Author-Editor Communication

This guide explains how to configure and use the communication system between authors and editors in Episciences.

Required permissions: Administrator, Editorial Secretary, or Editor-in-Chief

Overview

The author-editor communication system enables direct messaging between authors and their assigned editors through the Episciences platform. Two settings control this feature:

1. Author-editor communication — Enable or disable direct messaging
2. Display editor names to authors — Show real names or anonymize editors

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Configuration

Accessing the settings

1. Log in as an administrator
2. Navigate to Manage Journal → Journal → Settings

1. Scroll to the Editor Settings section
2. Enable or disable the desired options
3. Click Save Settings

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Available Settings

1. Author-editor communication

This setting controls whether authors and their assigned editors can exchange messages directly.

Value	Description
Enabled	Authors and editors can send messages to each other
Disabled	Direct messaging is not available (default)

When enabled:

• An Author-Editor Communication block appears on the article page for both the author and the assigned editors
• Either party can initiate a conversation by sending the first message (called the root message)
• Both sides can send multiple replies within the same conversation thread

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2. Display editor names to authors

This setting controls whether editor identities are visible to authors or anonymized.

Value	Description
Enabled	Real editor names are displayed to authors
Disabled	Editors appear anonymously as "Editor" (default)

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Setting Combinations

The two settings can be combined to achieve different levels of privacy and transparency.

Messaging enabled + Editor names hidden

When direct messaging is enabled but editor names are hidden:

Element	Display
Avatar on timeline	Initials "SE" (System Episciences)
Name in message	"Editor"
Email notification	"Editor"

Messaging enabled + Editor names visible

When both direct messaging and editor names are enabled:

Element	Display
Avatar on timeline	Editor's initials
Name in message	Editor's full name
Email notification	Editor's full name
Editors block	List of assigned editors visible

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Conversation Features

Messages and replies

Either the author or an editor can start a conversation by sending a root message. From there:

• Both parties can send multiple replies
• All messages are displayed chronologically within the conversation thread
• Replies are visually distinguished with a blue border
• Each new message triggers an email notification to the other party

File attachments

Both authors and editors can attach files to their messages. Users can only delete their own attachments.

Visual identification

Each role has a distinct avatar color for easy identification:

Role	Avatar color
Editor	Blue
Author	Yellow

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Email Notifications

Email notifications ensure all relevant parties stay informed about new messages.

When an author sends a message

The following recipients are notified:

• Assigned editors — managing the article
• Co-authors — collaborating on the article

Each recipient receives a personalized notification based on their role:

Recipient	English message	French message
Assigned editors	"new message about an article you're managing"	"nouveau message concernant un article dont vous êtes responsable"
Co-authors	"new message about an article you co-authored"	"nouveau message concernant un article que vous avez co-signé"

When an editor replies

The following recipients are notified:

• Main author — the primary contact for the article
• Co-authors — all other authors listed on the article

This role-based personalization helps each recipient immediately understand their relationship to the article and the context of the message.