Warning: file_exists(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/locale/en_US/locale.po) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/hspioa.us/:/tmp/) in /var/www/vhosts/hspioa.us/httpdocs/lib/pkp/classes/plugins/Plugin.inc.php on line 519

Warning: file_exists(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/locale/en_US/locale.po) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/hspioa.us/:/tmp/) in /var/www/vhosts/hspioa.us/httpdocs/lib/pkp/classes/plugins/Plugin.inc.php on line 519
Editor's Guidelines | Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research

Editorial Roles & Accountability

Confidentiality: Editors must keep reviewer identities, manuscript content, and deliberations confidential, in line with the journal’s double-blind policy.

Step 1 — Editorial Triage

Within the first screening window, verify the essentials before inviting reviewers. Use this checklist to record triage outcomes in the editorial system.

Check What to look for Action
Scope fit Surgical/clinical relevance; study type fits journal remit Proceed / Transfer suggestion
Ethics IRB/IACUC approval, consent, trial registration for interventional studies Request documentation / Reject
Integrity Similarity report, image/data concerns, authorship completeness Clarify / Investigate per COPE flowcharts
Blinding Separate Title Page vs Blinded Manuscript; scrubbed file metadata Request corrected files
Reporting CONSORT/PRISMA/STROBE, etc.; data availability statement Request checklist / Proceed
Competing interests Declarations from authors; funding statement Request updates

Step 2 — Selecting & Inviting Reviewers

  • Nominate at least two experts with complementary methods/clinical domains; avoid close collaborators, recent coauthors, or same-department colleagues.
  • Screen for conflicts (financial, academic rivalry, personal relationships) and confirm availability and expertise in the invitation.
  • Encourage constructive, evidence-based critique focused on methods, statistics, ethics, and clarity—never on identities or affiliations.

Step 3 — Managing the Review Process

  • Timelines: Request reviews in 14–21 days; send courteous reminders at 7 days overdue; reassign after 10–14 days if needed.
  • Anonymity: Preserve blinding in reviewer comments; redact identifying statements before sharing with authors.
  • Quality control: Decline unsubstantiated “accept/reject” recommendations; ask reviewers to cite evidence, quantify concerns, and suggest actionable revisions.
  • Civility: Remove ad hominem language and any sensitive author information before forwarding to authors.

Step 4 — Decisions & Communications

Base decisions on reviewer evidence and journal criteria, recorded transparently in the editorial system. Do not consider APC/waiver status.

Conflicts of Interest & Editorial Independence

  • Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts with any conflict (recent collaboration, shared grants, institutional ties, financial interests, or personal relationships).
  • Do not handle submissions authored by yourself or by your close collaborators; route to an independent Editor-in-Chief delegate.
  • Decisions must not be influenced by commercial considerations, advertising, or APCs/waivers.

Research Integrity & Misconduct Handling

Editors safeguard the scholarly record by detecting and addressing integrity issues consistently and fairly.

  • Similarity screening: Review overlap reports and request clarifications or rewrites as per the journal’s plagiarism policy.
  • Image/data checks: Seek original images/data where manipulation is suspected; mark splices; require disclosure of adjustments.
  • Ethics concerns: For suspected fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or undisclosed conflicts, follow established flowcharts; document steps and preserve all correspondence.
  • Patient privacy: Ensure consent for identifiable images; require robust de-identification otherwise.

Special Issues & Thematic Collections

Guest Editors must follow all journal policies and double-blind procedures. The journal may provide official email aliases for outreach. Proposals should define scope, timelines, and editorial independence. Any discounts/waivers linked to special issues are handled transparently by the publisher and must not influence editorial decisions.

Editor Checklists

Templates & Snippets

Request for ethical documentation

Please upload documentation for IRB/IACUC approval [protocol ID, date] and confirm written informed consent procedures. For interventional trials, include the registry name and identifier registered prior to first participant enrollment.

Request for raw images/data

To complete our integrity checks, please provide original, unprocessed images/data for Figures [X–Y], with acquisition details. Disclose any global adjustments; delineate splices with visible demarcations.

Appeal acknowledgment

We acknowledge your appeal regarding [ASCR-YYYY-XXXX]. A senior editor unconnected to the original decision will reassess the file. We will update you by [date].

Equity, Diversity & Bias Mitigation

  • Encourage diverse reviewer pools across geography, gender, career stage, and methodology.
  • Screen language for bias; ensure critiques address methods and interpretation, not identity.
  • Invite authors to suggest diverse, qualified reviewers (with justification) while the Editor retains final choice.

Data, Materials & Transparency

  • Ask for persistent identifiers (DOIs) for datasets and code where available; ensure data availability statements are specific.
  • For clinical datasets with restrictions, verify governance and de-identification; encourage controlled-access repositories.
  • Ensure references include DOIs where possible and that effect sizes and 95% CIs accompany p-values.

Hand-off to Production

  • Verify final files (figures at resolution, editable tables, permissions and credit lines).
  • Confirm license (CC BY 4.0) and funding metadata; ensure Crossref deposit readiness.
  • Ensure the article displays up-to-date status badges and links to any notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I handle a paper from my institution?

No. Route to an independent Editor to avoid perceived or real conflicts.

May authors reuse figures from other publishers?

Only with appropriate permissions or compatible licenses. Ensure credit lines appear in legends and acknowledgments; verify license compatibility with CC BY where applicable.

What if reviewers strongly disagree?

Seek a third opinion or adjudicate by focusing on methodological points and evidence. Communicate a clear editorial rationale in the decision letter.

What if serious concerns arise post-publication?

Open an investigation, notify the publisher, and consider a notice (correction, expression of concern, retraction) following ethics guidance. Link notices via DOIs and update article pages and PDFs.

Contact

Editorial queries, appeals, and ethics notifications: editorial@clinsurgeryjournal.com · Technical support: support@clinsurgeryjournal.com