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Origin Editorial

Origin Editorial Blog

Your Home Office: Managing Technology and Software as a Contractor

By Dave Allen
Consultant and Client Coordinator, Origin Editorial

Takehome Points:

Understand how your space and equipment provide tax benefits.

It is a best practice to separate your personal and business technology, a dedicated work hard drive, computer, or device will protect you and allow you to separate home and work life.

Be ready to provide software compatible with the needs of your client.

Understand your technology needs and make sure you understand the needs and expectations of your client.

Learn about data security and file management and implement secure back-up and storage solutions. 

Editor’s Note: Peer review management, journal publishing, and many other activities within scholarly publishing frequently are managed by teams that include contractors—this has become even more common because of the pandemic, with journals finding cost-savings with outsourced editorial personnel. Today’s post by Dave Allen is the first in a series of posts that will be published over the course of the next several months that focuses on topics that are of particular interest to contractors. The intent of the “… as a Contractor” series is to provide practical information on best practices for working as an independent contractor in scholarly publishing. 

Managing the technology of your home office as a remote contractor should be considered carefully with an annual review. This is important considering the current environment where phishing and ransomware attacks are growing more sophisticated. As a contractor, any security breach or attack may also impact on your clients. It is important to understand your needs and the potential needs and requirements of your clients. It will fall on you to be ready to work and have the software and technology required to meet your contractual obligations. This includes data management and security of your client’s data. The following article will provide some advice and best practices on how to manage your home office technology, including assessing your equipment and software needs, secured internet, data security and management, and contractor insurance.

Your Home Office
You should select a space that you can dedicate to your work, as the square footage of your home office may be used as a tax deduction. You are allowed to deduct a percentage of your bills by calculating the percentage of your living space that is dedicated to work. You use this calculation to deduct the same percentage from your utilities, internet, and phone bills. If you use a tax program, such as QuickBooks Self-Employed, then you can set up regular, automated tracking of your bills and expenses for tax purposes. In addition, if you make equipment and furniture purchases for exclusive work use, these are 100% tax deductible. This is important to note when assessing your equipment and software needs.

Assessing Hardware and Equipment Needs
Contractors must often supply their own software and equipment when working for clients. While some clients may provide access to software licenses and company email accounts, a contractor cannot expect that this will happen. Many contractors use their personal computers and devices; however, this can be a security concern for you and your client. It could allow for your personal and work data to mingle, with possible embarrassing or legal complications. If you use your personal computer for work, then I recommend you use a separate hard drive dedicated to work. This approach allows you to store information and install programs, such as email clients, on a separate drive from your personal data. This drive can be either internal or external. However, it is best practice to purchase a separate computer or device for exclusive use for work. Purchasing a different computer allows for a complete tax deduction (up to USD $2,500). It also means that you may clearly separate all the equipment and software required for work and prevent any complications of mingling your personal and work data. When assessing your hardware needs, you need to make a few key decisions:

    •      Disk space: A minimum of 512 gigabytes with a recommended 1 terabyte space. This can be offset if you purchase secure cloud storage for work and upload your data rather than save locally.
    •      External backup: Every contractor should back up their data. It is best to have an external hard drive or a secure cloud storage solution (such as Microsoft OneDrive or DropBox) to make certain that you do not lose your data in case of a hard drive failure or cyberattack.
    •      Memory: Graphics or applications such as Zoom use a lot of memory and negatively impact the performance of your computer. Eight gigabytes used to be fine for business but applications are becoming more complex and require more memory to run multiple programs concurrently. I recommend at least 16 gigabytes of memory.
    •      Graphics: Onboard graphics (graphic processors built into the system motherboard rather than as a separate card) can be sufficient unless you need to work with image files. It is best to make sure that you have a graphics card installed in case you need to deal with images or even graphic-heavy presentations or video content.
    •      Monitor(s): It is best to select a monitor(s) that provides enough space to handle multiple applications. If using a single monitor, then 27-inch is ideal. If using dual monitors, then I recommend two 24-inch monitors. For those doing quality check on manuscript submissions, two monitors are recommended.
    •      KVM Switch: A KVM switch is a simple way to reuse peripheral equipment (monitors, mouse, keyboard, camera, etc.). It is a simple device that allows you to hook up one set of peripherals and switch between your personal and work computer. You will need to research these devices to ensure they have enough ports for all your equipment.

Assessing Software Needs    
It is equally important to assess your software needs. Every contractor should establish the software expectations of the client before signing a contract. You need to understand the client’s expectations so that you have the right applications available for the job. In some cases, you may request a software allowance as part of the contract if you must purchase applications for the position. In general, you will need to be ready to provide a suite of business software. This software may include Adobe, Microsoft, or Google applications to be used for email, documents, spreadsheets, and office phone. Any software or subscription you purchase may be used as a tax deduction provided you use it exclusively for work. If not used exclusively for work, then you may use the home office percentage to calculate the percentage you may deduct. You can also use free or open-source software to fulfill these needs; however, these may not meet your clients’ needs. The predominate business software remains Microsoft Office.

Personally, I maintain a Microsoft Office License tied to my personal Google email, which is dedicated to business. This provides a suite of tools dedicated to work and includes options such as FindTime (an Outlook alternative to Doodle) and Microsoft Teams (alternative to Zoom and GoTo Meeting). I also encourage the use of internet phone applications, such as Google Voice, to provide a separate work number. This can be used on your computer or as an application on your smart phone to provide a dedicated phone line for work. Also note that the use of your personal phone for work offers similar challenges to using a personal computer such as interrupting personal time, lost or stolen devices may lead to data breaches, and you could be asked to download applications, such as device security, which could impact your personal use. A separate device for work is fully tax deductible and this includes the calling plan. If you choose to use a personal phone, I highly recommend a phone/voice application to provide a separate phone number. I also recommend that you use a separate email application on your smart phone to separate work and personal email.

Assessing Data Security  
Data security and management is critical. A data breach can lead to a loss in client trust, loss of the client, and potentially expensive legal consequences. As a contractor, you are responsible for the management of your business and client data. You need to mitigate your risk by investing in security: antivirus software, encrypted Wi-Fi, secure data storage, and regular software updates. You must be aware that using an unsupported version of an operating system or unpatched software leaves you and your data vulnerable. Investing time and resources into security and providing for secure storage of data and data backups is best practice for contractors. A contractor should use password managers, such as BitWarden or Google, with secure passwords to access client data. Also, I encourage contractors to encrypt their hard drives and both Microsoft’s Bitlocker or Apple’s FileVault 2 are free to use. These programs encrypt the data at rest on your hard drives. You do not want to be responsible for a data breach. Finally, consider investing in contractor insurance. If you are responsible for a breach, insurance can mitigate any severe financial consequences.

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Conflicts of Interest:
None to declare

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Brook Simpson

Consultant

bsimpson@origineditorial.com

Brook graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature. She began her career in the scholarly publishing industry in 2006 and has enjoyed progressively responsible roles in managing peer review and journal production processes. Brook is currently a consultant at Origin Editorial. Prior to joining Origin, Brook worked at the American Gastroenterological Association as the managing editor of their flagship journal, Gastroenterology. Brook is a member of the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE) and currently serves on their Board of Directors.

Rebecca Meiser

Consultant

rmeiser@origineditorial.com

Rebecca began her career in publishing with Mosby in St Louis, MO, in 1997. A 5-year editorial assistant position for Kidney International segued into a 15-year proofreading role for Wiley. She has proofread and copy edited for Graphic World, a publishing services company in St Louis, MO, and, more recently, she is a developmental copy editor for the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (Wiley) and a copy editor for TrueLearn, a testbank preparation tool for medical students. In 2019, Rebecca joined the Origin family as a contractor, working as an editorial assistant for the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, as well as copy editor and proofreader of multiple projects.

Libby Morgan Beri

Consultant

lberi@origineditorial.com

Libby contracts with Origin as a peer review manager for the National Academy of Medicine and editorial assistant for the American Institute of Physics and American Psychological Association. She is also a freelance academic manuscript editor and managing editor of the journals Policy and Society and Policy Design and Practice. In addition, Libby has significant experience in academic administration, through roles at the National University of Singapore (2015-2018) and the University of Pennsylvania (2006-2012). Her experience includes developing an assessment of faculty research output, quality and impact for annual review; designing and executing benchmarking against peer and aspirant schools; working with faculty and research centers on grant applications; and serving as a project manager for numerous international training programs funded by various U.S. government agencies.

Carolyn Sperry

Consultant

csperry@origineditorial.com

Carolyn worked in book publishing and as a freelance writer before taking on her current role. She works on the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. Carolyn earned a BA in English from SUNY College at Cortland, studied at SUNY Binghamton, and later completed a Media Bistro Boot Camp for Journalists. She was proud to serve two-year terms on the boards of Camp Puzzle Peace (an organization that provides recreational opportunities to individuals with autism) and ISMTE. Carolyn lived in Chicago for many years and now lives in Rochester NY.

Detra Davis

Consultant

ddavis@origineditorial.com

Detra currently works at the American Dental Association. Her title is Senior Manager, Science Journals, Operations and Strategy. Since 2018, she has also served as a freelance managing editor for Origin Editorial. Detra has 20 years of scholarly publishing experience. She began her career at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan) at the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD) where she served as an editorial assistant. Within three years, she was promoted to Publications Manager at SRCD. In 2011, Detra relocated back to her home state of Illinois to be closer to family and friends. Detra accepted a position at the American Academy of Dermatology as a managing editor for three journals from 2011 to 2021. Detra has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and two Master of Science degrees. One from Northwestern University in Managerial Communications. The other is from Pace University in Publishing. In 2021, she received a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from Florida State University. Detra has served on multiple committees for publishing organizations such as CSE and ISMTE. Detra is currently the Chair of the Workshop Committee for ISMTE. She has published two articles in scholarly publishing magazines: · Article title: "How to Acknowledge Your Reviewers" · Article title: "Using Metadata to Make Strategic Decisions for Your Journal"

Jennifer Mahar

Client Coordinator/Consultant

jennifer@origineditorial.com

Jennifer has been in academic publishing for over 27 years. She began her journal career with the American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology which led her to cross the country from Boston to Vanderbilt to Yale with her EIC. She was a beta-tester for ScholarOne while at AJP: Renal. She then became the Publications Manager for the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and managed the journal Neuropsychopharmacology (NPP). While moving home to Boston she took the position of internal Managing Editor for Evolution and Conservation Letters at John Wiley and Sons. She has been a freelance Managing Editor for JISAKOS, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Oncogene. Currently Jennifer works with Origin Editorial on three projects; she is the Executive Peer Review Manager for the American Institutes for Physics Publishing contract and manages the Peer Review Process for over 18 journals. Jen also manages NPP and the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association. She is a System Admin expert level user of eJP and ScholarOne. Jen has been on the Editorial Policy Committee of the Council of Science Editors for over 15 years and is currently serving her third year on the Board of Directors for ISMTE and has been on the Peer Review Week Committee for two years. She was the inaugural recipient of the ISMTE Ira Salkin award in 2017. Jen is an expert at publishing policies and workflows. Jen received her BA in English from the University of Massachusetts.

Elizabeth (Liz) Zak, PhD

ezak@origineditorial.com

Liz has been supporting the Journal of Chemical Physics for over 13 years. With a background in journalism and library and information science, she has extensive knowledge in both editorial/publishing and systems administration. When she's not on the computer, Liz enjoys walking her dog, playing trivia with her boyfriend, and eating burritos.

Christine Urso

Consultant

curso@origineditorial.com

Christine’s experience in scholarly publishing spans over 25 years. She joined the Origin Editorial team in 2013 and currently manages the peer review of Biomicrofluidics, AIP Advances, Structural Dynamics, and the annual Magnetism and Magnetic Materials conferences, providing excellent editorial support to editors, reviewer, and authors. Before joining Origin, Christine worked as a data conversion specialist, troubleshooting and correcting author-submitted data files for the American Institute of Physics (AIP). She then became a production editor responsible for copyediting, proofreading, and preparing journals for publication and managing the peer review for four AIP-owned physics journals, Conference Proceedings Program, and three ASTM engineering journals and books series. She also pioneered a new open access journal, assisted in the setup of new journal test sites, and implemented and streamlined peer review processes to decrease time to publication. Christine is also a member of ISMTE.

Carolyn Sperry

Consultant

csperry@origineditorial.com

Carolyn worked in book publishing and as a freelance writer before taking on her current role. She works on the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. Carolyn earned a BA in English from SUNY College at Cortland, studied at SUNY Binghamton, and later completed a Media Bistro Boot Camp for Journalists. She was proud to serve two-year terms on the boards of Camp Puzzle Peace (an organization that provides recreational opportunities to individuals with autism) and ISMTE. Carolyn lived in Chicago for many years and now lives in Rochester NY.

Laura Rempel

Consultant

lrempel@origineditorial.com

Laura started her career as a medical transcriptionist for an allergy and asthma clinic. In 2000, she began working as an Editorial Secretary for Applied Physics Letters. During this time, she was the lead in the setting up of the peer review and editorial management system, PXP, for the journal. She provided input in the development and implementation for the needs of the journal’s editorial team. She joined the Origin Editorial team in 2013 and continued to work for Applied Physics Letters as an Assistant Peer Review Manager. In 2015, she assisted in the launch of APL Photonics, managing the editorial office and assisting editors with the peer-review process, preparing manuscripts to send to production, and managing the peer-review database. More recently, she has added the role of Peer Review Manager for The Journal of Chemical Physics. Laura is also a member of ISMTE.

Linda Boniello

Consultant

lboniello@origineditorial.com

Linda has been in academic publishing her entire career. For the past 20+ years she has worked in peer review management and operations. At the American Institute of Physics (AIP) she managed peer review for five AIP-owned physics journals, three ASTM engineering journals, AIP Conference Proceedings, and the annual Magnetism and Magnetic Materials conference. She wrote and maintained a peer review manual and developed sample manuscripts for 13 journals published by AIP. In 2013 she joined Origin Editorial and currently manages peer review for three journals in the AIP Publishing portfolio. She is a member of several professional organizations, including ISMTE. Linda loves working in peer review because of the communication it allows with authors, reviewers, and editors from around the world. Earlier in her career, Linda was a copyeditor at AIP for several Physical Review journals. She wrote a copyediting manual for staff and was on the editorial team that updated the AIP Editorial Handbook, 2nd ed. She was instrumental in setting up the first freelance copyediting program at AIP and became a cottage employee herself for a while when her two boys were born. When she returned to work in-house, Linda was responsible for training and supervising overseas copyediting vendors and a large American cottage copyediting staff. She created two major copyediting style manuals for use by the cottage staff, independent contractors, and vendors. Linda also worked as a copyeditor for Pergamon Press, Aptara, and Cold Spring Harbor Labs. She received a BA in English from Adelphi University.

Benita Hammer

Consultant

bhammer@origineditorial.com

Benita has more than 30 years of experience in the scientific publishing world. She began her career as a proofreader, then copy editor for American Institute of Physics (AIP), working on 12 journals. She joined their newly formed Quality Assurance team and helped create the inaugural QA manual for outside vendors that is continued to be used. In 2010, Benita moved to peer review, providing editorial support to editors, reviewers, and authors. Joining Origin in 2013, Benita now manages the peer review of AIP Publishing’s Physics of Plasmas and Structural Dynamics, as well as management of the production-side of AIP Conference Proceedings. She also managed the submission-side of AIP Conference Proceedings and the Russian-translation journal, Low Temperature Physics. She is a member of several professional organizations, including ISMTE. Benita copyedits for Cold Spring Harbor Labs, her public library newsletters, as well as books and dissertations for people in her community. Outside of work, Benita remains involved in community service, raising awareness and funds for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She is also a member of a scholarship committee that provides grants for further education to graduating high school students. Benita received her BA in English from Hofstra University.

Alexis Wynne Mogul

Consultant

amogul@originreview.org

Alexis Wynne Mogul, a former physicist, has worked in the scientific publishing industry for nearly 20 years. She in an expert manager of people and editorial and production processes, and she specializes in supporting authors, reviewers, and editors. Alexis got her start in the industry as a copy editor for Science (AAAS), and has since worked as a production editor, managing editor, and editorial director for numerous scientific and medical journals. For six years she built and managed a large team that supported PLOS ONE during the height of their submission volume. Since joining Origin Editorial in 2017, Alexis has enjoyed working with a number of client journals and societies in various editorial roles. She now serves as the Author Services Manager for a large client, and she looks forward to offering her scientific and editing expertise to the awardee teams with an eye toward customer service and collaborative communication.

Jen Charat

Consultant

jcharat@origineditorial.com

Jen’s background is in trade publishing—mostly on the adult side, but she has worked on some young adult and juvenile books as well. Jen graduated from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and Language and thereafter worked for New York-based publishing houses such as HarperCollins, Henry Holt and Co., and Harcourt, Inc. Jen ran her own editorial consulting shop, working with literary agents, trade publishing houses, web marketing firms, and private clients on projects ranging from books and articles to screenplays and SEO content. Jen is currently working as a project manager, a social media manager, and an annual conference coordinator for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. She also provides editorial support to the editorial office of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association journals.

James Galipeau

Consultant

jgalipeau@origineditorial.com

James is the Assistant Managing Editor for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). He has a Master’s Degree in Sport Psychology and a PhD in Education (Psychopedagogy) from the University of Ottawa. His doctoral research was focused on how to construct an informal learning environment in a small group setting (i.e., a “community of practice”). James worked for eight years as a Senior Clinical Research Associate at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) before joining the Origin team. His main focus there was on studying the effectiveness and improving the quality of training for authors, peer reviewers, and editors of biomedical journals. Since beginning at Origin, James has taken a keen interest in developing ways to leverage the remote working environment and flexibility within one’s workday to improve job performance and enhance self-care, particularly through physical activity and nature. In his free time, James competes internationally in the sport of adventure racing, traveling around the world to compete in Adventure Racing World Series events.

Judy Connors

Consultant

jconnors@origineditorial.com

Judy has worked in the scholarly publishing industry for over 30 years and has experience in almost every aspect of scholarly publishing from working with a variety of content providers, such as for- and not-for-profit entities, pharmaceutical companies, advertising agencies and trade publications to create and curate content to drive action and make an impact. A detail-oriented, approachable, and engaging communicator with strong interpersonal skills, she is an excellent team and individual contributor who has exceptional editorial and organizational skills.

Lynn Purdy

Consultant

lpurdy@origineditorial.com

Lynn began her career in the Biological Research Division at Argonne National Laboratory for 10 years as group secretary for the Beagle Project typing manuscripts, research grant proposals, and inputting data tracking each dog’s history. She also served as the Administrative Secretary to the Assistant Division Director. In 1984 she transferred to the Review of Scientific Instruments Editorial Office as an Editorial Assistant managing the office and processing manuscripts through the entire peer-review system. She also attended national and international conferences interacting with the participants handling submissions through the peer-review process. She assisted in the development and testing of the journal’s original 4D data system and current PXP system. Lynn joined Origin Editorial in 2013 as an Assistant Peer Review Manager overseeing the editorial office and assisting editors on Review of Scientific Instruments. She has worked on the Journal of Applied Physics and is presently the APRM on Physics of Fluids. She has recently taken on the role of Peer Review Manager for AIPP. Lynn is a member of ISMTE.

Anita Bell

Consultant

abell@origineditorial.com

Anita began her career in the legal field working for various law firms. After graduating from college, she landed a job working for the American Heart Association as an editorial assistant. Currently, she is the Managing Editor for the Head & Neck journal. Anita enjoys volunteering for different organizations such as Baker Ripley American Cancer Society and many different church organizations. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family, cruising, relaxing and enjoying life.

Erin Hernandez

Consultant

ehernandez@origineditorial.com

Erin joined Origin in 2020 bringing decades of academic publishing experience. Erin is the managing editor for two journals owned by a large commercial publisher. She also works on Peer Review for various APA journals. Erin received her Bachelor of Arts in English specializing in Book Publishing from Hofstra University and also holds Project Manager Professional (PMP) certification.

Adam Etkin

Consultant

aetkin@origineditorial.com

Adam is an established leader in the scholarly publishing industry with over twenty years of experience and a proven track record of taking concepts, technology, and businesses from idea to reality. He is highly experienced with all aspects of the publishing environment including journals, books, submission and peer review, ethics, plagiarism, access models, funding mandates, budgeting, publishing and hosting platforms, metrics, XML, print and digital production, multimedia, mobile applications, all related technology and more. Adam founded PRE (Peer Review Evaluation), a suite of technology and data driven services designed to support and strengthen the peer-review process on behalf of researchers, publishers, and libraries. He is a highly regarded and sought-after speaker at many world-wide industry conferences and events with a true passion for technology and the publishing industry.

Meghan McDevitt

Consultant

mmcdevitt@origineditorial.com

Meghan has spent her entire career in the scholarly publishing industry and is an experienced editorial office professional specializing in the efficient management of peer-reviewed publications. She is President of ISMTE (2022-2023) and has been an active member since 2011, including serving as the Editor of Editorial Office News (2014-2016) and as the society’s Treasurer (2017-2018). Meghan was the 2018 recipient of the ISMTE Award for Excellence. At Origin, she is the managing editor for a large client. Meghan began her career as an editorial assistant for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and later became the assistant manager of clinical publications where she oversaw the development of clinical practice guidelines. Prior to joining Origin, Meghan was the managing editor of The Journal of Pediatrics where she transitioned the editorial office to an electronic workflow, standardized the Editorial Board selection and onboarding processes, and worked with journal editors to evaluate the journal’s policies and practices in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Meghan attended the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio and graduated with degrees in English and French

Meg Weist

Consultant

mweist@origineditorial.com

Meg is dedicated to providing enhanced editorial support for editors, reviewers, and authors in a variety of STEM disciplines. Meg came to publishing through the sciences initially assisting in the development of Engineering and Computer Sciences texts. Moving to journal publications, Meg served as the Managing Editor for over a decade on the American Journal of Medical Genetics through its transition from a single entity to its current multipart format. In joining Origin Editorial, Meg brought experience in two of the major online peer review platforms, working in both academic and medical environments, in-house and in distributed editorial office operations. She has worked on several journals under the Origin auspices. She is a member of CSE, ISMTE, and EFA. She is a past ISMTE Board member and has served on several ISMTE committees, including Education & Standards and the annual Conference Workshop.

Megan Ventura

Consultant

mventura@origineditorial.com

Megan earned her BA degrees in English Literature and French Language at the University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduation, she began working as an Editorial Assistant for Physics of Fluids. She later went on to earn her Masters in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston. Megan further refined her academic publishing skill set at SAGE Publishing where she served as an Associate Editor for the Education and Criminology/Criminal Justice lists. After joining Origin Editorial, she has assisted the teams for Physics of Fluids, Journal of Applied Physics, Applied Physics Letters, and Physics of Plasmas.

Ravi Govindaraj

Consultant

rgovindaraj@origineditorial.com

Ravi is a peer-review management enthusiast and passionate to explore new frontiers in the Scientific journal publications. He holds M.Tech in Biotechnology from VIT University, Vellore, and B.Tech in Biotechnology from Anna University, Chennai. His research was focused on development of indigenous dialyser at Anna University, Chennai. He has worked on various research projects involving treatment of various industrial effluents, Bioethanol production and nano-drug delivery. His analytical skills in research were recognized with a ‘Best poster award’ for his project focused on development of polyphenol loaded avocado oil nanoemulsion for topical application in a national conference. In addition, he has received various awards like ‘Special Achiever award’, ‘Achiever award’ and ‘Excellent performer award’ for all-round outstanding performance in extracurricular, co-curricular and sports activities. His intellectual competence is outlined with his GATE, BEC-Vantage and NCAT qualifications. He has led national symposiums, NSS, and Chess teams. He has several years of experience in the editorial/publishing industry with prominent publishers like Springer Nature, Taylor and Francis and Scientific Scholar.

Alice Landwehr

Consultant

alandwehr@origineditorial.com

Alice started her career in medical publishing and editing with The Journal of Pediatrics as an Editorial Assistant, becoming the journal’s first Senior Editorial Assistant and Press Release Writer, and eventually serving as its Managing Editor, when she transitioned the journal from a paper-based system to the online submission and review system Editorial Manager. She has provided publication management services for peer-reviewed journals such as Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine; Disability and Health Journal; Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry; and others. She also worked for the American Board of Radiology as Senior Content Editor and Assistant Director of the Standards Division and for the University of Arizona Press, an academic and literary book publisher, as Art and Typesetting Assistant for the production department. Alice has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English from Northern Kentucky University and a Graduate Certificate in Professional Editing and Writing from the University of Cincinnati. She currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, and she leads fun and supportive low-impact Zumba Gold and EnerChi exercise classes for active older adults and beginners, currently online and in-person.

Wendy Krank

Consultant

wkrank@origineditorial.com

Wendy has worked in various professions and passions, including portrait photography and banking, before entering the field of medical publishing. Previously she worked at Mayo Clinic Arizona as a medical administrative assistant, credentialist, and general surgery residency coordinator for the Department of Medical Education. Wendy became managing editor for the neuroscience publications of Cephalalgia and Headache Currents. She joined the Origin Editorial team in March of 2018. At present, she supports the editorial office for ASHA journals. Wendy has previously provided editorial office management services for Restorative Medicine, Anesthesiology, and ILAR Journal. Wendy was a previous board member for ISMTE. She has database skills using these two platforms ScholarOne and Editorial Manager manuscript management systems.

Ann Casper

Consultant

acasper@origineditorial.com

Ann is Editor-in-Chief of Penelope Institute—an institute for the profoundly gifted. She is also an academic editor with extensive journal experience as Managing/Copyeditor for Animal Sentience and Senior Editor/Editorial Intern Mentor for Society & Animals. She has 17 years of editorial experience, including as a photojournalist, ghostwriter, production editor, and editorial assistant. Ann has also tutored English Language Learners, classmates and colleagues at University of Wisconsin–Madison, graduate students in engineering, K–12 immigrants and refugees, and gifted students. In addition to editing publications in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Ann is also collaborating to build her own editing website and form a creative collective with fellow musicians, writers, filmmakers, and artists. Ann loves learning about architecture, psychology, and classical music. For fun, she writes poetry; hosts open mics and performs standup comedy at the local tea bar; practices vinyasa yoga; bikes; and ventures to parks, concerts, and museums. Ann also enjoys moonlighting as a cat and dog “Nanny” in Chicago.

Alicia Byrne

Consultant

abyrne@origineditorial.com

Alicia has been with Origin Editorial since 2014, when she joined the team as the Managing Editor for Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society. Alicia brings a background in editorial processes, copyediting, and proofreading to Origin. She also edits the biannual Origin newsletter and is a member of ISMTE.

Abbie Flynn

Consultant

aflynn@origineditorial.com

As part of the marketing team, Abbie maintains Origin Editorial's and Origin Reports' social media accounts. For Origin Reports, she coordinates webinars, handles client communications, and manages the company's blog. Abbie also creates product demonstration videos and updates the Origin Reports website.

Sherrie Hill

Consultant

shill@origineditorial.com

Sherrie has been with Origin Editorial since 2017. She has worked in the editorial office for several journals and is currently working as the Assistant Peer Review Manager for the American Journal of Audiology. Additionally, Sherrie is the Project Manager for the editorial office reporting software application, Origin Reports. She uses her background in engineering to help design the customized editorial office charts, tables, and reports available in the application. Sherrie also provides personalized customer support for all Origin Reports users with reporting issues or questions.

Diane Dunham Drexler

Client Coordinator/Consultant

ddrexler@origineditorial.com

Diane began as a chemistry and physics instructor, providing a seamless transition to academic publishing. She served as the Publications Manager for the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and managed its premier journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Later, she steered the college’s new initiative, Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews, from its launch through the sixth volume, including liaising with the publisher’s medical illustrator to create NPPR’s signature graphics. Diane has worked closely with abstract management submission designers and production teams to create online meeting abstracts and eBooks. She is exceptionally skilled in eJP, EM, and believes in a collaborative effort. Joining Origin Editorial in 2012 as the Publications Director for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, she managed the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation until her more recent role of Peer Review Manager for Applied Physics Letters at the American Institute of Physics. Additionally, she manages the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, a publication of the National Lipid Society. Diane serves on several committees at ISMTE and is a member of CSE. She has Diane received her undergraduate degree from The University of Mary Washington in Virginia and her MEd in Secondary Science from Converse University in South Carolina.

Steve Cavanaugh

Client Coordinator/Consultant

scavanaugh@origineditorial.com

Steve got his start in publishing with Mosby Year-Book in Philadelphia in 1995, after working as a teacher, chef and various sundry jobs up and down the East Coast of the US. After returning to the Boston, Mass area, he worked in IT until returning to publishing with the journal Pharmacotherapy in 1999. He joined the Origin Editorial team in 2013 and has worked on a variety of journals in medicine, environmental science and physics.

Denise Kuo

Client Coordinator/Consultant

dkuo@origineditorial.com

Denise is a highly accomplished journal operations professional with 20 years of experience in scientific publishing. She has expertise in team leadership, customer relationships, and leading successful complex projects to implement efficiencies for improved productivity and reduction in costs. Denise is respected as a strong people leader excelling at developing and mentoring teams in providing high-quality, meaningful insight to senior management and other stakeholders for positive results. Before coming to Origin, she served as Director of Journal Operations, Circulation Journals and JAHA at the American Heart Association where she was responsible for ensuring standardization and implementing workflow efficiencies across the 13-journal portfolio. She is a member of ISMTE and CSE. She has served as a CSE Mentor and as a member of the SSP Marketing and Communications Committee.

Glenn Collins

Client Coordinator/Consultant

gcollins@origineditorial.com

Glenn graduated from Cornell University in 1991 with a BS in Biology. After working in a microbiology lab for a few years at Pall Corporation he started his STM publishing career at John Wiley and Sons in 1995. He left Wiley and moved to San Diego in 2000 where he first worked for the journal Brain Research before becoming the managing editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). After twelve plus years as the Executive Managing Editor of the JACC journals Glenn moved to Origin Editorial where he assumed the role of Publications Director/Managing Editor for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM). In this role he oversees the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and its open access companion the Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation. In 2021 Glenn assumed the position of Director of Sales, Publications and Social Media for ACRM. Glenn has helped develop and launch five (and counting) new journals in the STM field. Glenn is a past president of ISMTE.

Dave Allen

Client Coordinator/Consultant

dallen@origineditorial.co

Dave has over 21 years of publishing experience. He started his publishing career with the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, which self-published a journal and textbook, eventually becoming the Director of Publications. He then moved to take editorial leadership of CIG Media Group, LLC, which operated eight clinical oncology journals. From there he became a Publisher for Elsevier, specializing in oncology and radiology, with a portfolio of 12 journals, overseeing their operations for seven years. Dave moved to Origin Editorial in 2018 where he continues to manage journals as well as provide consultations for scientific societies. His Origin clients have included the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, the American Heart Association, and Cochrane. Dave has recently started as the Editorial Director for a large client. Dave has extensive experience in project, people, and budget management in the private and non-profit sectors. His experience includes developing and implementing new initiatives; creating and managing complex workflows and processes; forecasting and developing budgets; supervising employees; and collaborating with commercial sponsors, governing boards, and society leaders. Dave is the vice chair of the ISMTE Sponsorship Committee.

Erin Landis

Managing Director

elandis@origineditorial.com

Erin has more than two decades of leadership, strategic planning, project management, and relationship-building experience. As the Managing Director of Origin Editorial, she guides strategy, business development, and operations. Before Origin, she was the Vice President of Publications for the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), where she oversaw the editorial and financial operations, as well as the strategic direction of several GI-related publications, including five peer-reviewed journals. Erin recently served as the president of ISMTE and serves as the chair of the Global Event Oversight Committee and as a member on the Education & Standards Committee. She’s also a member of SSP and CSE where she has served as a mentor. Also, she is a current member of the CSE DEI Committee. She also served as co-chair of the Publishing Professional Peer Group for the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and was a member of the writing group for the C4DISC Toolkits for Equity Project’s “Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations.” Erin received her degree in psychology from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

Kristen Overstreet

Senior Partner

kristen@origineditorial.com

Kristen oversees operations for Origin Editorial and Origin Reports, including managing the process of finding experienced team members to provide services to Origin’s clients. Kristen is a Past President of the ISMTE Board of Directors and currently serves the ISMTE on the Early Career and North America Meeting committees. She is also a member of the CSE, recently serving on their IAB Task Force, and FORCE11, serving on the Research Data Publishing Ethics Working Group. For more than 20 years, Kristen has been known for elevating journal operations and improving journal and peer review management through use of effective policies and procedures. She provides consultation to Origin clients regarding effective peer review management and speaks regularly on peer review operations and ethics at industry meetings.

Jason Roberts, PhD

Senior Partner

Jason@origineditorial.com

Dr. Roberts is a globally recognized peer review management specialist, publisher and intermittent academic investigator on all matters related to the conduct of peer review. He is focused on improving the quality, rigorousness and successful delivery of scholarly communications, regardless of discipline. After earning a doctorate in Geography from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, Dr. Roberts began a career in publishing at Blackwell Science in Oxford, England and then Boston, Massachusetts, eventually becoming a Senior Editor of US-based medical journals. In 2010, Dr. Roberts formed Origin Editorial, one of the first, and now largest, independently owned companies to offer professional peer review management for journals. Dr. Roberts is a past-president of ISMTE. Dr. Roberts has a particular interest in improving standards of reporting in biomedical journals and the monitoring of publication ethics issues. He has contributed book chapters and research articles on these topics and collaborated closely with the EQUATOR Network, the Ottawa Centre for Journalology and the Committee on Publication Ethics. Dr. Roberts is a co-author of Peer Review: Reform and Renewal in Scientific Publishing” (2017, Against the Grain Publishing). He currently sits on the editorial board of the journal Research Integrity and Peer Review and is a frequent reviewer for papers on the subject of peer review for Learned Publishing and The BMJ