Editor's Guidelines

1. Role of Editors

Editors play a vital role in maintaining the scientific quality and ethical integrity of JAPCH. They are responsible for evaluating manuscripts impartially, managing peer review processes, and ensuring that all decisions are grounded in scholarly merit rather than personal or institutional bias.

2. Editorial Responsibilities

• Ensure manuscripts align with the journal’s Aims and Scope.
• Oversee an unbiased peer review process using double-blind protocols.
• Maintain confidentiality of manuscript content during and after review.
• Resolve conflicts of interest and ethical issues following COPE standards.

3. Editorial Decision-Making

Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on their academic quality, originality, and relevance. Decisions should never be influenced by authors’ gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal relationships.

4. Peer Review Coordination

Editors are responsible for selecting qualified and independent reviewers with expertise in the subject area. They must monitor review timelines, ensure constructive feedback, and uphold the anonymity of both reviewers and authors.

5. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Editors must declare any potential conflicts of interest—financial, personal, or academic—before handling a submission. Editors should recuse themselves from manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

6. Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscripts and reviewer identities. Information about submitted manuscripts should only be shared with individuals directly involved in the review and decision-making process.

7. Fairness and Integrity

Editors are expected to ensure fairness in peer review by:

• Preventing discrimination or bias.
• Handling appeals objectively.
• Upholding transparency in publication timelines.

8. Ethical Oversight

Editors must identify potential ethical concerns, such as plagiarism, data falsification, or duplicate publication, and report them promptly. All actions must follow COPE flowcharts for best ethical practices.

9. Correction, Retraction, and Clarification

Editors must oversee corrections or retractions when errors or ethical breaches are identified. Notices should be issued transparently while preserving the scholarly record in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines.

10. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions must be free from commercial or institutional influence. Editors must ensure that advertising, sponsorship, or third-party funding does not affect the objectivity of the publication process.

11. Communication with Authors and Reviewers

Editors should maintain respectful, clear communication with authors and reviewers. Constructive feedback should guide authors in improving the quality and clarity of their manuscripts.

12. Handling Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by providing evidence or rationale. Editors must review appeals objectively, often with an independent ethics committee. All complaints are resolved in line with COPE complaint-handling procedures.

13. Promoting Journal Integrity

Editors should encourage submission of diverse and high-quality pediatric research. They also promote inclusion by welcoming authors from all global regions, especially early-career and low-income researchers.

14. Data Transparency

Editors ensure that published data meet reproducibility and transparency standards. All accepted manuscripts must include data availability statements and ethical declarations.

15. Continuous Professional Development

JAPCH encourages editors to engage in continuous education through COPE webinars, WAME discussions, and editorial training programs to stay updated with evolving publication ethics and best practices.

16. Removal or Replacement of Editors

In cases of repeated negligence, unethical behavior, or conflict of interest, editors may be replaced after a review by the Editorial Board in accordance with the journal’s governance policy.

17. Editorial Collaboration

Editors collaborate with associate editors, reviewers, and staff to ensure timely publication and uphold the journal’s reputation. Team coordination and communication are critical for maintaining quality.

18. Contact Information

For editorial policy inquiries or ethical concerns:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pediatricshealthjournal.com