Editorial Board

Editor in Chief

  • Ensures that a sufficient number of high-quality manuscripts are available to maintain the continuity of the publication schedule. If the manuscript supply is insufficient, the editor must communicate with the Editorial Board to obtain additional manuscripts. This may be done based on factors such as the geographical location of the Editorial Board members or other considerations.
  • Determines whether an article is relevant and sufficiently aligned with the journal’s focus, and decides whether calls for papers to prospective authors are necessary. Also determines if special issues or thematic editions are required.
  • Selects and establishes the Editorial Board based on needs and capacity, while considering diversity of institutional affiliations.
  • Works closely with the Editorial Board on the progress and development of the journal. Ideally, annual meetings are held between the Editor in Chief, Editors, and the Editorial Board, though informal meetings may also take place to discuss the journal’s development. Discussions may additionally be conducted online without face-to-face meetings.
  • Considers whether the journal requires advertisements, reprints, printed editions, or other activities that can generate revenue.
  • Promotes the journal among colleagues and professional networks.

Editorial Board

The Editorial Board has primary responsibility for reviewing manuscripts but also carries responsibilities distinct from those of peer reviewers. In certain situations, an Editorial Board member of one journal may also serve on the Editorial Board of another, as long as it remains within reasonable limits. Criteria for Editorial Board members include:

  • Demonstrating expertise in disciplines relevant to the journal’s field.
  • Having a strong and relevant publication record (e.g., Scopus profile, Publons, ORCID).
  • Experience in reviewing journal manuscripts or serving as a peer reviewer in other international journals.
  • Ability to provide recommendations regarding journal policy and scope.
  • Ability to identify themes and conferences for publication in special or thematic issues, where Editors or Board members may act as Guest/Honorary Editors.
  • Capacity to attract and recruit new authors and manuscripts, particularly from their region or surrounding areas.
  • Ability to provide recommendations and considerations in cases of publication ethics violations.
  • Ideally, editors and board members may submit manuscripts to the journal, but without conflicts of interest. Some indexing services recommend this to demonstrate recognition by experts in the field. However, they should ensure that not too many articles are authored by editors or board members.
  • They should also provide input regarding the acceptance or rejection of submitted manuscripts.
  • Ideally, an international journal’s Editorial Board consists of 10–20 members (Scopus FAQ). For national journals, 5–10 members may be sufficient.

Additionally, the Editorial Team may propose new members to the Editorial Board, to be selected by the Editor in Chief and the Board, or based on suggestions from Associate Editors. Editorial Board membership is typically reviewed every 2–3 years. This allows for inviting new editors and board members, appointing active members, and phasing out inactive ones.

Copy and Layout Editor

The technical editors consist of two parts:

  1. Language Editors, who check and review the foreign languages used in articles, and may serve as translators when necessary to translate submitted manuscripts.
  2. Layout Editors (Layouters), who are responsible for formatting articles for publication, including preparing headers with short titles, and noting dates of submission, review, publication, and other relevant details.