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Interviews with 2023 PROSE Judges

In the second installment of the 2023 PROSE Spotlight series, judge Deborah Logan provides insight into not only the judging process, but also the importance of gender-balance in awards committees and scholarly editorial teams. 

Judge Deborah Logan is Publishing Director for Elsevier’s Energy & Earth journals’ program which is the largest global publishing programs in the energy and earth sciences, and which includes many flagship titles publishing world-class content. Deborah’s passions lie in raising standards, championing excellence, and promoting greater diversity in science.

Association of American Publishers: What do you look for in a PROSE submission?

Deborah Logan: I want to see the author and publisher in perfect step with each other! A strong submission letter and endorsements can really help with this.

From the author, I want to see a compelling reason for the work to have been created. Will you tell the reader something new? Will you tell it to them in a new way?

From the publisher, I want to see the work presented well. Does the work look good? Does it read well? Is there a logical flow?

AAP: Can you talk a little bit about the importance of gender-balance in awards committees?

Deborah Logan: I think balance in general is important in all areas of life. We know that a diverse team leads to innovation and better-quality decision making, both of which are critical for awards assessment, but let’s balance this where we can so that everyone feels they belong. I’ve been the only woman on a committee before, and it can be tough to feel you can introduce new ways of looking at things or influence the outcome in any way.

It’s particularly important to get different perspectives when you’re evaluating who gets an award. If you don’t have that diversity of profile, then will your candidates respect your decision? Will they even apply in the first place? Would the awards then have the value they have? I can tell you that all of the judges bring something different to the discussion and speak freely, and I know I’ve made better decisions as a result.

I feel strongly that a gender-balanced committee means we take a holistic view when we on the PROSE panel assess the awards. I also hope we can open the doors to works that might not have been submitted previously. I joined the committee to make sure I provided a fresh angle. It’s still the case that in the field I evaluate there are more men than women as authors. Yet those women authors are out there. Please encourage your publisher to submit your work!

AAP: Can you talk about the importance of gender-balanced editorial teams for scholarly works?

Deborah Logan: As with awards, so with scholarly works. This is not just about doing the right thing or having teams that reflect the diversity of the scholarly world. Nor is it even that diverse, balanced teams can stimulate excellence and innovation. These things are true, but editorial teams have another role to play. This is where you find your role models. This is where you inspire the current and future generations of scholars to create their own scholarly works in whatever field of study they choose. Scholars care about the editorial teams on journals, and they make decisions based on what they see. For me, at least, I try to make sure there are no closed doors. There are only open ones and everyone belongs.

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