EM practice tasks

Editorial Manager - Practice tasks
Editorial Manager - Practice tasks

Cochrane has now moved its editorial processes to Editorial Manager (EM). Read more about the system and what this change means for Review Groups.

A. Before completing the practice tasks

  1. Sign on to the EM training / demo site using your Cochrane Account – see Log in to Editorial Manager.

B. As you learn to use Editorial Manager

  1. Refer to Cochrane’s Editorial Manager Knowledge Base and the Editorial Manager Help file.
  2. Contact support@cochrane.org if you have any questions or problems. You can also use our custom webforms to report a problem or provide feedback and suggestions.

C. Step-by-step practice tasks

These tasks follow the editorial process from adding content to Editorial Manager, to acceptance of a final version before copy-edit.

This is the complete editorial and production process in Editorial Manager.

You should allow 3-4 hours to complete these tasks. It may help to set up a call, share screens and work as a team or with another editorial team member. You can complete the tasks in stages.

By completing these tasks you will:

  • Familiarise yourself with Editorial Manager’s features and functions
  • Understand how editors, authors and reviewers interact with Editorial Manager
  • Gain an overview of the complete editorial and production process within Editorial Manager

When you have completed these tasks, please contact support@cochrane.org. Cochrane Support Team will mark your completion of this training on your Cochrane Account profile.

Please note:

  • The EM training / demo site uses dummy email addresses. Authors and editors will not receive email notifications. Please do not add authors' genuine contact addresses to any emails. If you wish to receive a copy of an email, you can cc. yourself at your own email address.
  • The EM live and training sites designate one ME per CRG as the primary ME or Corresponding Editor. This ME will see Direct-to-Editor New / Revised Submissions on his or her main menu. You can proxy as the primary ME to assign any new submissions to other team members. 

Editorial process practice tasks

 Number  Item Knowledge Base section
 A Assigning roles to people (5 mins)  
1. Search for a member of your editorial team Search for people
2. Allocate an editorial role Editorial roles
 B Add an existing protocol or review to Editorial Manager (45 mins)  
3. Choose a protocol or review in training-Archie where the next stage is for authors to submit their first draft for editorial approval. Add the protocol or review to EM and invite authors to submit. Move content from Archie to Editorial Manager
4. From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan and submit the current version to create the RevMan submission files package.  Submit a version to Editorial Manager
5. Proxy as the Contact Person of the protocol or review you moved to EM. Proxy as another user
6. Locate the submission in My Accepted Invitations Submit the first draft of your review to Editorial Manager
7. Submit the RevMan files to EM. Submit the first draft of your review to Editorial Manager
8. Log out as the Contact Person and log in with your editorial role.  Log in to Editorial Manager
9. Search for the submission in the system Search for reviews
 C Editorial quality checks (15 mins)  
10. Assign yourself as Editor. (If you do not see this option in your Action menu, please contact Support.) Assign Editor
11. Assign yourself the task of checking the submission. Assign an editorial task
12. Complete the ME Submission check (you cannot view DOI forms or iThenticate plagiarism check results on the training site). Editorial checks
 D Internal Review (15 mins)  
13. Start a discussion with another member of your editorial team and ask a question about the submission. Discussions
14. Conclude the discussion.
15. Submit an editorial decision: Minor revision to ask authors for changes following internal review.  Notify authors of editorial decisions
 E Revised submissions (30 mins)   
16.  From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan and make a change to the review. Submit the current version to create the RevMan submission files package. Submit a version to Editorial Manager
17.  Proxy as the Contact Person and submit the revised protocol or review.  Resubmit your review to Editorial Manager
18. Log out as the Contact Person and log in with your editorial role. Log in to Editorial Manager
19. Assign yourself as Editor Assign Editor
20. Assign yourself the task of checking the submission. Assign an editorial task
21. Complete the ME Revision check (you may also wish to Compare Versions in RevMan Web to confirm authors made requested changes). Editorial checks
 F External Review (30 mins)  
22.  Invite a reviewer. Invite comments from editors and peer reviewers
23.  Change the required number of reviewers to 1.
24.  Proxy as the reviewer you selected and complete the review form. Review forms
25. Log out as the reviewer and log in with your editorial role. Log in to Editorial Manager
26.  View the reviewer's comments. View peer review comments
27.  Send an email to another member of the editorial team asking them to review the comments.
 G Editorial decisions following peer review (15 mins)  
28. Submit an editorial decision. Editorial decision following peer review
29.  Return the peer review comments to authors.  Return comments to authors
 H Revised submissions (15 mins)  
30.  From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan and make a change to the review. Submit the current version to create the RevMan submission files package. Submit a version to Editorial Manager
31. Proxy as the Contact Person and submit the revised protocol or review. Resubmit your review to Editorial Manager
32. Log out as the Contact Person and log in with your editorial role.  Log in to Editorial Manager
 I Sign-off for publication and invite next submission (30 mins)  
33.  Assign yourself as Editor. Assign Editor
34. Assign yourself the task of checking the submission.  Assign an editorial task
35.  Complete the ME Acceptance check (you may also wish to Compare Versions in RevMan Web to confirm authors made requested changes). Editorial checks
36. Assign to your Coordinating Editor to sign-off (confirm final decision Accept). Accept content for publication
38. Solicit Commentary to assign the authors to write the review or update from your protocol or review. Protocols, reviews and updates
 J Adding a new title to Editorial Manager (45 mins)  
39. Invite an author to submit a Title Proposal  Register a new title
40.  Proxy as the invited author and complete the review proposal form. Submit a review proposal form to Editorial Manager
41. Assign yourself as Editor.  Assign Editor
42. Assign yourself the task of checking the submission. Assign an editorial task
43.  Complete the ME Check: Proposal Editorial checks
44. Submit Editorial Decision of Accept Notify authors of editorial decisions
45.  Confirm title appears in training-Archie in Protocols - In Development - New  

Production process practice tasks

 Number  Item Knowledge Base section
 A Accept a final version for publication (5 mins)  
1. Submit Editor's Decision > Accept and notify the authors that the submission has been accepted and will now be sent for copy edit. (This follows on directly from step 36 above.)

Accept content for publication
 B Initiate Production (5 mins)
2. Complete the information required for copy edit and publication on the submission Details.

Copy edit and publication (production)
3. Initiate Production.
 C Assign a Copy Editor (5 mins)  
4. Proxy as Elizabeth Royle, in the Production Manager role. Assign production task RevMan: Copy Edit Initial to a Copy Editor of your choice. Send the task assignment letter.

Production Manager tasks
5. Submit task > RevMan: Assign Copy Editor. Log out to stop proxying as Elizabeth. 
 D Complete copy editing (10 mins)  
6. In your Managing Editor role, add the Copy Editor you chose at step 4 above, to the Review Properties > People in training-Archie. Add the role Copy Editor. Confirm that the review is in Editorial phase.

Copy Editor access to RevMan
7. Proxy as the Copy Editor you chose at step 4 above, in the Copy Editor role.

Copy-editing
8. From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan Web and tag a version.
9. Download the Copy Edit Comments Form from the task Assignment Files in EM.
10. Submit task > RevMan: Copy Edit Initial and upload the Copy Edit Comments Form when submitting.
11. Assign Follow-on task RevMan: ME Review Copy Edit to yourself. Log out to stop proxying as the Copy Editor. 
 E Review copy editing (10 mins)  
12.  In your Managing Editor role, download the Copy Edit Comments Form from the task Assignment Files in EM.

Review copy editing queries
13.  From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan Web and tag a version.
14. Submit task > RevMan: Copy Edit Initial and upload the Copy Edit Comments Form when submitting.
15. Assign Follow-on task RevMan: Author Proofs to the Corresponding Author. 
16. In training-Archie, move the review to Authoring phase. 
 F Author proofs (10 mins)  
17.  Proxy as the Corresponding Author for the submission, in the Author role.

Review final proofs after copy-editing
18. Download the Copy Edit Comments Form from the task Assignment Files in EM.
19.  From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan Web and tag a version. (Note that authors would access via My Reviews in RevMan Web.)
20.  Submit task > RevMan: Author Proofs and upload the Copy Edit Comments Form when submitting. Log out to stop proxying as the Corresponding Author. 
 G Review author proofs (10 mins)  
21. In your Managing Editor role, assign the task RevMan: ME review Author Proofs to yourself.

Review author changes
22. When the task is assigned, download the Copy Edit Comments Form from the task Assignment Files in EM.
23.  From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan Web and tag a version. 
24. Submit task > RevMan: ME review Author Proofs.
 H Assign a Copy Editor for the final proofread (5 mins)  
25.  Proxy as Elizabeth Royle, in the Production Manager role. Assign production task RevMan: Copy Edit Final to a Copy Editor of your choice. Send the task assignment letter. Production Manager tasks
26. Submit task > RevMan: Assign Copy Editor for final proofread. Log out to stop proxying as Elizabeth. 
 I Complete final proofread (10 mins)  
27.  Proxy as the Copy Editor you chose at step 25 above, in the Copy Editor role.

Final proofread
28. From training-Archie, open the review in training-RevMan Web and tag a version.
29. Download the Copy Edit Comments Form from the task Assignment Files in EM.
30. Submit task > RevMan: Copy Edit Final and upload the Copy Edit Comments Form when submitting. Log out to stop proxying as the Copy Editor. 
 J Check production task history (5 mins)  
31. In your Managing Editor role, View All Submissions in Production.

Tracking production tasks
32.  View History > Production Task History for your chosen submission. Confirm that tasks Collect LfP forms and Unpack RevMan Source are open. This concludes ME involvement in the production process.

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