Onboarding for Ukraine Section Editors

Welcome to European Relations‘ Ukraine Section! We are excited to have you on board. This guide will introduce you to our procedures, communication channels, and best practices, enabling you to quickly feel confident in your new role.

Here, you can read more about the European Relations Association (ERA), our mission, and our values.

What You’ll Find on This Page:

✅ New Editors’ Checklist

To get started smoothly, please go through the following steps:

  1. Join the WhatsApp group of the Editorial Board to stay connected and receive updates.
  2. Familiarise yourself with the information provided on this onboarding page, the Review Guidelines, and the WordPress review instructions.
  3. Upload a high-resolution portrait photo on your profile page in the Network so we can add you as a member of the new Ukraine Section on the website’s About page.
  4. Check in with Sofia on the Network by sending her a message after having read this onboarding page to confirm that everything works, you have access to the Ukraine Section’s Network spaces, and all the information is clear. You will receive information about your onboarding meeting with Sofia (lead of the Ukraine Section) and Nicolás (editor-in-chief), where we will briefly go through the editorial process together and answer any questions you may have.
  5. Upload your Volunteer Agreement on this page. The Volunteer Agreement is intended to serve as a flexible, informal agreement between the Editors and European Relations. As mentioned in the agreement, we can adjust the workload at any time if communicated with the section leader.
  6. Please install the Grammarly app, as we use it to support the reviews. (Find more information below.)

Communication within the Ukraine Section’s Editorial Board and on the European Relations Network

  • Please join the Editorial Board WhatsApp group for quick communication if you have not done yet (link in onboarding email).
  • Questions: You can always ask questions in the group, whether about reviewing, technical issues, processes, or suggestions for improvements. The group is also a good place for questions and proposals because they may be relevant to other editors as well. Of course, you can also always write to Sofia or Nicolás personally on WhatsApp or in the Network.
  • Reliability: Since all of us volunteer at European Relations, no one expects instant replies or reviews done overnight. What matters is clear communication: you can always post in the group if, due to extreme situations at work or university, you have no time at all to work on reviews. In such cases, you can also pause for a short period. What matters is that we can plan accordingly rather than not hearing from you.
  • Tone: Communication should be professional yet collegial. Always address authors respectfully.
  • Monthly Meetings: Please take part in the polls so we can find a time that works for most of us. Regular participation is important, as meetings are where we discuss key changes and improve our work together. If you can’t make it, just let the group know; if several people are affected, we may schedule a follow-up meeting shortly after.
  • Communication on the Network: We use the European Relations Network to communicate with the authors or other members of European Relations. You can send a direct message to any member of the Network. Above the featured image in the Blog Editorial Board’s space in the Network, you also find useful links to the WordPress login, the Review Guidelines etc.
Network chat

Editorial Procedures

  • Timeline for reviews: Normally, each editor is assigned one article per week. This is also a good benchmark for completing the review and contacting the author. If fewer articles come in per week than there are editors in the team, the time between reviews may be longer.
  • The Editorial Process at a glance (more detailed version here; this detailed version applies to publications on European Relations in general; differences for the Ukraine Section are outlined below):
  1. The Section lead (Sofia) or the Editor-in-Chief (Nicolás) assigns an editor to a new article. The editor receives an automatic email notification and a short notice in the WhatsApp group.
  2. The assigned editor conducts the review in WordPress.
  3. The editor contacts the author via the European Relations Network and supports them in improving the article until it is ready for publication.
  4. The section lead or editor-in-chief gives the article a final read-through and publishes it. If they still identify issues, they will get back to the assigned editor.
  • Reviewing: For the review, we have our Review Guidelines, which serve as a transparent checklist to ensure consistency, fairness, and quality across the review of all submissions. These guidelines also help the authors, who also have access to them, understand exactly what is expected for publication.
    • Important: The Review Guidelines are used for the general publications on European Relations as well as for publications of the Sections.
    • Publications of the Ukraine Section address the intersection of Ukraine and Europe, for example, by examining European influences on Ukraine, the resonance of Ukrainian affairs across Europe, or Ukraine’s engagement with the EU, member states, European-focused organisations or similar topics. The Review Guidelines must be understood through the lens of this thematic focus.
  • Review Process in WordPress: Reviews are conducted within WordPress. Here you can find detailed instructions on the editorial process and how the reviews are conducted in WordPress. (The tasks of the Administrative Editors for general publications on European Relations are carried out by the Section lead and the editor-in-chief.) Please read the instructions carefully!
  • Grammarly: We use the free version of Grammarly to support article reviews. Please install the app and use it to check punctuation, spelling, and grammar (and adjust word choice where it clearly improves clarity). Grammarly is only a helpful tool; it doesn’t replace careful editing, but it can catch those last little typos that are sometimes human to miss.
  • Decision-Making: If the author does not make the requested revisions within two weeks and does not respond to your messages in the network, please report to the Editorial Board WhatsApp group for a final attempt to get in touch through the editor-in-chief.
  • Confidentiality: Questions about reviews or collaboration with authors can always be discussed within the Editorial Board. Beyond that, however, please treat all manuscripts and discussions as confidential.

Contacts

  • Email Address: [email protected]
  • WhatsApp: Message to the group or to Sofia Slonovska (+380 987420699)
  • Network: Direct message to Sofia Slonovska
  • In case of technical issues when reviewing in WordPress: Message to the group or to Nicolás Heck
  • In case of general technical issues, e.g., in the network or with your account: Message to the Help Desk on the network

Final Note

Your contribution as an editor is essential to ensuring that European Relations can publish articles at the highest possible quality standard and with the greatest sense of responsibility. This way, we can offer many young scholars and students, in some cases, their very first experience with publishing, writing, and editing in an academic environment.

We are delighted to collaborate with you on this mission, welcome you to our community, and look forward to working together!

Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear.

Patricia Fuller

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