BRS Sacha Vignieri: Opening the black box: an editor's perspective on scientific publishing

Zoom webinar link for remote attendees:

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66364136696?pwd=OVp2UW10Ulp5eCtncTVzQ3pvWmFZUT09

Passcode: 202209

host: IBios

Title: Opening the black box: an editor's perspective on scientific publishing

Abstract: 

From the outside, publication in high-impact general-science journals can seem like a mysterious process. A general understanding of the procedures and practices at Science can help unravel the mystery a bit, and contribute to an understanding of what makes a great paper a high-impact-journal paper. In particular, while many researchers strive to publish in these journals because of their high impacts, they are fundamentally general-science journals, and understanding this can help authors assess which aspects of their own work will be most successful in such outlets. I’ll discuss some of the inner workings of Science and provide insight for helping authors prepare and assess their own work for consideration in high-impact general-science publications

Bio: Sacha developed a love of nature growing up near the Rocky Mountains. Chasing insects and exploring with her dogs led to an interest in animal behavior, which she pursued during her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley. A desire for more experiential knowledge led to post-graduate work on a variety of species, from fruit bats in Samoa to fur seals in the Arctic. During this time she became curious about ecological interactions among individuals, and between individuals and their environment. This led her to a PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington, where she received an EPA STAR fellowship and chased Pacific jumping mice. An interest in better understanding the role of selection in organism-environment interactions pointed her towards post-doctoral research (with a UC Presidential Fellowship at UC San Diego and an Agassiz Fellowship at Harvard) on coat-color adaptation in Florida beach mice. A realization that appreciation for nature, and natural science, were declining rapidly, led her to look for ways she could reach both the larger scientific community and the general public. Sacha is now a senior research editor at the journal Science, with responsibility in the areas of: Organismal biology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, zoology, paleontology, genetics, genomics, paleoecology, archaeology.  She often misses chasing mice, but feels the ability to increase the visibility of work conducted on natural systems is worth the sacrifice (most of the time).