AHL3900 project description

Research project and objectives

This project aims to introduce students to how an international academic journal operates, while making a tangible contribution to the editorial processing of manuscripts and managing the different stages of production. The objective is twofold:

  1. support SdBS activities (evaluation, review, preparation of issues, updating of documents);  
  2. provide structured training in scholarly publishing practices.

Approaches and methods

The work will be based on a hands-on learning approach, supervised by the editor-in-chief and the managing editor (articles in French). Students will be introduced to:

  • the principles of peer review (identifying reviewer profiles, preparing files);  
  • the editorial and bibliographic standards of the journal;  
  • editorial management tools (submission platform, manuscript tracking, file sharing);  
  • the basics of documentary research (verification of references, citation standardization, locating bibliographic information).  
  • The assigned tasks will be introduced gradually and tailored to a beginner’s level. 

Skills students will acquire

This internship will allow students to develop:

  • a practical understanding of the academic publication process;  
  • language editing and bibliographic standardization skills;  
  • documentary research and source management skills;  
  • familiarity with ethical and professional issues in academic publishing;  
  • organizational and collaborative skills in a bilingual editorial team.  

Breakdown of the 90 contractual hours

Independent Work (75 hours)

  • Proofreading and formatting of bibliographic references: 20 hrs  
  • Preparation of manuscript files (anonymization, basic formatting): 15 hrs  
  • Search for potential evaluators (identifying candidates, compiling lists): 10 hrs  
  • Assisting with issue preparation (table of contents, basic verifications): 10 hrs  
  • Helping with review management (tracking received books, basic correspondence): 10 hrs  
  • Updating operational documents (guidelines for writing and expert review, list of most frequently cited references):  10 hrs  

Meetings and Supervision (15 hrs)

  • Weekly meetings with the editor-in-chief and/or the managing editor: 12 hrs  
  • Initial training and final assessment 3 hrs