Cultural Values

This chapter focuses on the cultural values that the editor seeks to establish for the journal. These values may be informed by the members of the editorial advisory board, as well as senior and associate editors who work with the journal. The cultural values themselves evolve over time, and may change markedly when a new editor is appointed. Key values that I describe in this chapter include the duty of care that the journal/editor has for the journal’s many stakeholders, the trust that we hope to create in the journal’s institutions, the integrity that we need to incorporate in our daily practices, and the value of time since this is a precious resource for all stakeholders. I also provide a detailed discussion of the way diversity considerations are changing journal values, and explore how the journals and its many senior and associate editors may usefully be regarded as belonging to a family. Finally, I describe how the journal’s culture can be communicated to its many stakeholders, the role of editorials penned by the editor, and the nature of the discretions and privileges that pertain to the editor, as well as their consequences.