Editor's Guidelines

The Editors of the Archives of Clinical and Experimental Orthopaedics (ACEO) play a crucial role in maintaining academic integrity, fairness, and transparency. These guidelines define the editorial responsibilities, ethical duties, and operational principles that guide editorial decision-making, aligned with COPE, WAME, and ICMJE recommendations.

“Editors are the custodians of scientific trust — ensuring that every article upholds accuracy, ethics, and fairness.”

1. Editorial Independence

Editors must exercise complete independence in manuscript handling and decision-making. No external entity—sponsors, institutions, or editorial board members—should influence publication outcomes.

• Editors are accountable for the integrity and reputation of the journal.
• Commercial or institutional interests must not override editorial judgment.
• Editors must disclose potential conflicts and recuse themselves from handling affected submissions.

2. Fair and Unbiased Decision-Making

All submissions should be assessed based on academic merit, originality, and relevance without discrimination based on gender, race, religion, nationality, or affiliation.

3. Confidentiality Obligations

• Editors must maintain strict confidentiality of all submitted materials.
• Manuscripts under review must not be discussed or shared beyond authorized personnel.
• Information from unpublished manuscripts cannot be used for personal advantage.

4. Managing Peer Review

• Assign reviewers with subject expertise, avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Ensure double-blind peer review integrity.
• Communicate reviewers’ comments to authors transparently and constructively.
• Track deadlines to ensure timely review completion.

5. Handling Ethical Misconduct

Editors must act swiftly when ethical issues arise, including plagiarism, data manipulation, authorship disputes, or image fabrication. Actions include:

• Requesting clarification from authors.
• Consulting COPE flowcharts for misconduct procedures.
• Issuing corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when justified.

6. Editorial Transparency

• Communicate editorial policies clearly to authors and reviewers.
• Publish updated information on editorial processes, peer review timelines, and decision criteria.
• Declare any policy changes publicly on the journal’s website.

7. Reviewer Selection and Recognition

Editors must ensure reviewers are competent, unbiased, and committed to ethical standards. ACEO values reviewer contributions by offering acknowledgment certificates, editorial credits, or fee discounts.

8. Appeals and Complaints

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions. Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of notification and will be reviewed by a senior editorial committee independent of the original decision-makers.

9. Conflict of Interest Management

• Editors must disclose any competing interests annually.
• Editors must not handle submissions from their own institutions or co-authors.
• Editorial assignments should be reallocated when conflicts arise.

10. Correction and Retraction Oversight

Editors are responsible for ensuring accuracy post-publication. If significant errors are discovered:

• Corrections (Errata) should be published promptly.
• Retractions must follow COPE guidelines with a clear rationale.
• Editors must avoid silent retractions or deletions.

11. Continuous Professional Development

Editors should regularly update their understanding of publication ethics, digital archiving, data sharing, and AI-assisted tools in scientific communication. ACEO encourages participation in COPE and WAME training modules.

12. Communication Ethics

• Respond to author queries courteously and promptly.
• Maintain professional tone in all editorial correspondence.
• Refrain from any form of discriminatory or inappropriate communication.

13. Decision Documentation

All editorial decisions must be documented within the OJS editorial workflow, including reviewer selection, comments, and final decision rationale to maintain an auditable ethical record.

14. Editorial Board Responsibilities

• Actively promote journal quality and visibility.
• Support ethical peer review and contribute expert opinions.
• Advise on policy development, journal scope, and scientific direction.

15. Conclusion

The Editor’s Guidelines ensure that editorial decisions at ACEO are guided by integrity, fairness, and scholarly excellence. Adherence to these principles safeguards the credibility of the journal and the trust of its global readership.