Editors Guidelines
Editors safeguard the scholarly record by applying consistent, transparent review standards.
These guidelines outline expectations for handling manuscripts in JBSR.
Editorial Responsibilities
Editors oversee the peer review process and ensure manuscripts align with the journal scope and ethics standards. They recommend reviewers, evaluate reports, and provide clear decisions with constructive feedback. Editorial work should be timely, impartial, and based on evidence.
Initial Screening
At intake, editors assess scope fit, originality, methodological clarity, and compliance with submission requirements. Manuscripts that are out of scope or do not meet baseline quality may be declined before review to protect reviewer time.
Selecting Reviewers
Subject Expertise
Choose reviewers with relevant theoretical or methodological expertise.
Balanced Perspectives
Select reviewers who can evaluate both conceptual and empirical contributions.
Conflict Awareness
Avoid reviewers with close ties to the authors or competing interests.
Decision Making
Editors synthesize reviewer feedback and make recommendations based on the quality of evidence, clarity of argument, and contribution to biosemiotics. When reviews conflict, editors should request additional input or provide their own assessment to clarify the decision.
Revision Oversight
For revised manuscripts, editors should confirm that authors have responded to each reviewer comment and that changes are reflected in the revised text. If critical issues remain unresolved, editors may request an additional revision or seek a follow up review. Clear guidance reduces review cycles and improves final quality.
Quality Signals
Editors should verify that abstracts, keywords, and references are complete and accurate. Strong metadata improves discovery and citation tracking. Encourage authors to provide ORCID iDs and data availability statements where applicable.
Special Issue Coordination
When handling special issue submissions, editors collaborate with guest editors to align scope and timelines while maintaining journal wide standards. Final decisions remain with the journal editors to ensure consistency across the publication.
Ethics And Confidentiality
Editors must treat manuscripts as confidential and manage any conflicts of interest immediately. Allegations of misconduct should be reported to the editorial office with supporting details. Editors should never use unpublished content for personal research advantage.
Timeliness And Communication
Prompt handling of submissions supports author satisfaction and timely publication. Editors should monitor review timelines and send clear, respectful decision letters that help authors improve their work, even when declining a manuscript.
If delays occur, editors should notify the editorial office so authors receive timely updates.
Questions About Editorial Work?
Reach out to the editorial office for guidance on reviewer selection or decision standards.
