Editorial Responsibilities

Editors at Heighpubs Otolaryngology and Rhinology (HOR) play a central role in ensuring academic quality, fairness, and integrity of the journal. These guidelines establish expectations for editors, grounded in COPE Core Practices, ICMJE recommendations, and WAME principles.

Core Responsibilities

  • Maintain editorial independence and integrity.
  • Oversee manuscript peer review and editorial decisions.
  • Ensure manuscripts meet ethical and scientific standards.
  • Protect confidentiality of submissions and reviewers.
  • Declare and manage conflicts of interest.
  • Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in editorial processes.

Editorial Workflow

  1. Initial Screening: Assess manuscript scope, relevance, and compliance with author guidelines.
  2. Reviewer Assignment: Select expert, unbiased reviewers with no conflicts of interest.
  3. Decision Making: Make independent, evidence-based decisions (accept, revise, reject).
  4. Post-decision Oversight: Ensure revisions are adequately addressed before final acceptance.

Editorial Independence

Editors must not be influenced by personal, institutional, or financial interests. Decisions should be based solely on manuscript quality, relevance, and originality.

Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must disclose financial or personal relationships related to assigned manuscripts.
  • Editors with conflicts should recuse themselves and delegate handling to another editor.

Fairness and Inclusivity

  • Treat all authors equally, regardless of gender, nationality, or affiliation.
  • Encourage submissions from underrepresented regions and perspectives.
  • Promote transparent and inclusive editorial practices.

Peer Review Oversight

Editors must ensure peer review is objective, constructive, and timely. Reviewer misconduct (bias, plagiarism, confidentiality breaches) must be addressed immediately.

Handling Misconduct

  • Investigate ethical concerns following COPE flowcharts.
  • Ensure corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued as needed.
  • Protect whistleblowers and maintain fairness in investigations.

Transparency and Accountability

  • Clearly communicate editorial decisions to authors.
  • Document decision-making processes for audit trails.
  • Publish annual editorial reports on journal performance and integrity.

Training and Continuous Development

Editors are encouraged to participate in COPE seminars, WAME workshops, and professional development programs to stay current with publishing ethics and best practices.

Example: If an editor receives a manuscript from a close colleague, they must declare a conflict of interest and assign the case to another editor.

FAQs

Can editors publish in HOR?

Yes, but manuscripts undergo independent peer review handled by unaffiliated editors.

What if an author disputes a rejection?

Editors must provide transparent reasoning and allow appeals via the editorial board.

How are guest editors managed?

Guest editors follow the same ethical standards and report to senior editors.

What safeguards ensure editorial independence?

Editorial decisions are insulated from publisher or financial influence.

Contact Information