Guidelines for Section Editors

A section editor manages submissions assigned to their section by the Journal Editor. Their responsibilities include supervising the peer review process, communicating with authors and reviewers, and making editorial decisions before passing accepted manuscripts to the copyediting stage.

You can only manage submissions that have been explicitly assigned to you by the Journal Editor.

Accessing Your Submissions

1. Log in to https://rmf.smf.mx/ and click Submissions in the left sidebar.
2. In My Queue, you will find all submissions currently assigned to you. 
3. Click on View submission to open its workflow.

Each submission passes through four stages: Submission, Review, Copyediting, Production. As section editor, your work focuses on the first two stages.

Initial Submission Review

Before sending a manuscript to peer review, assess whether it meets the journal's basic requirements.

1. Open the submission and go to the Submission tab.
2. Download the manuscript file and check for the following:
• The topic fits the scope of the journal and your section.
• The manuscript follows the journal's author guidelines (formatting, citation style, etc.)
• All required files and metadata are present (title, abstract, keywords, author details, authenticate ORCID id).
3. If the submission does not meet requirements, you can Decline Submission at this stage and notify the author with a clear explanation using the message editor that appears.
4. If the submission is suitable, click Send to Review to move it to the Review stage.

Managing the Review Round

Setting up the review

1. Open the submission and go to the Review tab. You will see the current review round (e.g., Round 1).
2. Click Add Reviewer to assign peer reviewers.

Finding and inviting reviewers

• Use the search box to find registered users in the system. You can filter by name, qualification or reviewing interests.
• To invite someone outside the system, click Create New Reviewer and enter their details (the reviewing interests is very important). They will receive an account invitation.
• When adding a reviewer, you must set two deadlines:
• Response due: the date by which the reviewer must accept or decline the invitation.
• Review due: the date by which the completed review must be submitted.
• You can also edit the invitation email before it is sent.

Monitoring review progress

Once reviewers are invited, their status is visible in the Review tab:

• Request send: the reviewer has not yet accepted or declined.
• Request accepted: the reviewer confirmed participation and is working on the review.
• Review submitted: the review is complete and ready to read.

If a reviewer is unresponsive or misses their deadline, use Send Reminder to follow up, or Cancel Review Request to withdraw the invitation and assign a replacement.

Reading submitted reviews

1. When a review is submitted, click Read Review next to the reviewer's name.
2. You will see their recommendations and comments. Comments are typically split into two fields: one visible to the author, and one for the editor only.
3. Decide whether to confirm receipt of the review. Upon confirmation, you may acknowledge and Thank Reviewer for their contribution.

Note: Never share a reviewer's identity with the author or vice versa if the journal uses blind or double-blind review.

Editorial Decision

Once you have received the required reviews, go to the Review tab. The available options are:

• Accept Submission: the manuscript is accepted as-is or with very minor changes that do not require further review. It will move to the Copyediting stage.
• Revisions Required: the author must make changes, but the revised version will be assessed by you (not sent back to reviewers). Use this for minor revisions.
• Resubmit for Review: the author must make significant changes and the revised manuscript will go through a new review round. A new round will be created automatically.
• Decline Submission: the manuscript is rejected. The submission is closed and the author is notified.

After selecting a decision, the system will generate a notification email to the author. Always review and personalize this email before sending, as it is the author's official communication regarding the editorial decision. Include a brief explanation of the decision and, when applicable, attach or summarize the reviewer comments the author should address.

Handling Revised Manuscripts

If you requested revisions, the author will upload a revised version in the Revisions section of the Review tab.

1. Download and review the revised file.
2. If the changes are satisfactory, record a new decision (Accept Submission) and proceed to copyediting.
3. If further changes are needed, request another revision or open a new review round.
4. If the revised manuscript does not adequately address the reviewers' concerns, you may decline it at this stage.

Sending to Copyediting

Once the submission is accepted:

1. Confirm that the final approved file is uploaded in the Revisions panel or the Review Files section.
2. Click Send to Copyediting. The submission moves to the Copyediting stage.

Communication Best Practices

• Always use the Discussions panel within each workflow stage to communicate with authors, reviewers, and other editors (you can choose the participants in the discussion). 
• Avoid communicating editorial matters through personal email, as those exchanges are not recorded in the system.