Renowned subject matter experts will be selected to serve on the editorial board. On the journal webpage, the editor will include the members' complete names and affiliations along with the most recent contact details for the editorial office.
Publication decisions
The responsibility of deciding which of the submitted papers should be published falls under the jurisdiction of the editor. Such decisions must consistently be grounded in the validity of the work in question and its significance to readers and scholars. In addition to adhering to legal restrictions and avoiding issues such as copyright infringement and plagiarism, the editor may consider the policies set by the journal's editorial board. In making this decision, the editor may consult with other editors or reviewers.
Peer review process
Every article published in a journal undergoes peer assessment, wherein submissions for potential publication go through a double-blind, peer review procedure. Editors initially review articles, holding the right to reject them outright if they do not align with the publication's topic or if they exhibit an evident lack of quality. Once an article is deemed suitable for evaluation, it is forwarded to two specialists in the relevant field and the referees' identities are kept confidential from each other. Referees are tasked with indicating whether the article should be published immediately, after revisions and enhancements, or not at all. The referees' judgments typically include a clear recommendation for the manuscript's next steps. The author then receives feedback from the referees.
Editors must be prepared to justify any significant deviation from the outlined process, refraining from overturning publication decisions unless serious issues are identified. Editors should provide guidelines outlining expectations for authors and reviewers, with these guidelines being regularly referenced or linked to the established code.
Fair play
Editors should evaluate manuscripts solely based on their intellectual merit, disregarding the writers' political philosophies, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or place of birth. In selecting a manuscript for publication, editors should only consider the significance of the work, its uniqueness and clarity, and how well it aligns with the journal's objectives.
Digital Archiving
The editor ensures that academic indexes can access the journal's material digitally.
Confidentiality
The corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, other editorial consultants, and the publisher are the only parties to whom the editor and any editorial staff may disclose information regarding a submitted manuscript. Editors will ensure that submitted material is kept confidential while undergoing the review process.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Editors are prohibited from using unpublished materials from a submitted paper in their research without the author's explicit written consent. Privileged knowledge or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not utilized for personal gain. Editors should refrain from reviewing manuscripts if they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers. Editors must ensure that all authors disclose any relevant conflicting interests, and if such interests are discovered after publication, editors should require authors to provide revisions.
Procedures for dealing with unethical behavior
Anyone can report unethical activity to the editor and publisher at any time. Those who bring such behavior to the attention of the editor or publisher must provide sufficient information and evidence for an investigation to commence. All complaints should be treated seriously and handled consistently until a satisfactory resolution is achieved. Each reported case of unethical publishing activity must be investigated, even if it is discovered years after publication.
When ethical objections are raised regarding a submitted manuscript or a published piece, the editor should take appropriate remedial action in collaboration with the publisher. Methods to address misconduct may include reaching out to the author of the manuscript or article, considering the complaint or allegations, and engaging with relevant institutions and research bodies based on the severity of the misconduct.
Minor transgressions may be addressed without the need for broader consultation. In any case, the author should have the opportunity to respond to any claims. Serious misconduct may result in one or more of the following measures:
· Informing or educating authors or reviewers about misunderstandings or misapplication of appropriate standards.
· Publishing an official notice outlining the offense.
· Submitting a formal letter to the author's or reviewer's department or funding organization.
· Formally retracting or withdrawing a publication from a journal and notifying the author or reviewer's department head.
· Implementing a formal embargo on individual contributions for a specified period.
