Navigating the Hidden Work of Academic Publishing: A conversation with Els Breugelmans

Written by Veronica Burbulea, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands)

The review process is a crucial part of academic publishing, yet much of it remains hidden, especially for early-career scholars. To shed light on what happens behind the scenes, I spoke with Els Breugelmans, a newly appointed Associate Editor (AE) at IJRM.

Els is a full professor of Marketing at KU Leuven, a multi-campus university in Belgium with campuses in Antwerp, Brussels, and Leuven. Her academic path wasn’t without challenges—after being turned down for a tenure-track position in Maastricht, she was forced to reflect deeply on what she truly wanted. That moment of disappointment became a turning point. It reaffirmed her commitment to research and fueled a renewed determination to succeed. Since then, Els has spent over 15 years conducting research and teaching marketing courses, with a focus on retailing, including both food and non-food sectors. Last September, she took on the role of AE at IJRM, adding a new dimension to her academic service.

The Review Process

While often invisible to the broader community, the peer review process is fundamental to maintaining the quality of academic work:

“Our reviewers are the quality gatekeepers at IJRM”

-Els Breugelmans

For Els, reviewing is a form of academic citizenship, a way to give back to the same community that has supported her own research. She sees reviewing not just as a service, but also as a vital part of becoming a better scholar. Over the years, she’s come to appreciate how reviewing other researchers' work sharpens one’s ability to evaluate one’s own. By reading papers critically, you inevitably learn to spot weaknesses, clarify research questions, and better articulate contributions in your own writing.

In particular, Els believes reviewing plays an essential role for early-career researchers. It offers insights into what journals value, how others approach similar questions, and what makes a paper stand out. And while reviews are double-blinded, their influence is far from invisible. Editors and associate editors remember who consistently delivers constructive, thoughtful feedback. That reputation can open doors.

“For those looking to get involved, IJRM offers a reviewer trainee program. It is an initiative designed to help junior scholars gain firsthand experience in the review process.”

-Els Breugelmans

Els encourages interested researchers to reach out to more senior colleagues or editors to learn more and take part in the programme.

The Role of an AE

When Els stepped into the role of AE, she realized just how complex and impactful the position is. AEs must synthesize multiple perspectives and offer authors a clear roadmap for revision. That often means balancing conflicting reviewer comments, identifying the core potential of a manuscript, and helping authors navigate the path toward publication.

She sees the AE’s job as both a gatekeeper and a coach. On one hand, she must sustain the journal’s standards, ensuring that papers offer meaningful contributions and methodological rigor. On the other hand, she aims to support authors in realizing their paper’s potential. That means taking time to understand each submission deeply, not just reading the reviewer reports, but engaging closely with the manuscript itself.

The AE role has also given her a new appreciation for the importance of selecting the right reviewers. A good match can make all the difference, not only for the fairness and depth of the feedback, but also for how efficiently the process moves forward. Thoughtful, constructive reviewers ease the burden on AEs and provide authors with clearer guidance. It's a part of the process that seems minor from the outside but demands careful judgment.

Advice for Researchers

Having spent time as both an author, reviewer and AE, Els has gathered a clear view of what makes a paper successful in the review process. Her first piece of advice is to tell a compelling and coherent story. Papers should open with a strong introduction that draws the reader in and sets up the research questions and contribution clearly. She advises against overusing jargon, especially when key terms are not clearly defined. If the terminology is essential, it needs to be introduced in plain language early on or reconsidered altogether.

Clarity and consistency are non-negotiable. Using multiple terms for the same concept only adds confusion. Every element of the paper should be laid out in a way that leaves no room for ambiguity.

Rigorous reporting is just as important. Reviewers need to understand exactly what data were used, how they were collected, and how the analyses were conducted. Sloppy presentation, whether through mismatched tables and text or numerous typos, can undermine even a strong contribution. It raises doubts about the care taken in other, less visible parts of the research process.

Els also encourages authors to see any feedback as an opportunity. A revise-and-resubmit, even with extensive reviewer comments, is a sign that the paper has potential. Embracing that feedback, rather than seeing it as criticism, is key to moving the work forward.

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Meet Els Breugelmans

Full professor of Marketing at KU Leuven, Belgium

If you would not be a marketing researcher, what would you be?

“If I hadn’t become a marketing researcher, I’d probably still be doing something that helps me understand human behavior—whether in politics, law, or psychology. In the end, it’s all about why people do what they do and how we can influence those choices.”

What is the best advice you have ever received, and how has it influenced your career or life?

“When I didn’t get tenure at Maastricht, it felt like the worst thing that could have happened. But my father told me something that stuck: ‘You’ll only realize later that this is an opportunity.’ At the time, I couldn’t see it—but he was right. It gave me the space to reflect, to commit more deeply to academia, and to return to Belgium with renewed energy. What felt like failure turned out to be a turning point.”

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This article was written by

Veronica Burbulea

Ph.D. candidate at the University of Groningen (the Netherlands)