Editorial Board

Jim Diffily, Fort Worth Museum of Natural History
Andy Farke, Stony Brook University
David Howell, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park
Kirk Johnson, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
David Lindberg, UC Museum of Paleontology
Rob Ross, Paleontological Research Institute
Judy Scotchmoor, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and UC Museum of Paleontology
Dale Springer, Paleontological Society and Bloomsburg University, PA
Colleen Whitney, UC Museum of Paleontology

This board will have a minimum of eight members, including two Senior Editors, and can be expanded if the volume of submissions increases such that one editor is regularly receiving in excess of 20 submissions a month.

Responsibilities
Editors will:

• Review links and images submitted for inclusion on the Paleontology Portal site
• Make decisions about proposed content changes to the site (e.g., new “Famous Flora and Fauna Sites”)

During the second year of service two editors will be asked by the Steering Committee to serve as Senior Editors. Senior Editors will remain on the board for a third year to fulfill several critical functions:

• Mentoring new editors as they are trained
• Serving as “editors of last resort” for submissions 30 days old
• Resolving questions and problems as they arise during the review process
• Exercising their discretion over the content of the site, including removal or modification of listings outside of the review process as necessary
• Attending the annual Steering Committee meetings to serve as a liaison between the two groups.

Anticipated Time Commitment
Editors will be asked to attend one annual orientation and training meeting, which will be held in conjunction with major professional meetings (SVP, GSA). Once trained, editors will handle review requests as they are received throughout the year, with an estimated total time commitment of 3-4 hours per month.

Given their additional responsibilities, senior editors should expect to spend up to 10 hours per month.

Recruitment criteria and process
Members are expected to be knowledgeable in an area of expertise relevant to The Paleontology Portal, and have the ability to critically assess sites and images related to that area of expertise.

Nominations will be solicited by the Steering Committee annually through an open nominations process. The Committee will seek recommendations from project partners, and from current Editorial Board members. The nominations will be weighed with an eye to ensuring that the Editorial Board has diverse representation in terms of:

• Expertise
• Geographic location
• Interest areas (research, education, collections)
• Professional status (student, faculty, staff, amateur)

Length of Service
Most members will serve a two-year term; Senior Editors serve one additional year. Terms will be staggered so that no more than half of the members rotate off the board each year, in order to provide stability and continuity.