Dear CSE Members, Colleagues, and Friends,

As we head into the fall and winter holiday season, spring and the annual CSE meeting may seem a long way off. However, a very industrious Program Committee is putting the finishing touches on terrific program that includes many new topics as well as some old favorites. Mark your calendars so that you can join us in Baltimore May 1-3, 2011. This month’s newsletter includes information on Short Courses that will precede the meeting and a variety of other updates.

Wishing CSE members a Happy Thanksgiving and a peaceful start of the winter holiday season. Remember, if you have comments or suggestions related to CSE activities, please contact me at claine@acponline.org

Here's what's happening:

Join Us for the 2011 CSE Short Courses in 2011 in Baltimore

Patricia Baskin

Patricia Baskin, MS
Director, CSE Short Courses

Come early to Baltimore to attend one of CSE’s Short Courses preceding the annual meeting. We are again offering four courses consisting of presentations by experienced faculty, breakout sessions, and question-and-answer sessions. Bring your computers if possible; most of the materials will be on flash drives that you can take home with you so that you can continue to benefit from these courses long after the meetings end. The courses include roundtable luncheons to continue discussions in the courses and coffee breaks for casual conversations with other course participants.

Short Course for Journal Editors. The 2-day Short Course for Journal Editors will describe the roles and responsibilities of editors, authors, peer reviewers, and consultants for scientific journals. Lectures will highlight case studies and address publishing ethics, business decisions, manuscript handling, and office logistics. William Lanier, Editor in Chief of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is the course organizer.
Short Course on Publication Management. The Short Course on Publication Management addresses management challenges faced by managing editors and publication managers. Topics include leadership in the workplace, effective communication techniques, managing workflow and staff, vendor relationships, current controversies such as ethics and conflicts of interest, and expectations of editors, authors, and reviewers. Patty Baskin, Executive Editor of Neurology, is the organizer of this course.
Short Course for Manuscript Editors. Organized by Stacy Christiansen, Director of Manuscript Editing for the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Short Course for Manuscript Editors addresses topics such as levels of editing, ethical and legal issues in biomedical publication, and usage issues. Participants practice hands-on editing exercises.
Short Course on Journal Metrics. The Short Course on Journal Metrics will focus on collection, analysis, and presentation of journal data to editorial boards, using online usage data for marketing the journal, using readership and competition surveys, and creating high-impact reports with Excel. Angela Cochran, from the American Society of Civil Engineers, is coordinating this course.

CSE 2011 Annual Meeting Poster Session

CSE members and meeting attendees are encouraged to submit abstracts describing their editorial research for consideration for presentation in the CSE 2011 Poster Session. Abstracts for Posters will be reviewed by the CSE Research Committee, blinded to the identity of the presenter. Submitters will be notified whether their poster has been selected by March 15, 2011.

Submission requirements:

Abstracts must be submitted by February 15, 2011.
Abstracts must be no longer than 350 words, in English, and structured into Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
Include the following information for all authors: first and last name, degree(s), affiliation(s), potential conflicts of interest (or state that there are no potential conflicts), mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address.
Content must be original. If content will be published or presented elsewhere prior to May 1, 2011, the submitter must provide an explanation of what will be published or presented and where, in writing along with the application.
Abstracts must explicitly state the study hypothesis and the methods used must be able to prove or disprove the hypothesis.
Individuals submitting abstracts must ensure that they will be able to attend the CSE meeting should their poster be accepted. CSE will not be able to cover attendees’ expenses or waive registration fees for presenters.

When submitting your abstract, please indicate your presentation’s category of investigation (Editing, Peer Review, Scientific Misconduct, Conflicts of Interest, Editorial Office Management and Systems, Publishing Innovations, or other).

Please upload your abstracts online by February 15, 2011.

CSE Webinars

Keep an eye out for notices of upcoming webinars. Topics will include "Online Usage Data: Where to Get It and What to Do with It" and "Impact Factors and the Alternatives." If you have an idea for a webinar, please contact Angela Cochran, the Education Committee Chair, at acochran@asce.org.

Seeking Sponsorships for the CSE International Scholarship Program

The Council of Science Editors International Scholarship Program provides support for editors from developing nations to attend CSE Annual Meetings. Several scholarships will be offered to CSE’s 2011 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. A full scholarship--approximately $3,500--will cover conference registration, room and board, and travel expenses. However, every dollar counts and whether you can make a $15 or $1,000 donation it will help bring us closer to our goal. Don't miss your opportunity to support our cause. Please click here for more information or to donate online.

Candidates Solicited for CSE Board of Directors

Recommendations of potential candidates are being solicited for the following positions on the CSE Board of Directors: Vice President, Secretary, and Director. To learn more about these positions or to submit a recommendation, go to the CSE Web site and click on the "Members Only" tab. Then choose "Board of Directors Nominations Suggestions."

Recommendations will be sent to the CSE Nominating Committee for consideration, and the committee's nominations will be sent to the CSE Board of Directors for review. Self-recommendations will not be accepted.

Diane Lang, CSE Past President and Chair, Nominating Committee

CSE Web Site Committee

CSE is pleased to announce that Dr. Sunil Moreker is the Chair of CSE’s Web Committee. Dr. Moreker is looking for some enthusiastic CME members to, with assistance from CSE’s management staff, help update CSE’s web site, www.councilofscienceeditors.org . If you are interested, please contact Dr. Moreker at morekersunil@gmail.com .

CSE Social Networking

Become a fan, send a tweet, or get linked in with the Council of Science Editors. To find the CSE Facebook page, go to your personal page or type in the URL http://www.facebook.com/ and search the pages for Council of Science Editors. Or click on the button to the right.
To follow CSE on Twitter, search for CScienceEditors.

You can also find CSE on LinkedIn. Sign in to your personal page, or join to create a personal page if you are not a member. On your personal page, on the top toolbar, mouse over Groups, click on Groups Directory, then search for Council of Science Editors in the search box in the upper right corner.

Christine Laine, CSE President