Editorial Guidelines

Editor Guidelines for the Journal of Science and Technology

1. Editorial Responsibilities

  • Quality Assurance:
    • Ensure that published manuscripts meet the journal’s standards of scientific rigor, originality, and relevance.
  • Integrity:
    • Uphold ethical publishing practices by addressing issues such as plagiarism, duplicate submissions, and research misconduct.
  • Confidentiality:
    • Treat all submitted manuscripts and communications as confidential.
  • Objectivity:
    • Base editorial decisions solely on the quality of the manuscript and its relevance to the journal's scope, without bias.

2. Submission Management

  • Initial Screening:
    • Evaluate whether the manuscript fits the journal’s scope and adheres to its submission guidelines.
    • Conduct a preliminary check for plagiarism and ethical compliance (e.g., appropriate approvals for human/animal research).
    • Reject submissions that are out of scope, of poor quality, or fail to meet basic ethical standards.
  • Assigning Reviewers:
    • Select qualified reviewers with expertise in the manuscript’s subject area.
    • Avoid assigning reviewers with potential conflicts of interest.
    • Ensure a balanced review process by assigning at least two reviewers to each manuscript.
  • Review Oversight:
    • Monitor the progress of the peer-review process and ensure timely completion of reviews.
    • Provide clear guidance to reviewers on their role and expectations.
    • Address concerns raised by reviewers, such as ethical issues or requests for additional data.

3. Decision-Making

  • Types of Decisions:
    • Accept: The manuscript meets all quality and ethical standards.
    • Minor Revision: Minor issues need to be addressed before acceptance.
    • Major Revision: Substantial changes are required, including additional experiments, analysis, or reorganization.
    • Reject: The manuscript is unsuitable for the journal due to poor quality, lack of originality, or irreparable flaws.
  • Final Review:
    • Evaluate revised manuscripts to confirm that authors have adequately addressed reviewers' comments.
    • If necessary, request additional reviews for revised submissions.
  • Communication with Authors:
    • Provide clear, constructive feedback on decisions.
    • Include specific reasons for rejection or requested revisions.
    • Ensure that all correspondence is professional and respectful.

4. Ethical Oversight

  • Plagiarism:
    • Use plagiarism-detection tools to identify copied content.
    • Address any instances of plagiarism with the authors and take appropriate action, which may include rejection or notification of their institution.
  • Research Misconduct:
    • Investigate and address issues such as data fabrication, falsification, or ethical violations.
  • Conflicts of Interest:
    • Ensure transparency by requiring authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose potential conflicts of interest.
  • Corrections and Retractions:
    • Publish corrections for minor errors and issue retractions for serious issues such as fraudulent data or ethical breaches.

5. Ensuring Timeliness

  • Submission Turnaround:
    • Strive to provide initial decisions within a specified time frame (e.g., 4-6 weeks).
    • Regularly follow up with reviewers to ensure timely submission of reviews.
  • Publication Schedule:
    • Work with the editorial team to maintain the journal’s publication timeline and prevent delays.

6. Maintaining Journal Standards

  • Consistency:
    • Ensure all published articles meet the journal’s formatting, stylistic, and quality standards.
  • Review Quality:
    • Monitor and evaluate the quality of reviews, providing feedback to reviewers as necessary.
  • Updates and Policies:
    • Regularly review and update journal policies to reflect advances in publishing standards and ethical practices.

7. Communication and Collaboration

  • With Reviewers:
    • Provide clear guidelines and support for the review process.
    • Recognize and acknowledge the contributions of reviewers.
  • With Authors:
    • Ensure transparent, timely, and constructive communication.
    • Guide authors on how to address reviewer feedback and improve their manuscripts.
  • With the Editorial Board:
    • Collaborate with other editors to address complex cases or disputes.
    • Seek advice from the editorial board on improving journal policies and procedures.

8. Promoting Ethical Research and Publishing

  • Authorship:
    • Confirm that all listed authors meet authorship criteria and have contributed significantly to the work.
  • Acknowledgments and Funding:
    • Ensure proper acknowledgment of funding sources and contributions from collaborators.
  • Transparency:
    • Publish statements on conflicts of interest, ethical approvals, and data availability.

9. Continuous Improvement

  • Feedback:
    • Regularly gather feedback from authors, reviewers, and readers to improve the journal’s processes and standards.
  • Training:
    • Stay updated on trends and best practices in scholarly publishing and provide training to editorial team members as needed.

10. Handling Appeals and Complaints

  • Appeals:
    • Allow authors to appeal editorial decisions by providing additional information or clarification.
    • Involve an independent editor or advisory board member to resolve disputes.
  • Complaints:
    • Address complaints about editorial decisions, reviewer conduct, or ethical concerns promptly and fairly.

11. Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

  • Ensure diverse representation in the editorial board, reviewer pool, and published content.
  • Avoid biases based on gender, race, geography, or institutional affiliation in the editorial and peer-review process.