Assistant Professor Ginger Berndt named managing editor of the Sociological Forum

This fall, Assistant Professor of Sociology Ginger Berndt was named managing editor of the academic journal Sociological Forum. Here, she shares insights on her new role in publishing an academic journal. From researching, reviewing, and keeping things organized, Berndt plays a key role in helping scholars achieve their dreams of publication.

White woman holding a blue book with the title "Body Art" while standing outside. — Professor Virginia Berndt co-authored "Body Art," published in 2023 on the topic of body art as an accessible yet underappreciated source for physical and mental well-being. Much of her scholarship focuses on gender and health.

Ginger Berndt, assistant professor of Sociology, teaches courses like Introduction to Sociology: A Global Perspective and Sociological Theory at McDaniel. These days, when she’s not in the classroom, she’s working as the newly appointed managing editor of the Sociological Forum, the flagship academic journal from the Eastern Sociological Society.

Various responsibilities bring Berndt into contact with scholars from around the country and the world, providing her with a firsthand look at the most cutting-edge research in her field. We asked her a few questions about her role and what it means to be involved in the realm of academic publishing.

What attracted you to the role of managing editor of the Sociological Forum?

I was attracted to the idea of getting to see the newest research coming in. I’m really excited to see the trends and patterns of what's being submitted to sociology journals and what different topical areas there are. As editor, I'm getting insight into the freshest methodologies, which is another fun aspect of my job.

"I’m really excited to see the trends and patterns of what's being submitted to sociology journals and what different topical areas there are. As editor, I'm getting insight into the freshest methodologies, which is another fun aspect of my job." - Ginger Berndt

What do you typically do as editor?

Once manuscripts are submitted to the journal, they first go through the editors — Tammy L. Anderson, Ann V. Bell, and Asia Friedman at the University of Delaware — and then the editors direct me to either send the manuscripts for review or to reject them. Submissions can include research articles, book reviews, or short commentary on contemporary social issues. If it goes to review, I invite several potential peer reviewers to read it and provide feedback. Because not all potential peer reviewers respond to or accept the invitation to review, I will either send follow-up emails or invite new potential reviewers. This process involves a lot of careful record-keeping. It takes a lot of organization and the ability to manage the technical details behind the journal. Luckily, I am a very organized and orderly person. I love categorizing — I'm the weirdo who loves filling out forms.

If authors or reviewers have questions, I make sure I'm answering their questions in a timely manner. We also have an Inaugural Author Award, so my job with that is to ensure all the submissions are categorized correctly, and all the forms are attached. I'm also the social media manager, so I manage the journal’s X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook page and brainstorm ideas with the co-editors of the journal and draft graphics.

What are some of the most interesting topics that you have published?

Lately, the topics we're seeing the most often are articles on religion, and equality and equity in education, which are very important and timely subjects. We're also seeing a lot of international, quantitative articles, such as large population studies using statistical data. One of the most interesting articles to me so far was on pleasure and sexuality through media, like social media and pop culture. In addition to quantitative statistical research and qualitative in-depth interviews and ethnographies, sociological research has seen an increase in content analysis of media platforms, where researchers analyze newspaper articles, Instagram feeds, and Reddit posts to inform their studies.

What is the goal of the Sociological Forum?

It is the flagship journal of the Eastern Sociological Society, so the aim of the Sociological Forum is broad in scope, encompassing empirical qualitative and quantitative research on substantive issues of fundamental importance to the study of society. We also accept review articles, where authors review existing research on a given topic and synthesize it all together. Another venue we have is The Forum, which provides an opportunity for authors to submit short works of social commentary. Something extra cool that Sociological Forum offers is the opportunity for other authors to write responses to pieces published in The Forum. Despite it being based in a regional sociological society, we accept articles from anywhere in the country, and internationally as well.

"My favorite thing is when I hit that point where I’ve secured enough reviewers for a manuscript, and I'm like, 'Yes, this author's research can get out into the world now!'” - Ginger Berndt

What is beneficial to know about academic publishing?

There are a lot of steps involved in getting an article published. The amount of work it takes to make initial decisions, work with the editors, send it out for review, secure enough reviewers for the manuscript, send reminders to the reviewers, and coordinate all their questions is a lot. It’s also good to know that anyone can give it a shot. Even if you’re an undergraduate student interested in research, talk with your professors, ask what they're working on, and see if they would like a co-author. It really gives you an edge when applying for graduate school or jobs — it will help you stand out among other candidates.

What is your favorite part about being a managing editor?

My favorite thing is when I hit that point where I’ve secured enough reviewers for a manuscript, and I'm like, “Yes, this author's research can get out into the world now!” I love finding reviewers who are excited to review the submission or show a lot of interest in the topic that's being proposed in that manuscript. Those are very satisfying moments.

What's something people don't normally think of when it comes to academic publishing?

You don't get paid to publish an article. You don't get any royalties because it's not like a book, and it's not as widely publicized as a book would be. There can often be negative feedback during the peer review stage, which means sometimes anonymous reviewers can give harsh reviews. So, if your friend or colleague shares that they've published in an academic journal, support them as much as you can (you can ask them directly for a copy of their article instead of paying for it!) because it was a grueling process to get there.

Nov 26, 2024