Ethics for Editors

Editors of Heighpubs Otolaryngology and Rhinology (HOR) are entrusted with ensuring the academic quality, fairness, and ethical soundness of published research. This Ethics for Editors policy aligns with the COPE Core Practices, ICMJE recommendations, and WAME principles.

Editorial Integrity

  • Editors must act with honesty, fairness, and transparency.
  • Editorial decisions should be guided solely by scientific merit and relevance.
  • Editors must avoid coercive citation practices or undue influence.

Impartiality and Fairness

  • Treat all authors equally, regardless of nationality, gender, or institutional affiliation.
  • Ensure manuscripts are reviewed objectively, without bias or prejudice.
  • Provide authors with constructive and respectful feedback.

Confidentiality

  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscript content during review.
  • Protect reviewer identities in double-blind peer review.
  • Do not use unpublished data for personal gain.

Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must declare and avoid handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.
  • Conflicts may include financial, personal, or professional relationships.
  • Editors with conflicts must recuse themselves and reassign the manuscript.

Handling Misconduct

Editors must follow COPE flowcharts when addressing:

  • Plagiarism and duplicate submission
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Unethical research practices
  • Improper authorship disputes

Transparency in Decisions

Editorial decisions must be explained clearly to authors, supported by reviewer comments, and documented for accountability.

Promoting Ethical Research

  • Encourage adherence to ethical standards in human and animal research.
  • Support data sharing and reproducibility practices.
  • Ensure publication of corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

Professional Development

Editors should engage in ongoing professional development, including participation in COPE seminars and WAME workshops, to remain current with evolving ethical standards.

Example: An editor asked to handle a manuscript from their institution should recuse themselves and assign the case to another editor to avoid conflict of interest.

FAQs

Can editors reject manuscripts without peer review?

Yes, if the submission is out of scope, of insufficient quality, or ethically problematic.

What happens if misconduct is detected after publication?

Editors must initiate corrective actions, including retractions if necessary, following COPE guidelines.

Are editors allowed to publish in HOR?

Yes, but their submissions must be handled independently by unaffiliated editors.

How should editors manage author complaints?

All complaints must be acknowledged promptly and addressed transparently in line with COPE standards.

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