Duties of Editors

Fair Play and Editorial Independence

Editors at SSIJIS evaluate submitted manuscripts based solely on their academic merit, including the importance, originality, and clarity of the study, as well as its relevance to the journal’s scope. This evaluation is conducted without regard to the author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, political beliefs, or institutional affiliation. Editorial decisions are made independently of government or other external influences. The Editor-in-Chief holds full authority over all editorial content and the timing of its publication.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must keep all information about a submitted manuscript confidential. This information is only shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as necessary.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors and editorial board members must not use unpublished information from a submitted manuscript for their own research without the authors’ explicit written consent. Any privileged information or ideas obtained during the handling of a manuscript must remain confidential and not be used for personal advantage. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions involved. In such cases, another editorial board member will be assigned to handle the manuscript.

Publication Decisions

Editors ensure that all manuscripts under consideration for publication undergo peer review by at least two experts in the field. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on which manuscripts to publish, based on the work’s validity, its significance to researchers and readers, reviewers’ comments, and legal considerations such as libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor-in-Chief may consult with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

Editors, in collaboration with the publisher and/or society, will take appropriate action when ethical concerns are raised regarding a submitted or published paper. Every report of unethical publishing behavior will be investigated thoroughly, even if discovered years after publication. SSIJIS editors follow COPE Flowcharts to handle cases of suspected misconduct. If an ethical concern is substantiated, a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other relevant note will be published in the journal.