The Physical Review journals are published by the American Physical Society. As community-based publications, every journal has an Editorial Board comprising leading experts from the global research community. Editorial Board members advise on editorial decisions, scope, and direction and act as ambassadors in the community and arbiters of author appeals.
The Chief Editor is responsible for the journal content, leading the Editorial Team, and the journal’s daily operation. The Chief Editor also collaborates with APS Publications Leadership and Management to develop the scope, direction, and strategy of the Journal. Depending on the journal, the Chief Editor may be APS staff or an external scientist.
In externally led journals, the Chief Editor is also the Chair of the Board. These journals are supported by a Managing Editor, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the journal, managing the editorial team and workflow.
In APS-staff led journals, the Lead Editor is a member of the scientific community who serves as the lead scientific advisor to the journal on its scope, direction, and strategy. The Lead Editor also chairs the Editorial Board and selects new members, in consultation with the Chief Editor. The Lead Editor oversees the journal’s content and direction and is consulted on editorial content, disputes in the peer-review process, and post-publication decisions such as Retractions and Expressions of Concern. The Lead Editor is a member of the Council of Lead Editors, which advises APS Publications Leadership and Management.
Within each journal, Associate Editors manage the peer-review process and make editorial decisions. All Associate Editors have a PhD in an area relevant to the journal and post-doctoral research experience. Associate Editors actively engage in the research community, giving talks, providing author/referee training, and staying abreast of research developments. Depending on the journal, the Associate Editors may be all active researchers or a mixture of active researchers and professional APS staff.
All members of a journal’s Editorial Team are expected to perform their duties in alignment with APS Core Values.