In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks:
With triple-blind journals, what happens if the chief editor knows that a submitted paper is yours? I assume they don't pretend not to know, so do they defer to an associate editor, or desk reject, etc? Similarly, what if the relevant associate editor (area specialist) knows the paper is yours? I'd hope there are ways around this problem, but if not then it seems to suggest that we should avoid discussing our work with editors from journals we want to submit to, which seems rather silly.
Interesting questions. While there is presumably no foolproof way of ensuring absolute anonymity in peer-review, even at triple-anonymized journals, I wonder whether such journals have processes in place to at least mitigate this kind of problem. For example, if a managing editor, editor-in-chief, or associate editor realizes they know a paper's author, are they expected to pass on the paper to a different editor for initial review?
I'm curious to hear the inside scoop from any editors willing to weigh in!
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