Editorial Independence Policy

  1. Purpose

The Journal of Managerial Sciences (JMS) is committed to maintaining editorial independence as a fundamental principle of scholarly publishing. Editorial decisions are made independently and impartially, based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and ethical standards of submitted manuscripts.

The journal's editorial process shall remain independent of commercial, institutional, political, personal, or other external interests.

  1. Editorial Authority

The Editor-in-Chief has primary responsibility and independent authority for editorial decisions concerning submitted manuscripts, including decisions relating to peer review, revision, acceptance, and rejection.

The Editor-in-Chief may seek advice from members of the Editorial Board, Associate Editors, and peer reviewers; however, the final editorial decision shall remain an independent editorial judgment.

  1. Independence from Ownership and Management

The ownership, publisher, sponsoring institution, or administrative management of JMS shall not interfere with editorial decisions.

No owner, administrator, sponsor, advertiser, or other individual or institution shall influence the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript on the basis of commercial, financial, institutional, personal, political, or other non-academic considerations.

Administrative and financial matters shall be managed separately from editorial decision-making.

  1. Basis of Editorial Decisions

Editorial decisions shall be based on the established scholarly and ethical criteria of JMS, including:

  • originality and contribution to knowledge;
  • relevance to the scope of JMS;
  • theoretical and conceptual soundness;
  • methodological rigor;
  • quality of analysis and interpretation;
  • clarity and scholarly presentation;
  • compliance with publication ethics; and
  • appropriate response to the peer-review process.

An author's institutional affiliation, academic position, nationality, gender, religion, political views, or personal characteristics shall not influence an editorial decision.

  1. Independence of Peer Review

JMS follows an independent peer-review process in which reviewers are selected on the basis of their academic expertise and suitability for the manuscript.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and confidential assessments. They must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest and decline a review where such a conflict may compromise their impartiality.

Peer-review recommendations are considered by the editorial team as part of the decision-making process, but the editorial decision remains the responsibility of the authorized editor.

  1. Conflict of Interest

Editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the editorial process shall disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.

An individual with a conflict of interest shall not participate in the evaluation or editorial decision concerning the affected manuscript.

Where the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict of interest, the manuscript shall be assigned to an appropriate independent editor who will manage the review and decision-making process.

  1. Commercial and Financial Independence

A manuscript shall not be accepted or rejected on the basis of the author's ability or willingness to pay publication-related charges. Editorial decisions shall be made independently of financial considerations. Where an Article Processing Charge is applicable, non-payment after acceptance may result in the article being withheld from production or publication until the applicable fee is

paid, subject to the journal's stated fee, waiver, and payment policies."

  1. Protection Against External Influence

JMS does not permit authors, reviewers, institutional representatives, sponsors, advertisers, or other external parties to improperly influence editorial decisions.

Any attempt to exert inappropriate influence over an editorial decision shall be addressed by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with the journal's editorial and publication-ethics policies.

  1. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal an editorial decision in accordance with the journal's established appeals procedure.

Appeals shall be considered objectively and independently and shall not result in preferential or discriminatory treatment.

Complaints concerning editorial interference, conflicts of interest, peer-review integrity, or violations of editorial independence shall be investigated by the appropriate editorial authority.

  1. Editorial Responsibility and Accountability

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are accountable for maintaining the integrity and independence of the journal's editorial process.

Editorial decisions shall be documented through the journal's established editorial workflow and shall be capable of being reviewed where necessary for purposes of quality assurance, ethical oversight, or investigation of a legitimate complaint.

  1. Editorial Changes and Continuity

Changes in ownership, publishing arrangements, institutional affiliation, or editorial leadership shall not compromise the editorial independence of JMS.

Any newly appointed Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, or Editorial Board member shall be expected to uphold this policy and the journal's publication-ethics standards.

  1. Commitment to Scholarly Integrity

JMS considers editorial independence essential to the credibility, integrity, and sustainability of scholarly publishing. The journal therefore maintains a clear separation between editorial judgment and non-editorial interests and is committed to ensuring that all manuscripts are treated fairly, transparently, and consistently according to established academic and ethical standards.

Policy Owner: Editorial Office, Journal of Managerial Sciences
Approved by: Editor-in-Chief / Editorial Board
Review Frequency: Periodic review or whenever significant changes occur in editorial or publishing arrangements.