1. Editorial Process, Peer-Review and Production

Articles submitted to the journal are subject to rigorous peer-reviewing process. Single-blind (the reviewers know the authors’ identities, but the authors do not know the reviewers’ identities) will be used upon request and different journal policies.

The reviewers and external editors will need a deep-link to login the MCB submission system to operate the tasks assigned.

 

The Instructions for Editors guides editors on oversee the whole editorial process.

When a manuscript is submitted, the submission is coordinated by the in-house Managing Editor, following the whole editorial process for the manuscript: peer-review, decision-making, possible revision, acceptance(decline), copyediting, proofreading and final publication. Editor(s), including Editorial board member, Associate editor, Guest editor, will be assigned to the submitted article and will handle the peer-review.

At least two coincident review comments per manuscript are requested for each manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief, Guest Editor, or a suitable editorial board member can make the final acceptance or decline for a manuscript.

After acceptance of an article, the in-house Managing Editor will organize the production of the paper, which entails copyediting, English editing and final production in preparation for publication on the journal website. All journals are structured in yearly volumes and either monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or continuous published issues.

 

Learn more about the MCB’s peer-review policy. You may also refer to the peer-review policy on each journal’s Editorial Workflow page.

2. General Duties of all handling editors

2.1 Decision on the Publication of Articles

Editors are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. Editors should strictly follow the journal's Editorial Board policies and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors may choose to consult with reviewers in making this decision.

 

2.2 Fair Play

Manuscripts shall be evaluated solely on their intellectual merit.

 

2.3 Confidentiality

The Editors and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the Publisher.

 

2.4 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors, including Editor(s)-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Guest Editors or Editorial Board Members, must recuse themselves from editorial decisions if they have any conflicts of interest including academic or personal relationships when making final decisions about manuscripts. Editors should promptly inform the managing editor or editorial staff member of any conflict of interest before proceeding. In such situation, the least conflicted editor will be assigned to the manuscript.

 

3. Editorial Board Structure

The editorial board usually consists of a group of prominent scholars in the journal's academic field. Individuals should be made aware of their responsibilities when invited to join the board. The function of the journal's editorial board is to assist, support, and advise on the journal's editorial content and strategy, both proactively and by reviewing published content. 

 

3.1 Editor-in-Chief (EiC)

Together with MCB, the Editor-in-Chief oversees the whole peer-review process and offers recommendations on the overall strategy of the journal. The EiC has the authority to override decisions taken by Editors in handling all submissions. The EiC position could be assumed by more than one entity and shared with another appointed member such as the Publisher, an organization or an academic society. The EiC duties include acting as the journal's ambassador and taking ultimate responsibility for the journal's academic quality.

 

3.1.1 Editorial duties and responsibilities

In coordination with MCB, the EiC will set measurable objectives and targets to promote diversity and inclusion at the Editorial Board level. The EiC shall be responsible for ensuring that these objectives and targets are met, and for overseeing the development of an inclusive pipeline for succession encompassing diverse backgrounds for gender, age, social status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity and nationality, alongside outstanding personal and cognitive strengths.

 

3.1.2 Editorial Board Recommendation

The EiC is entrusted with recommending the appropriate Editorial Board members and may appoint as many Associate Editors as necessary to meet the journal's needs. Before making any appointment to the Editorial Board, the EiC shall: 

Evaluate and aim to make changes to the board’s composition in light of a balanced mix of skills, experience, expertise, independence, diversity, representations and outlooks, within the framework of the Journal's and Publisher's strategic goals;

Consider candidates on merits against a set of objective and clearly defined criteria, availability and time commitment, for sustaining a diverse and eclectic representation;

Make recommendations devoid of quid pro quos, personal/academic relationships, and/or beneficial gains.

 

3.1.3 Manuscript screening 

Each manuscript shall be submitted to the journal for consideration via MCB online submission and peer review system. The EiC will be responsible for overseeing the screening and assessment of submitted manuscripts in view of the journal's aims and scopes for suitability for peer-review, and their acceptance or rejection. The EiC will also be responsible for the process and progression of in review manuscripts in adherence with the Journal's and Publisher’s policies and procedures.

 

3.1.4 Peer review and timelines

The EiC should ensure efficient, transparent, and accurate peer-review, and conduct editorial assessment of all submitted papers and in review manuscripts.

The EiC will be responsible for all forms of scholarly and non-scholarly content published by, or in connection with the journal.The EiC will ensure the accuracy, veracity, and credibility of the scientific and academic content of accepted manuscripts for publication in the journal. The EiC will also ensure that any such research has been conducted under industry-standard methodology and practice, and has complied in full with all applicable guidelines and ethical standards.

The EiC will review and advise on any conflict(s) of interest declared by any author or member of the Editorial Board (as defined in clause 4 below) and liaise with SCSP officials for further action.

 

3.1.5 Media and third-party communications

The EiC undertakes to promptly refer to Publisher’s any media inquiries and/or requests for third-party use of the journal or its content.

 

3.1.6 Ambassadorship

The EiC is an ambassador of the journal, entrusted with promoting its best interests and fostering its outreach. Those responsibilities entail any or all of the following:  

Representing the journal at academic meetings, social media forum, and/or scholarly publishing industry symposiums.

Listing the journal affiliation and position in the EiC’s personal profiles and bios.

Advocating the journal’s process and contents in the face of undue criticism, and working with Publisher media relations team to respond to any media coverage in a manner consistent with MCB and media strategies.

Representing the journal in its outreach efforts when needed.

Leading by example and setting an exemplary tone at the journal, and in its public communications discourse.

Recognizing and promptly notifying the Publisher of any external media coverage, or any opportunity thereof, relating to the journal, its content, or its published authors. 

 

3.2 Associate Editor-in-Chief

The associate Editor-in-Chief works in collaboration with MCB and the EiC in devising the overall academic plan of the journal in its aim to build a community of researchers, and drive publications fully representative of the journal’s scope. In addition, an Associate Editor-in-Chief assists the EiC in creating strategies aimed to develop and expand on journal-related subjects, as well as in organizing current and archived journal issues. The Associate Editor-in-Chief is the editorial escalation point for the journal, provide support and guidance to the editorial board, and assumes the role as a journal ambassador. An Associate Editor-in-Chief shares the same responsibilities as the EiC in the academic peer-review process of the assigned manuscripts.

 

3.3 Editor

The Editor works in collaboration with the EiC and the publication team on all perspectives concerning the daily operation and issues of the journal. In general an Editor shares the same responsibilities as the EiC in the academic peer-review process of the assigned manuscripts.

 

3.4 Associate Editors

The Associate Editors support the Editors-in-Chief in their respective roles and are responsible for final decisions on their assigned manuscript if authorized by Editors-in-Chief. A journal may have many Associate Editors when its scopes are multidisciplinary. Article submissions are assigned to the Associate Editors to manage the peer-review process. Associate Editors are tasked to oversee and decide whether to publish, revise, or reject an article. Associate Editors are entrusted to play a significant role in the recruitment of potential publications.

 

3.5 Editorial Board Member

An Editorial Board Member is an element of the journal's editorial board composition, uniquely representing its academic, intellectual, cultural, and social diversity. Editorial Board Members contribute by bringing an eclectic perspective towards the journal’s scopes, outreach and quality and by increasing its credibility within its academic field. Editorial Board Members contribute as well by publishing, organizing peer-reviews and/or acting as reviewers for the journal

 

3.6 Early Career Editorial Board Member

Early Career Editorial Board Members share the same duties as the other Editorial Board members. They are tasked to advise Editors on matters of specific importance to early career researchers. A select few are invited each year by the Editors. An Early Career Editorial Board Member should be active in research fields that are relevant to the journal scope and in the first 10 years of having earned a doctoral degree, familiar with academic paper writing and publishing in English language and experienced in peer review. A candidate may contact the target journal by email to apply with a CV attached.

 

4. Special Issues

Many journals publish special issues as part of the scheduled journal volumes. Special issues are often devoted to investigating the emerging or “hot” topics, or conference, or to exploring alternative perspectives on familiar themes.

 

A special issue can be handled by a Guest Editor. Most special issues are developed when a subject expert identifies a demand for an issue in a particular area and approaches a journal Editor to propose an issue.

4.1 Proposing a special issue

A special issue can be proposed by filling out the online form. The link of the form can be found at journal’s home page.
A formal proposal should contain the following information
1. A title of the proposed special issue.
2. The names, affiliations of all proposed Guest Editor(s) (GE) together with brief biographical details.
3. A brief description to explain the significance, novelty, technical advancement, and relevance to the scope of the journal of the proposed theme.

4. A list of Keywords.

5. A proposed schedule including submission deadline and completion of the editorial process.

4.2 Selection criteria of the proposals is based on:

1. the overall quality of the proposal;
2. whether the topic is within the scope of the journal;
3. whether it advances new perspectives and complements previously published issues of the journal;
4. GE's experience in editorial work;

4.3 Guest Editors

Special issues are normally edited by a Guest Editor who invites colleagues from the same research field to contribute articles on a topic within their expertise. The Guest Editor works together with the Editorial Office to prepare a general description, call for papers and keywords for the special issue.

 

4.4 Guest Editor Responsibility

At least five articles is required to be published per special issue. The Guest Editor usually makes decisions on the acceptance of manuscripts submitted to his or her special issue (depending on the journal's policy-in some cases they may make a recommendation to the EiC).
Guest Editors should not hold conflicts of interest with authors whose work they are assessing, e.g. if they are from the same institution or collaborate closely. In this case the EiC or a suitable editorial board member will make final acceptance decisions for submitted papers.