Editorial Responsibilities
ISSN: 2641-5013 | Publisher: Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation | Standards: COPE, ICMJE, DOAJ, WAME
1. Editorial Accountability
The Editors of the International Journal of Clinical Virology (IJCV) are responsible for ensuring that all published material meets the highest academic and ethical standards. Each Editor must act with integrity, fairness, and impartiality, maintaining the credibility of the journal’s scientific record.
2. Core Editorial Duties
- Make editorial decisions based solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance.
- Oversee peer review and maintain objectivity, confidentiality, and independence.
- Ensure publication timelines are met through efficient manuscript processing.
- Facilitate transparent communication among authors, reviewers, and the publisher.
- Protect the intellectual property and privacy rights of all participants.
3. Editorial Independence
Editors exercise complete independence in decision-making. The publisher, sponsors, or institutional affiliations cannot influence the outcome of editorial or peer-review decisions. Editorial independence guarantees that manuscripts are judged purely on scholarly merit and ethical conduct.
4. Fairness and Non-Discrimination
Decisions must not be influenced by authors’ nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs. All manuscripts are evaluated objectively within the scope of the journal.
5. Conflict of Interest Management
- Editors must declare any personal, financial, or institutional conflicts that could influence their judgment.
- Manuscripts with potential conflicts should be reassigned to another qualified editor.
- Editors may not handle papers authored by themselves, family members, or close collaborators.
6. Confidentiality
Editors are bound by confidentiality. Information regarding submitted manuscripts must not be shared beyond those directly involved in the publication process. Editors should ensure that reviewers and staff also maintain strict confidentiality.
7. Peer Review Oversight
Editors must ensure the integrity of the peer-review process by selecting unbiased and qualified reviewers, monitoring review quality, and preventing misconduct such as fabricated reviews. Editors are responsible for protecting reviewer anonymity unless reviewers choose to disclose their identity.
8. Timeliness and Responsiveness
Editors are expected to manage submissions efficiently, providing initial feedback within two weeks and final decisions within reasonable timeframes. Regular updates must be communicated to authors regarding review progress or delays.
9. Ethical Oversight and Misconduct Handling
Editors must follow COPE guidelines when research misconduct is suspected, including plagiarism, data falsification, redundant publication, or unethical experimentation. Investigations should be confidential, impartial, and evidence-based.
10. Correction and Retraction Responsibilities
Editors are responsible for initiating corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary. All such actions should be transparent, traceable, and aligned with COPE retraction standards to maintain the integrity of the journal’s record.
11. Managing Appeals and Complaints
Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions by submitting evidence or clarifications. Appeals must be reviewed impartially by an independent editorial member. Complaints about editorial conduct are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with COPE’s procedures.
12. Relationship with Reviewers
- Provide reviewers with clear instructions, confidentiality expectations, and response timelines.
- Encourage constructive, unbiased, and respectful review feedback.
- Recognize reviewer contributions annually through acknowledgment listings.
13. Relationship with Authors
- Communicate decisions respectfully and provide rational explanations for acceptance or rejection.
- Ensure authors receive feedback promptly and constructively.
- Promote transparency by sharing reviewer comments in anonymized form.
14. Relationship with the Publisher
The editorial team collaborates with the publisher to maintain workflow efficiency and policy compliance while retaining decision-making autonomy. Editors are accountable for upholding ethical standards without external interference.
15. Post-Publication Responsibility
Editors must continue to oversee published content by addressing correction requests, errata, and reader concerns promptly. They should facilitate academic dialogue and post-publication review if issues arise.
16. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Editors must promote representation from diverse regions, disciplines, and perspectives. The journal strives to foster inclusivity by involving experts across different genders, career stages, and geographies in editorial and review roles.
17. Data Protection and Privacy
Editors are responsible for ensuring that data shared during peer review complies with privacy laws and institutional confidentiality agreements. Identifiable data from human participants must never be disclosed without consent.
18. Editorial Meetings and Continuous Improvement
Regular meetings among editors should review workflow metrics, ethical case studies, reviewer feedback, and publication timelines. These meetings serve to continuously enhance efficiency, integrity, and author satisfaction.
19. Training and Development
Editors and Associate Editors are required to undergo periodic training in editorial management systems (OJS), publication ethics, and bias reduction strategies. Certificates of participation are recorded annually as part of quality assurance.
20. Transparency and Public Accountability
Editors must ensure journal policies, procedures, and corrections are publicly accessible. Transparency builds trust among readers, authors, and indexing bodies such as DOAJ, PubMed, and Scopus.
21. References and Global Standards
22. Contact
Editorial Office – IJCV
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.clinvirologyjournal.com/