Initial assessment
Check journal fit, section relevance, completeness, ethical disclosures and whether the manuscript is ready for external review. Screening should be consistent and based on stated criteria.
Editorial Resources
For Editors
Editors protect the independence, consistency and integrity of a journal’s scholarly record. Their decisions should be reasoned, documented and grounded in the journal’s published scope and policies.
Independent review
Select reviewers with appropriate expertise, independence and no material conflict. Explain the review model and protect reviewer and author confidentiality.
Reasoned decisions
Evaluate reports alongside the manuscript and author responses. Give clear reasons tied to evidence, scope, methods, ethics and the journal’s published standards.
Research integrity
Raise concerns about authorship, data, image integrity, conflicts, consent or text overlap through a fair, confidential process with appropriate documentation.
Editorial independence
Editors must disclose conflicts and recuse themselves where impartiality could reasonably be questioned. Publisher, commercial, institutional or personal interests must not determine editorial outcomes. Editorial correspondence should be recorded and handled securely.
Corrections and the scholarly record
When a material concern arises after publication, editors assess the evidence and coordinate an appropriate correction, expression of concern or retraction in accordance with policy. The record should remain transparent; material changes should not be silently removed.