Elsevier Editorial System (EES) User Guide for Editors

 
This guide is designed to provide you with sufficient information to allow you to use EES, Elsevier’s electronic manuscript submission and peer-review system.
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EES has been designed on the following principles:
  • To provide an end to end electronic workflow for the submission of manuscripts, minimizing paper copy
  • To make submission and peer review as efficient and simplistic as possible for Authors, Reviewers and Editors
  • To support open communication and collaboration between all parties listed above
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Your Role as an Editor
(Note: The tasks below may differ per journal.)
  • Receive manuscripts submitted by Authors
  • Editorial Office/Editor/Journal Manager assign paper to handling editor  
  • Coordinate the peer review process    
  • Accept or reject manuscripts
  • Communicate these decisions to the Author.
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The events below include the basic steps in the EES editorial process. Editorial tasks for each event are outlined. Depending on your role as an Editor, you may not work on all of the tasks described. Links to interactive tutorials are included to allow you to practice using EES to complete tasks.

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Author Submits a Manuscript

The Author submits a manuscript to EES. To do this the Author first has to register themselves in the system. A comprehensive guide, entitled EES User Guide for Authors, is available here.

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Manuscript Assignment

Depending on your Editor role and the journal editorial workflow, new manuscripts are assigned to you in one of two ways:
  1. You receive the manuscript directly from the Author.
  2. The manuscript is assigned to you by the Editorial Office/Editor-in-Chief/Journal Manager.
In either case, you will receive notification of a new assignment by e-mail. This e-mail will include the website address for the system.

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Logging in and viewing your Main Menu

Log into the system using your EES username and password and then choose Editor Login. Once logged in you will reach your personal Editor Main Menu.  

Click on New Submissions to see all new manuscripts submitted directly to you.
Click on New Assignments to see all new manuscripts assigned to you.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to log in to EES and use the Main Menu
I want to log in but I forgot my password

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Action New Assignments

From each new submission you can:

Click on View Submission to view the submission in full as a PDF.
Click on Details to view details about the manuscript or notes from the Editorial Office or Journal Manager.
For submissions you receive directly from the Author you may also have additional options such as perform a Technical Check, Send Back the submission to the Author for amendments, Edit the submission, as well as Assign or Redirect the submission to another Editor.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to edit a manuscript
I want to complete the Technical Check on a new submission
I want to assign a new submission to a handling editor

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Coordinate the peer review process

When you are ready to coordinate the peer review process, locate the manuscript and click "Invite Reviewers"

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to send a manuscript out for peer review
I want to locate and invite Reviewers based on personal classifications or manuscript classifications
I want to invite a new Reviewer to review a manuscript
I want to specify a substitute Reviewer (Linked Alternate Reviewer) for an invited Reviewer
I want to alter the time a Reviewer has to complete a review
I want to un-invite a Reviewer
I want to send a revised manuscript back to the original Reviewers for a second round of comments


TrainingDesk: The Reviewer Database
TrainingDesk: Selecting and Inviting Reviewers
TrainingDesk: Selecting Alternate Reviewers
TrainingDesk: Using EES tools to identify reviewers

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Sending Reminders to Reviewers

To send reminder messages to Reviewers, go to the bottom of your Main Menu and click "Send Reminder Letters".

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to remind a Reviewer who has not responded to an invitation
I want to remind a Reviewer about a late review

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Receiving a Reviewer’s Report

When a Reviewer completes their review (or when all of the required reviews have been completed) you will be notified by e-mail.  To view that review, locate that manuscript and:

Click View Reviews and Comments.
In the new window, click the recommendation term next to the Reviewer's name to read each review. If the manuscript has been revised, all reviews of each version will be accessible here.
Comments to Editor are only visible to you, and comments to Author will be sent to the Authors. Reviewers retain their anonymity.

Interactive Tutorial:
Editor review and process Reviewer's Report or Reviewer's Comments submitted in EES

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Making your Decision

When you are ready to submit your decision (after coordinating peer review), locate the manuscript and:

Click Submit Editor's Decision and Comments;
On this screen you also have the opportunity to add comments received from Reviewers and your own comments as appropriate;
Select a decision from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen;
Click Proceed and then Submit Decision to finalize your decision.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to make an editorial decision on a manuscript (for Editors who do not notify authors themselves)
I want to rescind (undo) an editorial decision

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Notifying the Author

If the journal workflow enables  you as an Editor to communicate decisions directly to the Author, you will be able to customize the Author Decision Letter.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to notify Authors and Reviewers that a decision has been made on a manuscript
I want to make a decision but I have not yet received all the reviews

TrainingDesk: Improving Decisions-Basic
TrainingDesk: Improving Decisions, Advanced

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Search Tools available on your Main Menu

The Search Submissions tool available on the Main Menu allows you to quickly search for specific manuscripts.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to search for a manuscript (basic)
I want to search for a manuscript (advanced)
I want to search for a person and consolidate duplicate records
I want to use Scopus, Scirus, or MEDLINE to help evaluate a paper

TrainingDesk: People Database Management

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Reports

Selecting Reports on the Editor Main Menu allows you to generate a list of statistical reports, for example:
  • Reviewer Performance Reports
  • Editor Assignment Reports
  • Author Outstanding Manuscript Report
  • Annual Reports
  • Editors can send reminder e-mails to multiple recipients using the reports generated.
Interactive Tutorials:
I want to remind a Reviewer who has not responded to an invitation
I want to remind a Reviewer about a late review
I want to generate a list of outstanding manuscripts and send reminders to Editors

TrainingDesk: Basic Reports
TrainingDesk: Beginning Custom Reports

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Custom ad hoc E-mail communication

To add flexibility to your communication with Authors and your Editorial Office, you will be able to send e-mail as needed through EES. By sending e-mail through EES rather than through your personal e-mail account, you will retain all correspondence in the History section of the manuscript. Templates will be provided for common queries which you can further customize to suit your needs.

Interactive Tutorials:
I want to send an e-mail through EES
I want to resend an e-mail that was sent through EES

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Technical Editing

To make changes to the author's submission, Editors can use the Edit Submission function.  This enables an Editor the ability to change the content of the submission in EES.

Interactive Tutorial:
I want to edit a manuscript

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EES Technical Support

For all technical queries, please contact Elsevier's Customer Support team.  Phone, e-mail and live-chat support is available

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EES Training

Viewing the full list of i-tutorials, attending group TrainingDesk webinars and instructor led trainings are available

EES Training Desk
Instructor Led Training