Guidelines for Ethical Editorial Conduct

The pivotal role of an Editor in maintaining the professional standards of a research journal cannot be overstated. The publication of a paper in an HEC recognized journal is not only a reflection of the author(s)' quality work but also a representation of the affiliating institution. The Editor, entrusted with the responsibility of the journal's integrity, is expected to adhere to ethical guidelines throughout the publication process.

  1. Editorial Responsibilities:

The Editor is responsible for:

  • Ensuring and maintaining the journal's quality by publishing high-caliber papers.
  • Promoting freedom of expression within the cultural and legal framework.
  • Upholding the integrity and credibility of research contributions.
  • Meeting the needs of authors and readers.
  • Upholding ethical standards within the journal.
  1. Best Practices:

Best practices for Editors include:

  • Encouraging innovative ideas and suggestions from various stakeholders.
  • Implementing a true and unbiased blind peer-review process.
  • Prioritizing innovative findings in the respective field.
  • Promoting an anti-plagiarism policy.
  • Educating contributors about ethical research practices.
  • Implementing the journal's policy without succumbing to institutional pressure.
  1. Formation of Editorial Board:

The Editor must:

  • Ensure the Editorial Board comprises prominent scholars.
  • Appoint an Editorial Committee for logistics and an Advisory Committee for reviewing submitted research articles.
  • Inform new board members about ethical guidelines.
  • Conduct regular Editorial Board meetings for effective communication.
  1. Fair Play and Impartiality:

The Editor should:

  • Select research papers impartially based on academic and scientific merit.
  • Promptly respond to authors of submitted papers.
  • Maintain impartiality during the review process.
  • Ensure the review process is masked to protect author identity.
  1. Confidentiality:

The Editor must:

  • Ensure confidentiality during the double-blind peer-review process.
  • Disclose information about a research paper only to the author(s), reviewer(s), and editorial board members.
  • Maintain confidentiality of participants in the research.
  1. Editing and Formatting Guidelines:

The Editor should:

  • Provide clear guidelines for paper preparation and formatting.
  • Include information on content and format in each journal issue.
  • Declare a preferred manual of style as a policy decision.
  1. Review Process:

Details about the review process should be declared, including:

  • Double-blind peer review for all published papers.
  • Inclusion of at least one international reviewer.
  • Guidelines provided to reviewers.
  • Prompt, non-discriminatory, and professional peer-review practices.
  • Share Reviewers feedback with the authors.
  1. Dealing with Misconduct:

The Editor should:

  • Encourage reviewers to comment on ethical issues and research misconduct.
  • Confirm plagiarism through objective checks.
  • Be prepared to publish corrections or retractions if misconduct is identified post-publication.
  1. Transparency:

The Editor must:

  • Ensure multiple papers by a principal investigator are not published in the same issue.
  • Allow only ONE co-authorship for authors contributing as principal investigators in the same issue.
  • Adopt authorship or co-authorship policies to discourage misconduct.
  1. Conflict of Interest:

The Editor should:

  • Avoid editing papers for those with conflicts of interest.
  • Declare conflicts of interest for reviewers and Editorial Board members.
  • Publish a list of common interests for Editorial Board members.
  1. Disclosure:
  • The Editor must not use unpublished information without permission and must keep post-peer review information confidential.
  1. Publication Decisions:

The Editor should:

  • Shortlist papers based on relevance to the journal's scope.
  • Make publication decisions based on merit, academic standards, and professional demands.
  • Justify rejection reasons to authors promptly.
  1. Establishing a Procedure for Appeal:

The Editor is responsible for establishing a proper mechanism for appeals against:

  • Rejection of a research paper.
  • Publications causing harm.
  • Ethical boundary infringements.
  • Adhering to these guidelines ensures the ethical conduct of the Editor and maintains the credibility and integrity of the research journal.