Guidelines for Editors

Guidelines

1. 01

   Editorial responsibilities

   Editors assess each manuscript for scope, scholarly quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and research integrity. They treat manuscripts and reviews as confidential, act fairly and promptly, and follow COPE guidance in cases of suspected misconduct.

2. 02

   Independence and conflicts of interest

   Editorial decisions are independent of the article processing charge, of any fee-relief inquiry, of membership and of commercial considerations. Editors declare any conflict of interest with a manuscript, such as a recent collaboration, a shared institution or a competing interest, and hand the manuscript to another editor.

3. 03

   Handling peer review

   Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.

   All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.

   When double-blind review is requested, editors must ensure that author-identifying information is not shared with reviewers.

   Editors choose reviewers with the relevant expertise and no conflict of interest, weigh the reports, and give authors clear reasons for the decision.

4. 04

   Ethics checks

   Editors check that ethics approval, consent, trial registration, the data-availability statement and the declarations of interest are present where they apply, and raise concerns about originality, image integrity or authorship with the editorial office.

5. 05

   Basis of editorial decisions

   Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.

6. 06

   Confidential material and AI tools

   Manuscripts and reviews are confidential. Editors obtain journal permission before using AI tools to assist with editorial work, disclose any permitted use, and do not upload confidential manuscript content where confidentiality cannot be assured.

7. 07

   Joining the Editorial Board

   Researchers interested in joining the board may write to info@openaccesspub.org with a short curriculum vitae and their ORCID iD.