Editorial responsibilities
The Editor-in-Chief oversees scope, editorial standards and the integrity of the scholarly record. Handling editors coordinate assessment within their competence. The editorial office manages communication, records and production. Editorial board membership should be based on a confirmed appointment, relevant expertise and a willingness to contribute.
- Apply the same standards to favorable and critical studies.
- Record decisions and relevant review evidence.
- Manage conflicts before assigning a manuscript.
- Preserve author and reviewer confidentiality.
Independence from commercial activity
The journal’s decisions are separate from institutional ranking participation and paid analytical services. Editors must not promise publication in exchange for a purchase, a citation, an institutional relationship or a favorable assessment of the publisher. Advertising or sponsorship, if introduced, must be clearly distinguished from scholarly content.
Special issues and guest editors
A thematic collection may be organized within the continuous annual volume. Guest editors follow the same ethics and review requirements as ordinary submissions. A conflicted guest editor must not decide on their own or a close collaborator’s manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief retains oversight of standards, complaints and the final publication decision.