Ethics for Editors

1. Editorial Impartiality

Editors must make decisions solely based on a manuscript’s scientific merit, originality, and clarity, without regard to authors’ gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs. Editorial judgment must never be influenced by external pressures such as commercial interests, personal relationships, or political considerations.

2. Confidentiality Obligations

Manuscripts and correspondence submitted to the journal are strictly confidential. Editors and staff must not disclose information to anyone outside the peer-review process without explicit authorization. Confidential information obtained through editorial duties must not be used for personal advantage or shared with third parties.

3. Managing Conflicts of Interest

• Editors must declare any real or perceived conflict that could bias editorial decisions (e.g., collaboration, competition, or financial interest with the authors or their institutions).
• If a conflict exists, the editor must recuse themselves and delegate the manuscript to another qualified editor.
• All conflict declarations are recorded within the OJS editorial management system.

4. Fair and Transparent Decision-Making

All editorial decisions must be justified and documented. Editors should ensure a fair review process by assigning competent, unbiased reviewers, evaluating their feedback objectively, and providing clear reasons for acceptance, revision, or rejection.

5. Respectful Communication

Editors must maintain professional and courteous communication with authors and reviewers. Constructive, respectful feedback should guide authors toward improving their work rather than discouraging publication. Discriminatory or offensive language in correspondence is unacceptable.

6. Adherence to COPE and ICMJE Standards

Editors should be familiar with and follow:

• COPE Core Practices
• ICMJE Recommendations
• WAME Best Practice Guidelines

These frameworks ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in editorial work.

7. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

When concerns arise about plagiarism, data manipulation, or ethical breaches, editors must follow COPE flowcharts for investigation. Actions may include seeking clarification from authors, consulting reviewers, or escalating to the publisher’s Ethics Committee. Decisions must be evidence-based and documented.

8. Ensuring Reviewer Integrity

• Editors should appoint reviewers based on expertise and independence.
• They must ensure reviewers respect confidentiality and disclose potential conflicts.
• Editors must act promptly if reviewers behave unethically (e.g., inappropriate use of unpublished data).

9. Prevention of Bias and Discrimination

Editors should promote diversity and inclusivity across all aspects of journal management. They must guard against bias related to nationality, gender, ethnicity, career stage, or institutional reputation, ensuring equitable opportunities for all authors and reviewers.

10. Correction and Retraction Protocols

Editors must act promptly to correct errors or retract papers when necessary. ABSE follows COPE flowcharts for issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, ensuring each action is transparent and linked to the original article.

11. Data Integrity and Verification

Editors are encouraged to verify datasets and ethical approval statements, particularly for human or animal studies. If inconsistencies arise, they may request supporting documents or raw data before reaching a decision.

12. Authorship Disputes and Resolution

Editors must handle authorship disputes sensitively, ensuring all listed authors meet contribution criteria. When disagreements occur, editors should request written confirmation from all parties and refer unresolved cases to the Ethics Committee for mediation.

13. Editorial Independence and Accountability

While editors collaborate with the publisher, they must retain full editorial control over manuscript decisions. The Editor-in-Chief ensures that journal content is free from commercial bias and upholds editorial transparency through annual policy reviews.

14. Ethical Handling of Sensitive Content

Editors should exercise discretion when handling research that may involve privacy, cultural, or security sensitivities. Such manuscripts require additional ethical review or informed consent statements to ensure participant protection.

15. Professional Conduct with the Publisher

Editors must collaborate with the publisher constructively while protecting editorial independence. They must support the implementation of editorial policies, review procedures, and digital archiving standards without compromising ethics.

16. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Editorial Work

Editors may use AI tools for language correction or plagiarism screening but remain accountable for all editorial decisions. AI cannot be listed as an editor or reviewer and must never replace human ethical judgment.

17. Continuous Professional Development

Editors are encouraged to participate in ethics training and workshops organized by COPE, DOAJ, or OASPA to remain informed about emerging challenges in publishing ethics and digital transparency.

18. Post-Publication Responsibilities

• Respond promptly to reader complaints or post-publication concerns.
• Coordinate retractions or corrections when credible errors or ethical breaches are identified.
• Collaborate with institutions in cases of suspected research misconduct.

19. Ethical Leadership Statement

“Editors are the ethical gatekeepers of scholarly publishing. Upholding fairness, transparency, and respect preserves the integrity of science and public trust in research.”

20. Contact Information

• Editorial Office: [email protected]
• Ethics Committee: [email protected]
• Publisher Support: [email protected]