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What's New for JBO 4.0
Scheduled Release Date: (7/9/2008)

Archive: JBO Changes by Release

Release 4.0 is a combination of tremendous back-end improvements to system hardware/software, plus revisions to existing functions, including a revised reviewer search. You can see the changes by logging into the JBO testing area.

Software/Hardware Improvements

Since the last JBO release, we have spent a great deal of time on back-end improvements designed to make JBO function more efficiently and to give users a quicker response time while in the system. We include these items on this release to give you information on all the work that has been done to improve the system (items in blue have already been deployed in the current live JBO, and are not waiting for an official release of version 4.0).

  1. In March, we moved the JBO system to a new devoted server with greater processing power.
  2. In March we also made major database changes, including upgrading to a new database system (SQL Server 2005), and also moving to a new database server that has double the processing speed.
  3. In May, we added the JBO system to an APA co-location site. This means that prolonged downtime due to outages and other shut-downs would be virtually eliminated with the capability to employ system failover.
  4. Also in May, we revised the JBO database's indexing structure. The addition of new data indexes has greatly improved query response times throughout the application.
  5. Considerable effort was expending in removing old coding models (e.g. absolute linking) behind-the-scenes, as part of server transition efforts in the first quarter of 2008.
    6.
  6. Over the last 8~9 months the entire JBO system has been rewritten to move away from storing user cookies to a different (server-side) system of variable storage. This has been a major back-end change to JBO, and will facilitate behind-the-scenes processes, although the system itself will not appear different to users. Where this change will positively impact users is in the ability to use JBO without errors by individuals whose institutions will not allow browser cookies.
  7. Behind-the-scenes code changes have resulted in tremendous benefits in processing for numerous functions, particularly the author submission screens. This change isn't visible on the page for you to see, but the streamlining efforts we have made in recent months have greatly simplified back-end processing.
  8. The reviewer search has been revised. Not only in display (see details below), but also in changes to the query and programming code that greatly enhance response times.

Changes/Additions for Release 4.0

  1. Reviewer Search Revisions
    2. The reviewer search screens have been completely revised. This was one of the chief concerns at the April Council of Editors meeting and has been a priority for the development team as well.
    Revisions to search form:
    • All search parameters included in a single page
    • Link to view (in separate window) a simple list of all reviewers for your ed office
    • A~Z Search Option - to search for reviewers by first letter of reviewer's last name
    • Option to display results in groups of 10, 15, or 25
    • Added more instruction for all the Reviewer Search options
    Revisions to search results:
    • Display of records in groups of 10, 15, or 25 (default is 10)
    • Added "next ~ previous" links to scroll through results
    • Revised show/hide display of reviewer detail to (1) load much more quickly, and (2) allow for detail of multiple reviewers to be displayed instead of just one at a time


  2. Co-Reviewer designation added to review submission pages
    3. On submission of a review, reviewers will now be able to add one co-reviewer to their paper, and on submission of their review have this new reviewer's contact information added to the JBO pool automatically. If the co-reviewer is still a predoctoral student, that individual will be marked as a student and his/her name will not display on future search results. However, if the person is post-doctoral fellow or working professional, the name will be available for future reviewer requests.


  3. Reviewer Profile Cleanup
    4. We have added a utility for main editors and coordinators to see reviewers with incomplete profiles (missing full name, email, institution, or expertise), and send these people a letter requesting their help in filling out their personal profile.

    Coordinator homepage menu option REVIEWERS -->Reviewer Profile Cleanup Letter contains the text of the canned letter to be sent asking reviewers to help fill out their profile. The content of this letter is available to be personalized by the editorial office via this function.

    Main Editor homepage menu option OTHER --> Incomplete Reviewer Info and Coordinator homepage menu option REVIEWERS--> Incomplete Reviewer Info both go to the same utility that lists all reviewers who may need to be alerted to complete their profile. This page also allows you to check off which people to send letters to and then send the letters out.

    Below is a sample letter that would go out (this is the basic text all offices will start with - minus the salutation):

    Email Subject Line: Reviewer Profile Update Request

    Dear Dr. Doe -

    We are in the process of updating all reviewer records for our journal and ask that you take a moment, when opportunity permits, to update your record for our journal by following the link at the bottom of the message. Thank you for your time.

    Sincerely,
    Joe Smith, Editor
    Journals Back Office Demo Editorial Office
    http://www.jbo.com/jbo_d/RevUpdate.cfm?id=51

    When the letters are sent, JBO will insert a personalized web address for each reviewer to go to for updating their profile. At this URL, after logging in with their email address, they are shown a form asking them to complete the following pieces of their reviewer profile:
         i. Full Name
         ii. E-mail address
         iii. Affiliation
         iv. Ethnic Minority Status
         v. Gender status
         vi. Expertise

    On submission of this page, the reviewer's changes are saved to their profile automatically.


  4. Editable subject line of action letter
    5. This change affects the action letter draft screen available to associate editors.

    The subject line of the action letter is now an editable field for associate editor while drafting their action letters.


  5. Editable email subject line and stored review due date for review request letter send process
    6. This change affects the review request send handled by coordinators.

    The subject line of the reviewer request letter will display the default text in an editable field for coordinators to manually change the default subject line. An example of default subject line would be: Manuscript Review Request (2008-0001 - Due 7/15/08) - JBO Demo Journal). This change is made to allow for manual setting of due dates and other user wishes for the ability to further personalize their review requests.

    As part of this change, we also allow the coordinator to manually set a due date (especially helpful if the due date is changed in the email subject line - in those cases the due date should also be set manually to ensure the system is using the correct date and not inadvertently autocalculating a date when the letter goes out.


  6. Changes to Author Submission Portal Screens
    7. The author submission screens have been revised, primarily to request a few new pieces of information. Changes available for view in the demo at http://www.jbo.com/jbo_d/submissions/dsp_jbo.cfm?journal_code=jbo

         a. Minor layout changes (new background for form; questions about masked review and new vs. revised submission radio boxes appear together)
         b. Corresponding Author's name is broken into 3 fields (first, middle [new field], and last)
         c. Added a field for manuscript pages
         d. Added field for corresponding author's affiliation
         e. Added Grant funding questions (see item 13 below for details)


  7. Changes to Check-in of New Manuscripts (corresp author assignment & cover letter)
    8. These changes affect the manuscript check-in screen for coordinators

    At submission of a new manuscript, the corresponding author's information will be automatically added to JBO if not already present (after dupe checking for a name/email match). This means that at manuscript login, the corresponding author will be assigned to the manuscript record already (and will not need to be added manually by the coordinator).

    The submitted cover letter now presents at the bottom of the manuscript check-in screen to assist the MC in assigning the non-corresponding authors to the manuscript, and in the initial creation of these non-corresponding authors' profiles if necessary.

    NOTE: The submitted cover letter also displays for check-in of revised manuscripts.


  8. New MC User Preference: Option to view potential reviewer list after requests are sent
    9. These changes affect the manuscript detail screen display for coordinators

    Due to variation across journals in how reviewers are solicited to submit reviews (e.g., some offices do not send all their review requests at once), we have added a user option to the coordinator's JBO allowing them continued access to view potential reviewers (the data saved by associate editors at reviewer search) when manuscripts have passed the status of "Desired Reviewers Identified, Needs Review Request Letters Sent".

    An option is added to the coordinator's preferences (homepage menu OTHER ' User-Level Preferences) to choose yes or no to the following question:

    On manuscript detail, display link to view potential reviewers for review requests regardless of manuscript status. If no, potential reviewers will continue to be displayed only when manuscript is at status "Desired Reviewers Identified, Needs Review Request Letters Sent."

    If "yes" is checked, then on the manuscript detail page, the following link will display below the reviewers section - regardless of manuscript status - as long as potential reviewers have been saved from the Reviewer Search results: View potential reviewer list in separate window

    If "no" is checked, the link will continue to appear only during the stage when review requests are to be sent by the coordinator.


  9. Changes to Manuscript Transmittal
    10. These changes affect the manuscript transmittal screen for coordinators

    The "Manuscript Pages" value is saved to both JBO and PBO systems. Some users reported a need for this in cases when the manuscript data had to be re-transmitted.
    We have removed the question about "typeset[ting] from hardcopy". The question is obsolete with the current post-production via Cadmus, and only resulted in confusion for users.


  10. Remove multiple buttons on Canned Letters update pages
    11. This change affects the AE's screen to update their canned letter text.

    This screen has a submit button below each letter, which has caused many users to believe that this meant each letter had to be updated separately - which is not the case. The revised page has a single submit button at the bottom of all the letters to help avoid confusion.


  11. Include journal names in notifications of reviewer agreement.
    12. This change affects the letters sent to AEs (and copying coordinators) when reviewers respond to requests.

    Currently the text of the email includes only the manuscript number. Coordinators who handle multiple editorial offices are then forced to track down the journal for the manuscript. This change to include the journal name in the subject line of the email is particularly helpful to those users.


  12. Revised display on screens to "Send Review Request"
    13. This change affects the initial screens coordinators use to find reviewers for send of request letter.

    On the screen coordinators use to find a particular JBO reviewer, pick a name and pick the request letter to send, currently an "emoticon" displays to signify reviewers with a review pending. However, several users expressed confusion with this notice. In place of the emoticon we now list a single column with a numeric value for the number of pending reviews for each reviewer.


  13. Grant funding information collected from authors at manuscript submission
    14. In compliance with federal law and APA's contractual agreements, we are beginning to track information from authors for manuscripts funded by NIH, WellcomeTrust, or the Hughes Foundation.

    We are finalizing back-end processes to send published grant-funded material to PubMed (on behalf of these funding organizations). And as part of this process we will begin to gather as much grant information as possible at the beginning of the process.

    The grant funding questions will be added to every editorial office's author submission screen. The following information will be requested:

         i. Primary Investigator's name and email address
         ii. Grant title
         iii. Grant number

Archive of JBO Changes by Release: