[ASA] PASA: Call for new Associate Editors

Fri Jun 13 11:18:22 AEST 2025

Dear all,

Please see the below call for new Associate Editors for PASA. Associate Editors are appointed for three years, and we now have two positions opening in the next few months. We encourage applications from all suitable applicants and please share with your networks as the two editors to be replaced are internationally based. The due date for applications is July 15th.

Cheers and thanks,
Minh (PASA Editor-in-Chief)

--
Dr Minh Huynh (she/her)
Deputy Head of ATNF Science
CSIRO ASKAP Science Data Archive Project Leader
Space and Astronomy  |  CSIRO
Minh.Huynh at csiro.au<mailto:Minh.Huynh at csiro.au>  |  08 6436 8696
26 Dick Perry Ave, Kensington WA 6151

The Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA) is an ISI-listed, fully-refereed journal for new and significant research in astronomy and astrophysics. PASA is a Quartile 1 journal with a 2023 journal two year impact factor of 4.5 (five year impact factor of 5.6).

PASA invites suitably qualified astronomers to fill two vacancies on its Editorial Board at the level of Associate Editor. The appointments will be for three-year terms, starting 1 November 2025, with one position possibly starting as early as 1 September.

Information on the journal and the current Editorial Board can be found here:
https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Fch6Cvl1rKiAKkXnYcQfEhQrpiy?domain=cambridge.org<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Fch6Cvl1rKiAKkXnYcQfEhQrpiy?domain=cambridge.org>

We value and respect diversity and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Fluency in English (written and spoken) is however required.

Informal queries should be directed to the PASA Editor-in-Chief Dr Minh Huynh (minh.huynh at csiro.au<mailto:minh.huynh at csiro.au>) or Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Andrew Hopkins (andrew.hopkins at mq.edu.au<mailto:andrew.hopkins at mq.edu.au>)

About the Journal

PASA publishes research papers, review papers, special series and letters on topical issues, making use of expert international reviewers and an experienced Editorial Board. As an electronic-only journal, PASA publishes paper by paper, ensuring a rapid publication rate. All papers are indexed by the NASA ADS database; the ISI impact factor for PASA is currently 4.5 (2023) which places the journal in the top quartile of international astronomical journals. PASA is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA). The journal has recently transitioned to fully Open Access, which means that it is free to read. Authors are often covered by institutional agreements with CUP or equity initiatives, and APCs are often waived so they do not present a barrier to publication.

Information for Candidates

The PASA Editorial Board

PASA maintains an Editorial Board of seven members (currently chaired by Dr Minh Huynh). The main duties of the Editorial Board are to select referees for submitted papers, to make final decisions based on those reports to maintain the quality of the journal, to solicit papers for submission, to advocate for the Journal, and to contribute to improvement in editorial processes. Detailed duties are outlined below.

We are currently seeking to fill two Associate Editor vacancies on the Editorial Board. An honorarium is paid annually, currently at the level of AUD3750 per year (pro rata). Members of the Editorial Board are selected based on their standing in the community, the breadth of their knowledge, and their specific areas of expertise. Applications are sought from candidates with expertise in any area of astrophysics. However, expertise in the areas of pulsars and compact objects, radio astronomy, cosmology, gravitational waves, computational (simulations) and theoretical astrophysics, data science and machine learning applications in astronomy would particularly complement the expertise of current Editorial Board members. We strongly encourage applications from members of traditionally under-represented demographics.

Application Process

Applications can be made by sending a statement of motivation, expertise, and suitability (up to 2 pages) and a brief CV (up to 2 pages) to Ms Debra Gooley (debra.gooley at sydney.edu.au<mailto:debra.gooley at sydney.edu.au>), by 5pm AEST (=0600 UTC) on 15 July 2025.

A selection panel will rank the applications and make a recommendation to the ASA Council. A decision on the appointment will then be made by the ASA Council, around late July or early August. Note that ASA Council members may apply, but if selected are not eligible to receive an honorarium. We encourage prospective candidates to discuss their application with the Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chief beforehand.

PASA Associate Editor Responsibilities

Members of the Editorial Board (i.e. Associate Editors) of PASA are appointed by the ASA Council. The ASA also appoints an Editor-in-Chief and  Deputy Editor-in-Chief from among the seven Editorial Board members. The Editorial Board is responsible for the overall scientific success of the journal in the international astronomical community. Measures of success include number and quality of submissions, rejection rate, citations and impact factor, and timeliness of peer review. Individual Editorial Board members contribute to this by:

1. Attracting submissions of quality research papers to the journal.

2. Organising peer review of submitted manuscripts in a timely fashion, using Cambridge University Press' electronic submission and peer review system. Key components of this process are:

  *   Assessing a manuscript's suitability for review, including identification of possible cases of plagiarism using the results of automated plagiarism-checking software provided by the publisher.
  *   Selection of suitable reviewers, to be undertaken within 3 days of receipt of a manuscript.
  *   Delivery of a recommendation for publication/revision/rejection based on reviews, to be completed within 3 days of receipt of a review.

3. Other duties and responsibilities of Editorial Board members are to:

  *   Act fairly, courteously, and without personal bias in all dealings with authors and reviewers.
  *   Immediately declare to the Editor in Chief any personal involvement or potential conflict of interest that may arise for any manuscript or in any component of the review process.
  *   Be a public advocate for the Journal, including the identification of one "special issue" or topical series of articles per year.
  *   Enhance the standards and scope of the Journal.
  *   Ensure that refereeing guidelines are adhered to and comprehensively considered by referees.
  *   Provide strategic advice to the ASA, through the Editor-in-Chief, and to the publisher on current directions in relevant research disciplines that can be used to the benefit of the Journal, its subscribers and its readers. To this end, the Editorial Board meets quarterly for 2 hours by teleconference. The meeting times may be scheduled at inopportune times of the day for some participants given the requirement that representatives of the publisher (in the UK) and the EiC and deputy-EiC (both currently in Australia) should be present.
Associate Editors typically lead the review of a handful of papers per month, and so this role is roughly a few hours per week, but it fluctuates depending on submissions and requires rapid response on the electronic peer review platform to ensure timeliness of the review.

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