One year into our Junior Editor training programme with Letters in Applied Microbiology, Van Hung Vuong Le from the University of Exeter reflects on the experience.
Last year, Applied Microbiology International appointed 14 junior editors to its flagship journal Letters in Applied Microbiology (LAM) - selected from more than 100 applicants by the Editor-in-Chief, Dr Marcela Hernández.
Letters in Applied Microbiology has a focus on early career researchers to support and develop the next generation of applied microbiologists.
The junior editors, early careers researchers within six years of completing a PhD, work with senior editors as mentors for two years to learn how to handle papers through all stages of the peer review process, while upholding high ethical standards and striving to give all authors the best experience in their interactions with the journal.
Van Hung Vuong Le is a postdoc research fellow at the Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, UK, working on conjugative plasmid diversity and the molecular interaction between conjugative plasmids and plasmid-dependent bacteriophage.
Tell me about your background and research.
I am a molecular microbiologist who is interested in antibiotics, plasmids and bacteriophage. Currently, I am working on the molecular mechanism of the plasmid-dependent filamentous phage infection using different structural biology and live-cell fluorescence imaging techniques.
What attracted you to the role of junior editor?
I was curious and interested in the editing procedure behind the research publication. I also considered this role as my academic service contributing to the research progress.
What did you learn and do in the role?
It has been amazing and challenging. It is exciting that I am amongst the first to read and judge the manuscript. The tricky part is deciding whether a manuscript is good enough to send out for peer-review. One aspect of this decision is whether the manuscript is clear to read for potential reviewers.
What surprised you most about the experience?
It is hard to get enough reviewers to accept the invitation to review a paper. As peer-review is voluntary it relies on the goodwill of the reviewers and it can be difficult for people to find the time. I would like to see more incentives to increase the acceptance of peer-review invitations.
What is the best way to make the most of the experience?
Ensuring you achieve a balance between the major research work of a postdoc researcher and the academic service/outreach activity. As a (junior) editor, I try to help the authors, through my expertise and the feedback from reviewers, to improve the manuscript.
What would you say to someone who is considering applying?
Give it a go. It is good to do something different from your daily research.
What opportunities has it opened up for you?
Networking. I got to know other editors and was assigned a very helpful mentor.
AMI will be advertising for the next cohort of Junior Editors in 2025. Sign up to AMI’s publishing mailing list for regular updates.
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