INTRODUCTION

The editor is the person in charge of overseeing the manuscript submission process until it is accepted for publication by their scientific discipline. To acquire a high-quality article, editors also make comments, recommendations, and judgments to change, approve, or reject the article. This policy is based on the COPE code of conduct.

SELECTING REVIEWERS

• Editors should make certain that the right reviewers are chosen for submissions (i.e. individuals who can judge the work and are free from disqualifying competing interests).
• Editors should choose at least two reviewers to provide a report (the default on Manuscript Central is three) and make sure that not all of the reviewers are selected by the paper's authors unless there is a compelling reason.
• Editors should stop using reviewers who are habitually rude, low-quality, or late with their evaluations.
• Editors should look for possible new reviewers from a variety of sources (not just personal contacts) (e.g. author suggestions, bibilographic databases).

DECISIONS

• Editor's recommendation to accept or reject a paper for publication should be based on the peer reviews and their own view on the paper's importance, originality and clarity, the study's validity and its relevance to the remit of the journal
• Editors should not reverse a decision to accept a submission unless serious problems are identified with the submission
• Editors should flag any case of suspected misconduct or disputed authorship with the editor-in-chief or the publisher

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