Guidelines for Editors

The editorial team at Al-Shodhana plays a critical role in ensuring the quality, transparency, and integrity of the journal’s content. These guidelines outline the duties and expectations for editors, providing a framework to support fair and effective editorial decision-making.

  • Upon submission, the editor-in-chief or an associate editor conducts an initial assessment of each manuscript.
  • The manuscript is checked for relevance to the journal’s scope, originality, adherence to submission guidelines, and any ethical concerns (e.g., plagiarism, conflicts of interest).
  • If a manuscript is unsuitable for the journal, the editor may decide to reject it without peer review. This decision should be communicated to the authors promptly, with clear reasons.
  • Editors are responsible for selecting qualified peer reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript’s subject area.
  • Ensure that the selected reviewers are free from conflicts of interest and capable of providing a thorough and unbiased evaluation.
  • Consider diversity in expertise, geographic location, and perspective to ensure comprehensive reviews.
  • Provide reviewers with clear instructions and deadlines for completing the review.
  • Oversee the double-blind review process to ensure that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous, thus preventing bias.
  • Monitor the progress of the reviews to ensure that they are completed within a reasonable timeframe. Follow up with reviewers if needed.
  • Address any issues or delays in the review process to avoid unnecessary delays in decision-making.
  • After receiving the peer reviews, the editor evaluates the quality of the feedback and considers the recommendations of the reviewers.

Based on the reviews and the editor’s own judgment, the editor makes the final decision to:

  • Accept the manuscript.
  • Request minor or major revisions.
  • Reject the manuscript.

In the case of conflicting reviews, the editor may solicit additional reviews or make an independent decision based on the strength of the arguments.Provide authors with a clear and constructive summary of the peer review feedback.Ensure that decisions are communicated promptly and professionally, offering detailed explanations for decisions.When revisions are required, outline the specific points that need to be addressed and provide a deadline for resubmission.Editors must avoid conflicts of interest when handling manuscripts. Examples include:

  • Manuscripts submitted by the editor’s colleagues, friends, or family members.
  • Manuscripts from institutions or organizations where the editor has a financial or personal interest.

If a conflict of interest arises, the editor should delegate the manuscript to another editor to handle the review process.Manuscripts should be treated as confidential documents. Editors must not disclose any details about the submission to anyone outside the peer review process.Editors are responsible for ensuring that reviewers also adhere to confidentiality guidelines and do not share the manuscript’s contents.Editors are responsible for ensuring that all published research adheres to ethical guidelines.If ethical issues such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or breaches of research ethics arise, editors must investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action, which may include rejecting the manuscript or issuing a correction or retraction post-publication.Editorial decisions must be made without bias or favoritism. Manuscripts should be evaluated solely based on their academic merit, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.Editors should take steps to eliminate implicit bias and promote diversity and inclusion in the peer review process.When authors submit a revised manuscript, editors are responsible for ensuring that all reviewer comments have been adequately addressed.Revisions that require significant changes may be sent back to the original reviewers or new reviewers for further evaluation.Editors should ensure that the revised manuscript is of high quality and meets the journal’s standards before final acceptance.Authors may appeal decisions they disagree with. Editors must:

  • Review appeals carefully and consider the arguments raised by the authors.
  • Consult additional reviewers or seek advice from members of the editorial board, if necessary.
  • Make a final decision based on a thorough and fair review of the appeal, providing a clear explanation to the authors.

Editors should address any complaints regarding the peer review process professionally and transparently.If a significant error or ethical concern is identified after publication, editors must work with the authors to publish a correction or, in extreme cases, a retraction.Retractions should be handled in line with the journal’s retraction policy and guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).Editors are encouraged to track the impact and reach of the journal’s articles through citations, media coverage, and other metrics.Promoting high-quality content to increase the journal’s visibility and reputation is part of the editor’s role.

Editors should contribute to the continuous improvement of the journal by:

  • Reviewing and updating editorial policies regularly to ensure they align with best practices in academic publishing.
  • Soliciting feedback from reviewers, authors, and readers to identify areas for improvement.
  • Innovating new approaches to enhance the peer review process, such as open peer review or collaborative reviews, where appropriate.

Editors should guide authors to improve the quality of their manuscripts through constructive feedback.Editors should also provide resources, such as submission guidelines, ethical standards, and writing tips, to help authors prepare high-quality submissions.Editors should acknowledge the valuable contributions of peer reviewers by providing certificates of review, listing them in an annual acknowledgment, or offering reviewer incentives.Supporting new reviewers by providing them with training and feedback is an important part of fostering a collaborative and inclusive academic community.Editors are expected to adhere to the ethical guidelines and best practices outlined by COPE and other relevant bodies.Periodically, the editor-in-chief may review the performance of associate editors and the editorial team to ensure that high standards are maintained.Editors who fail to uphold ethical standards or who are not performing their duties effectively may be subject to review by the editorial board or may step down from their role. Editors should actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the journal’s editorial process by:

  • Ensuring a diverse pool of reviewers and authors.
  • Addressing gender and geographic imbalances in published research.

Encouraging research on underrepresented topics or from underrepresented groups.These guidelines provide a framework to ensure that editors at [Educational Journal Name] perform their duties with integrity, fairness, and professionalism. By adhering to these standards, editors play a crucial role in maintaining the academic quality and ethical rigor of the journal’s publications. Thank you for your commitment to upholding these values.