Edifying Editing

Abstract

Editor’s Introduction Originally published in Volume 55, Number 1, Spring 2010, pages 1-8. Preston McAfee (born 1956) is an economist for the digital age. He currently serves as Chief Economist and Corporate Vice President for Microsoft after working in similar positions for Google and Yahoo!. His corporate career follows a distinguished tenure in academics at institutions such as, the University of Texas at Austin, and the California Institute of Technology. Professor McAfee’s research centers on applied problems in microeconomics and industrial organization. He is known for his award winning work in auctions and mechanism design. Between 2007 and 2012, Professor McAfee served as Editor of Economic Inquiry, the flagship academic journal of the Western Economic Association International. This paper recounts his experiences with editorship and provides valuable insight into the traditional peer review process of economic research. Professor McAfee describes the logic behind his innovative “no revisions” submission policy that was introduced by Economic Inquiry during his time at the helm. Authors, referees, and editors will all find something useful to take away from this article that was part of series published by The American Economist to highlight the role of editors and journals within the economics profession.