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For Editors

Instructions for Editors

Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors

Editorial Board Responsibilities

Editorial Board Selection

Join Jaypee Journals as Editor

The editor's responsibility is to maintain and enhance the journal's profile and reputation whenever possible. Editors have obligations to the authors who write the journals' material, the peer reviewers who comment on manuscripts' eligibility for publishing, the journal's readers and the scientific community, the journal's owners and publishers, and the public.

Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors

  1. Quality assurance
    Editors should take all possible steps to assure the quality of the content they publish, while keeping in mind that different journals and sections within journals will have varied goals and requirements. The editors should have the systems in place to detect falsified data (e.g., inappropriately manipulated photographic images or plagiarised text) either for routine use or when suspicions are raised. The editors should follow the COPE and ICMJE guidelines for dealing with basing decisions about journal house style on relevant evidence of factors that raise the quality of reporting (e.g., CARE for case reports, CONSORT for clinical trials) rather than simply on personal preference.

  2. Editorial and peer review process
    Editors should make every effort to ensure that peer review is fair, objective, and timely. The editor should ensure that everyone involved in the editorial process (including themselves) receives adequate training and stays up-to-date on the latest guidelines, recommendations, and evidence about peer review and journal management. The editor should be up to date on peer review research and technological advances. The editor should strive to adopt peer review methods best suited for their journal and the research community it serves. The peer review policies are reviewed on a regular basis to see if they may be improved. The editor should be familiar with COPE practises for handling misconduct arising from misconduct in the editorial and peer review processes. The editor should consider authors' appeals against editorial decisions and manage complaints (e.g., about journal processes). The editor can appoint an independent ombudsman to advise on issues that cannot be resolved internally.

  3. Encouraging ethical practices
    The editors should make every effort to guarantee that the research they publish was conducted in accordance with internationally established guidelines (for example, the Declaration of Helsinki). Where appropriate, editors should seek guarantees that all research has been approved by an appropriate body (e.g., research ethics committee, institutional review board). Editors should be aware, however, that such permission does not guarantee that the research is ethical. Editors should request evidence of ethical research approval and question authors about ethical aspects (such as how research participant consent was obtained or what methods were used to minimise animal suffering) if concerns are raised or clarifications are required.

  4. Dealing with possible ethical misconduct
    Editors have an obligation to act if they suspect misconduct or are made aware of an allegation of misconduct in both published and unpublished studies. Editors should not simply reject publications that raise suspicions of misconduct but must exercise their ethical obligation to investigate alleged cases. If there are concerns about plagiarism, data fabrication, or an authorship dispute, the editor should (if possible) involve other editors (preferably the one who was directly involved in dealing with the manuscript) and inform the publisher or journal owner. Where applicable, editors should adhere to the COPE flowcharts. Editors should make all reasonable efforts to undertake a proper inquiry into suspected misconduct and continue efforts toward achieving a resolution to the matter. Editors should be aware of intellectual property issues and collaborate with their publishers to address potential violations of intellectual property laws and conventions.

  5. Ensuring integrity of the academic record
    Errors, erroneous, or misleading statements must be addressed immediately. Editors should adhere to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) criteria for retractions and erratum. The prompt retraction of a significantly faulty paper should not be interpreted as an admission of failure by the journal, but rather as a responsible measure to protect the academic record.

  6. Protecting individual data
    Editors must abide by confidentiality rules in their respective jurisdictions. Regardless of local laws, they must always maintain the confidentiality of individual information gathered during research or professional encounters (e.g., between doctors and patients). As a result, it is nearly always necessary to seek written informed consent for publication from individuals who may recognise themselves or be identified by others (for example, via case reports or images), and this information should be stated in the articles published by the journal. Individual information may be published without explicit consent if public interest reasons exceed potential risks, obtaining consent is difficult, and a reasonable individual would be unlikely to object to publishing. The editor should be aware that consent to take part in research or undergo treatment is not the same as consent to publish personal details, images, or quotations.

  7. Commercial issues (e.g., advertising, commercial supplements, tendering process)
    The editor should follow the policies regarding managing the commercial issues and ensure that the commercial aspects do not influence the editorial decisions or the quality of the journal. The editor will be involved in tendering for commercial services (such as printing) and hence has a responsibility to ensure that the processes are transparent and unbiased. Individuals involved in this process should state any competing interests and, if significant, withdraw from the process.

  8. Maintaining editorial independence
    Editors' relationships with publishers and journal owners should always be founded on the idea of editorial independence. The articles should be accepted based on their quality and suitability for readers rather than for immediate financial, political, or personal advantage.

  9. Managing conflict of interest
    The editor should follow processes in place to manage their personal conflicts of interest, as well as the conflicts of interest of their staff, authors, reviewers, and editorial board members. The editor can publish in their own journal, but caution must be exercised to prevent the impression of exploiting their position or creating an impression of impropriety. The procedures to handle submissions from editors should be followed and declared in the submission. The editors should disclose their relevant interests (financial, academic, and other kinds) annually at the journal board meeting. The editor should follow processes in place to manage their personal conflicts of interest, as well as the conflicts of interest of their staff, authors, reviewers, and editorial board members. The editor can publish in their own journal, but caution must be exercised to prevent the impression of exploiting their position or creating an impression of impropriety. The procedures to handle submissions from editors should be followed and declared in the submission. The editors should disclose their relevant interests (financial, academic, and other kinds) annually at the journal board meeting.

  10. Encouraging debate
    The editor should welcome and be open to thoughtful critiques of work published in their journal. The authors of work that has been critiqued should be given the opportunity to respond. Negative outcomes studies should not be excluded. The editor should be open to research that challenges previous work published in the journal.

Editorial Board Responsibilities

  1. Editor-in-Chief: The Editor-in-Chief oversees the journal's scientific quality and development. They oversee journal activities to ensure the journal's success within the scientific community.
    The responsibilities include:
    1. Serving as an ambassador for the journal.
    2. Inviting eminent scientists to serve on the Editorial Board.
    3. Supporting and advising Section Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, and Editorial Staff as needed.
    4. Maintaining editorial oversight for individual manuscripts (mostly by making the final judgement on whether a work can be published after peer review and changes).
    5. Topic suggestions for Special Issues.
    6. Scientific decisions on the scope of the journal.
    7. Understanding, directing, and enforcing peer review and ethics requirements.

  2. Section Editor-in-chief: The Section Editor-in-Chief is in-charge of the articles in their field of expertise and oversees the scientific excellence of a certain section of a journal. The Section Editor-in-Chief is expected to oversee the articles in these journal sections.
    1. Inviting eminent scientists to serve on the Editorial Board.
    2. Scientific decisions on the scope of the journal.
    3. Topic suggestions for Special Issues.
    4. Supporting and advising Editorial Board Members, and Editorial Staff as needed.
    5. Maintaining editorial oversight for individual manuscripts (mostly by making the final judgement on whether a work can be published after peer review and changes).
    6. Understanding, directing, and enforcing peer review and ethics requirements.

  3. Associate/ Assistant editor: The Associate Editors support the Editor-in-Chief and Section Editor-in-Chief in their respective roles and comply with the same terms and conditions.

  4. Editorial Board Members:
    1. Screen and take decisions on new submissions related to their research interests.
    2. Supervise at least one special issue during their term on topic related to their research field.
    3. Help to promote the journal among their peers or at conferences.
    4. Review manuscripts.
    5. Participate in journal board meetings.
    6. Provide inputs and feedbacks about journal policies.

  5. Advisory Board Members: The Advisory Board Members will provide guidance to the Editor-in-Chief regarding journal development strategies and policies.
    1. Provide inputs and feedbacks about journal policies.
    2. Participate in journal board meetings.
    3. Suggest topics for special issues and launch new sections for the journal.
    4. Help to promote the journal among their peers or at conferences.
    5. Provide assistance in solving appeal cases or ethical disputes.

  6. Guest Editors: Special Issues will be edited by Guest Editors, who are encouraged to invite peers from the same study field to contribute to the Special Issue. Special Issues help foster collaboration with researchers from all over the world. Guest editors' primary tasks are as follows:
    1. Creating the Special Issue title, goal and scope, summary, and keywords.
    2. Making a list of possible authors.
    3. Screen new submissions, supervise the entire peer-review process, and make decisions on new submissions in their Special Issue,
    4. Promotion of the Special Issue at conferences, on social media, and through other appropriate channels.

Editorial Board Selection

Jaypee Journals are committed to unbiased and ethical editorial process for it journals. The selection of editors is based on the following criteria for proprietary journals of Jaypee for a 5-year tenure:

  • A senior academician in the field
  • Experience as an editor/ associate editor/ reviewer in a peer reviewed journal in the field
  • Publications in national and international peer-reviewed medical journals
  • Hold good academic positions in University, Research Institute, or related Organization.
  • Knowledge about the editorial processes and COPE directives.

For journals managed by a learned society or institution, the editor is appointed by the society and its members according to their guidelines.

Declaration of conflict of interest: Members of the editorial board should disclose any potential conflicts of interest. This includes commitments and roles involving journals, books, and societies that produce publications (e.g., membership on publication oversight committees), any concurrent editorships and editorial board memberships, and any conflicts of interest that arise during their appointment.

Join Jaypee Journals as Editor

To become an editor for Jaypee's proprietary journals, potential editors can send their CV to the following email address: editor@jaypeebrothers.com / journals.editor@jaypeebrothers.com

To become an editor for Society/ Institution held journals published by Jaypee, please contact the editor-in-chief of the concerned journal.

Editors at Jaypee Journals play an important role in maintaining the high publishing standards of the journals. We recommend COPE resources for the editors to understand the standard practices in journal management. https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines/short-guide-ethical-editing-new-editors

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