues per year. The editorial board includes experts from all surgical specialties. The journal is indexed in PubMed, PMC, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus, with a current impact factor of 1.7.

The roles are unpaid, voluntary positions.

Responsibilities

  • Assign peer reviewers for submissions in your specialty and make recommendations to accept/reject/revise manuscripts assigned to you.
  • Take an active role in commissioning content within (but not necessarily limited to) your subject area.
  • Attend regular board meetings (one hybrid, one in-person per year).
  • Actively support diversity, equity and inclusion in the journal and surgical profession.
  • Act as an ambassador for the journal through events, editorials, social media and your interactions with the surgical community.
  • Adhere to the College’s Code of Conduct, reflecting the values and professionalism expected of everyone affiliated with the College.

Time commitment

You will need to commit approximately 1-2 hours per week as an Annals Specialty Editor.

The benefits of being a Specialty Editor

  • Become Specialty Lead of a respected, pan-surgical journal with a global reach.
  • Influence the direction of surgical research and publishing in your specialty.
  • Collaborate with an expert editorial board and publishing team.
  • Gain professional recognition.
  • Advocate for innovation and integrity in medical publishing.

Terms of the post

  • Initial trial term: 1 year.
  • First term: 2 years (following a successful initial trial term).
  • Second term: 3 years (subject to agreement between the postholder and RCS England).

Apply to become a Specialty Editor

Ready to begin your next chapter? Submit your CV and a short cover letter including your specialty and any other areas of interest or expertise (max. 1 page of A4) to annals@rcseng.ac.uk, FAO: Mandy Webb, Head of Publishing.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to attend a virtual meeting.