MSD Publications - Guidelines for the Editorial Board

The editorial board plays a major role in defining the scope and direction of a journal. The goals and objectives of a magazine depend as much on the experience and knowledge of the board members as on the content it publishes. Therefore, it is important to establish an appropriate team structure to match the vision of the magazine.

Decisions made by the board to accept or reject a manuscript should be based on the reviewers' recommendation and the paper's clarity, novelty and relevance to the journal. No decision is allowed to be influenced by the race, religion, nationality, sex or sexual orientation of the author or any other factor unrelated to the merit of the manuscript.

Guidelines for the Editor-in-Chief

• Describe the aims, scope and direction of the journal in collaboration with the board
• Search and recruit suitable candidates as editors.
• Select papers and actively participate in review process
• Prepare guidelines to improve the standards of the journal
• Suggest potential contributors and reviewers to improve journals output
• Submit papers, editorials and opinions for publication in the journal
• Promote the magazine in academic circles and scientific conferences of which you are a part
• Suggest the journal to colleagues, friends and students to receive submissions
• Organize special issues when needed
• Be responsive to changes in the field and update the aims and scope of the journal as necessary
• Summarize editorial policies and supervise the review process
• Oversee any complaints of misconduct and make final decisions
• Coordinate with other editors, reviewers and editorial staff on day-to-day operations

Guidelines for Editors

• Prerequisites include being an expert in the specific field with nearly 100 publications
• Should actively participate in review process and editorial activities
• Select appropriate reviewers for processing manuscripts
• Acquire and evaluate conflicts of interest and competing interests declarations from reviewers
• Bring any complaints of misconduct to the editor-in-chief's attention
• Seek out journal submissions from colleagues, friends and students
• Be perceptive of any major changes in the field and advise the editor-in-chief
• Organize special editions based on research interest and expertise
• Promote the journal among academic circles and research communities