Editorial Independence and Editorial Governance Policy

1. Purpose

This policy establishes the principles and governance mechanisms that protect editorial independence, define editorial authority, manage conflicts of interest, prevent improper influence, and ensure accountability across Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science (HCMCOUJS).

2. Governance Structure

HCMCOUJS operates through a multi-level governance structure:

  1. HCMCOUJS Editorial Council;
  2. Editors-in-Chief of specialized journals;
  3. Deputy Editors-in-Chief / Associate Editors;
  4. Section Editors / Handling Editors;
  5. Managing Editor and Editorial Office;
  6. Reviewers and technical support units.

3. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions must be independent and based only on:

  • scholarly merit;
  • relevance to aims and scope;
  • methodological quality;
  • originality;
  • ethical compliance;
  • reviewer reports;
  • editorial assessment;
  • integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by:

  • institutional pressure;
  • personal relationships;
  • political or commercial interests;
  • funding bodies;
  • advertising;
  • author status;
  • internal hierarchy;
  • citation pressure;
  • external interference.

4. Editorial Authority

The Editor-in-Chief has final responsibility for editorial decisions unless a valid delegation or recusal mechanism applies.

Editorial decisions may include:

  • desk rejection;
  • revision before review;
  • external peer review;
  • minor revision;
  • major revision;
  • re-review;
  • rejection after review;
  • acceptance;
  • hold pending investigation;
  • correction;
  • expression of concern;
  • retraction.

5. Editorial Conflicts of Interest

Editors must declare and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have:

  • recent co-authorship with authors;
  • same research project;
  • same institution or close professional relationship;
  • supervisory relationship;
  • family or personal relationship;
  • financial interest;
  • academic competition;
  • legal dispute;
  • involvement in the manuscript.

6. Recusal Mechanism

When a conflict exists:

  1. The editor must immediately disclose the conflict.
  2. The editor must not access unnecessary confidential information.
  3. The Editor-in-Chief or authorized person assigns an independent editor.
  4. The recusal must be recorded in OJS or internal files.
  5. If the Editor-in-Chief has a conflict, another independent senior editor or governance mechanism shall handle the case.

7. Anti-interference

HCMCOUJS shall record and address any attempt to improperly influence editorial decisions.

Improper influence includes:

  • pressure to accept or reject a manuscript;
  • pressure from institutional authorities;
  • pressure from sponsors;
  • pressure to increase citation metrics;
  • pressure involving personal relationships;
  • threats, inducements or benefits;
  • interference by authors or reviewers.

8. Accountability and Audit Trail

HCMCOUJS shall maintain records of:

  • editorial decisions;
  • reviewer invitations;
  • reviewer reports;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • recusals;
  • author communications;
  • ethical concerns;
  • investigation outcomes;
  • post-publication actions.

These records may be maintained in OJS or secure internal systems.

9. Special Issue Governance

Special issues, thematic sections or guest-edited collections must comply with all HCMCOUJS policies.

Guest editors must:

  • declare conflicts of interest;
  • follow peer review rules;
  • not handle their own manuscripts;
  • not guarantee acceptance;
  • ensure independent review;
  • comply with AI, ethics and data policies;
  • operate under oversight of the Editor-in-Chief.

Policy Information

Item

Content

Policy Owner

HCMCOUJS Editorial Council

Approved by

Editor-in-Chief and HCMCOUJS Editorial Council

Version

3.0

Effective Date

May 2026

Review Cycle

Annual