Ethics for Editors
ISSN: 2641-5013 | Publisher: Heighten Sciences Publication Incorporation | Standards: COPE • ICMJE • WAME • DOAJ
1. Purpose
This policy defines the ethical principles governing the editorial team of the International Journal of Clinical Virology (IJCV). Editors act as stewards of scientific integrity and must ensure fairness, independence, and transparency at every stage of the editorial process.
2. Editorial Integrity and Independence
Editors must make decisions based purely on the scientific merit, relevance, and originality of submissions. Financial or institutional influence must never affect editorial judgment. Editorial independence is safeguarded through COPE-aligned conflict-management procedures.
3. Impartiality and Fair Treatment
- Manuscripts should be evaluated without bias regarding gender, nationality, academic affiliation, or political orientation.
- Editors must avoid favoritism and ensure consistent application of journal policies for all authors.
4. Confidentiality
All submitted manuscripts and reviewer communications are strictly confidential. Editors must not share, quote, or discuss submissions with individuals outside the editorial or peer-review process unless authorized by the Editor-in-Chief.
5. Handling Conflicts of Interest
- Editors should recuse themselves from handling papers in which they have personal, academic, or financial conflicts.
- Conflicts must be declared annually and whenever relevant to a manuscript.
- Submissions authored by editorial board members must be managed by an independent editor.
6. Objectivity in Peer Review Management
Editors must select reviewers solely based on expertise and impartiality. They must monitor review quality and ensure decisions reflect a balanced evaluation of reviewer opinions and scientific merit.
7. Respect for Authors and Reviewers
- Editors must communicate respectfully and constructively.
- All editorial correspondence must be transparent and free from coercion or undue pressure.
- Editors should respond promptly to author queries and maintain professionalism in tone and decision-making.
8. Ethical Oversight
Editors are responsible for ensuring all manuscripts comply with ethical standards for research involving humans, animals, or data. They must verify that authors include ethical approval identifiers and informed-consent statements before acceptance.
9. Research Misconduct
Editors must act swiftly upon suspicion of misconduct such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication. Investigations should follow COPE flowcharts, maintaining confidentiality and procedural fairness until a decision is reached.
10. Decision Transparency
Editorial decisions should be clearly documented within the OJS system and communicated with justification. Decisions must not be influenced by external entities or editorial board hierarchies.
11. Correction, Retraction, and Expression of Concern
Editors must initiate appropriate post-publication actions when substantial errors or ethical violations are discovered. Retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern must be publicly visible and clearly linked to the original article.
12. Intellectual Property Protection
Editors must protect authors’ intellectual property by ensuring that content is not disclosed or misused before publication. Manuscript ideas, data, or methodologies may not be appropriated for personal research.
13. Inclusivity and Diversity
Editors should promote diversity among reviewers, authors, and editorial board members. Representation from different regions and career stages enhances scientific discourse and equity in publishing.
14. Communication Ethics
All editorial communication must be transparent, factual, and documented. Editors must refrain from language that could be perceived as coercive, dismissive, or discriminatory. Communication via institutional channels is preferred for record integrity.
15. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
Editors may use plagiarism-detection or AI-assisted quality-control tools, but final decisions must always involve human judgment. Editors must disclose any automated systems employed and ensure ethical AI usage consistent with COPE’s emerging guidance.
16. Editorial Accountability
Each editor shares collective responsibility for maintaining the journal’s ethical reputation. Decisions and actions must be auditable through transparent documentation in the editorial management system.
17. Training and Professional Development
Editors are expected to participate in annual training sessions on publication ethics, bias awareness, and data-integrity assessment. Continuous education ensures consistency with evolving best practices.
18. Appeals and Complaints
Editors must handle appeals objectively and escalate unresolved complaints to the Editor-in-Chief or an independent ethics committee. Authors must not be penalized for lodging legitimate complaints.
19. Sanctions for Editorial Misconduct
Confirmed breaches of editorial ethics (e.g., biased decisions, confidentiality breaches, plagiarism) may result in removal from the editorial board, retraction of affected articles, and reporting to COPE or affiliated institutions.
20. Reference Standards
21. Contact
For Ethical Concerns or Editorial Queries
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.clinvirologyjournal.com/