Bylaws

Roles and Responsibilities of the Journal “Business & Information Systems Engineering”

As of February 2023

Preamble

BISE (Business & Information Systems Engineering) is an international scholarly and double-blind peer-reviewed journal that publishes scientific research on the effective and efficient design and utilization of information systems by individuals, groups, enterprises, and society for the improvement of social welfare. Information systems are understood as socio-technical systems comprising tasks, people, and information technology. Research published in the journal addresses relevant problems in the analysis, design, implementation, and management of information systems. The editorial statement with a description of individual departments can be found on the homepage: bise-journal.com.

BISE is sponsored by the Section “Information Systems” (Wirtschaftsinformatik, WKWI) of the German Association for Business Research (VHB) and the special interest group “Business Informatics” (GI-FB WI) of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. (GI). BISE is also an affiliated journal of the Association for Information Systems (AIS).

This document should provide a common understanding of the main roles and responsibilities within the Editorial Board of the journal Business & Information Systems Engineering.

Functions and Responsibilities

The Editorial Board shall consist of:

  • the Editor-in-Chief
  • Vice Editors-in-Chief
  • Department Editors
  • Associate Editors
  • Section Editors

The Editorial Board is supported by the Advisory Board, the Editorial Office, and the Publisher in organizing the review process and publishing papers. In the following, the regulation regarding terms, elections, and nominations are specified. Terms always start and end with the yearly Editorial Board Meeting (usually in February or March).

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC)

  • The EiC shall be responsible for the overall strategy and performance of all journal functions, be the chief editorial and executive officer of the journal, and oversee and coordinate the Editorial Board. He/she is also responsible for the completion and timely publication of the journal.
  • Final decisions on the acceptance of a paper are made by the EiC based on the proposal of a Department Editor.
  • The EiC is elected by the Editorial Board for a duration of three years. Two re-elections are possible.

Vice EiCs

  • Vice EiCs are senior scholars to support the EiC in all decisions regarding the strategic positioning of the journal and the Editorial Board. They are also responsible for institutional relationships with key scientific organizations and the funding of the journal.
  • Vice EiCs are nominated from the group of Department Editors by the EiC without elections. They serve this role as long as EiC and Vice EIC agree, but 6 years at the longest.

Department Editors

  • Departments of the journal are determined by the EiC and the Vice EiCs. A department is composed of Department Editors and should have a maximum of 12 Associate Editors. Department editors are nominated for a period of three years. Two re-nominations are possible. The department is usually composed of two Department Editors. BISE strives for diversity and would like this to be reflected in the composition of the editorial board. In case there are three Department Editors, they cannot be of the same gender.          
  • Department Editors are responsible for submissions to their department, the quality and effectiveness of the review process, and the papers published in their department. This includes the responsibility for regular special issues and the acquisition of high-quality submissions.           
  • A Department Editor can organize reviews for papers submitted to his department, or ask Associate Editors to do so. The Department Editor responsible for the review process of all papers in the department and ensures that reviewing is completed in due time and with high quality.

Associate Editors

  • Associate Editors are recognized experts in subjects relevant to the BISE community. They act as reviewers and also organize the review process for submissions upon request by the Department Editor or the EiC. After an Associate Editor suggests a paper for publication, he/she forwards this recommendation including a meta review to the Department Editor. The Department Editor then evaluates the recommendation and the outcome of the review process and suggests a paper for publication or rejection to the EiC.
  • Associate Editors are appointed by the Department Editor and confirmed by the EiC team for a period of three years. One re-appointment is possible. A second re-appointment is possible in case of exceptional service. After an Associate Editor resigns, he can be reappointed in later years.
  • Associate Editors are expected to be active members of the BISE community. Apart from the effective organization of the review process, this includes participation in Editorial Board meetings, the organization of special issues, the submission of papers to the journal, soliciting manuscripts from their professional network, and the representation of the journal in conferences and meetings.

Section Editors

  • Section Editors are appointed by the EiC team for a duration of 3 years (Interview, Catchword, BISE Student). One re-appointment is possible. A second re-appointment is possible in case of exceptional service.
  • The spokesperson of the Section “Information Systems” (Wirtschaftsinformatik, WKWI) of the German Association for Business Research (VHB) as well as the spokesperson of the special interest group “Business Informatics” (GI-FB WI) of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. (GI) are ex officio members of the Editorial Board. They are Section Editors for the section “Discussion.”

Advisory Board

The Academic Advisory Board is composed of established international scholars. They provide advice on strategic questions, but also help with their expertise in the reviewing process of selected papers. Advisory Board Members are appointed by the EiC team. Advisory Board Members keep this position until revocation by the EiC team or the Advisory Board member.

Transition Period

As this regulation comes into effect while there are already several editors appointed (sometimes even longer than the maximum time defined in this document) a transition period is introduced:

  • EiC: as defined above, the first term started 2019
  • Vice EiC: Treated as if they started 2019
  • Department Editors:
    • Already serving before 2019: “first” term ends 2021
    • Start serving since 2019 or 2020: as defined above
  • Associate Editors:
    • Already serving before 2016: “second” term ends 2021
    • Already serving before 2019: “first” term ends 2021
    • Start serving since 2019 or 2020: as defined above
  • Section Editors:
    • Already serving before 2019: “first” term ends 2021
    • Start serving since 2019 or 2020: as defined above

Amendment Regulations

Any changes to the Bylaws will be discussed and voted on collectively among the group of the Editor-in-Chief, Vice Editors-in-Chief, Department Editors, and Section Editors (either at the annual meeting or by circulation procedure via e-mail).