Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions

• Peer Review: Editors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process involving at least two experts in the field. This process helps to validate the quality and significance of the research.
• Decision Making: Editors make publication decisions based on a comprehensive evaluation of the manuscript's validation, relevance to the journal’s scope, reviewers’ feedback, and legal considerations (e.g., libel, copyright infringement, plagiarism).
• Consultation: Editors may consult with other editorial board members or reviewers to aid in making informed publication decisions.

Fair Play

• Academic Merit: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit, including importance, originality, study validity, and clarity. The evaluation is carried out without bias concerning the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, citizenship, religious beliefs, political philosophies, or institutional affiliations.
• Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of any government policies or external influences. The editor-in-chief holds full authority over editorial content and publication timing.

Confidentiality

• Information Protection: Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all information related to a submitted manuscript. This includes not disclosing details to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

• Use of Unpublished Information: Editors must not use any unpublished information from a submitted manuscript for their own research without obtaining explicit written consent from the author.
• Confidentiality of Ideas: Information or ideas obtained through the manuscript handling process must remain confidential and should not be used for personal gain.
• Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from managing manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, institutions, or companies involved. Such manuscripts will be assigned to another editorial board member.

Management of Unethical Behavior

• Ethical Complaints: Editors, in collaboration with the publisher, will take appropriate and rational actions when ethical complaints arise regarding a submitted manuscript or a published article. All reports of unethical behavior will be investigated thoroughly, even if discovered years after publication.