Editorial Policy

Editorial Policy

The Journal of Drug Delivery and Biotherapeutics (JDDB) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity, transparency, and professionalism. This policy outlines the structure, responsibilities, and principles guiding the editorial process to ensure fair and ethical handling of all submissions.

1. Editorial Structure

1. Editor-in-Chief
• Oversees the overall editorial process and policy implementation.
• Has the final responsibility for all editorial decisions.
2. Associate Editors
• Manage submissions within their areas of expertise.
• Coordinate peer reviews and provide recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief.
3. Section Editors
• Handle specialized sections of the journal, such as clinical research, pharmacology, or case studies.
• Ensure content aligns with the journal's thematic scope.
4. Editorial Board Members
• Provide expertise, guidance, and strategic input to the journal.
• Review manuscripts as needed and advise on editorial policies.
5. Managing Editor
• Handles administrative workflows, including manuscript tracking, communication with authors, and ensuring timely publication.

2. Editorial Independence

• Editorial decisions are made independently of the journal’s funding sources or advertisers.
• The editorial team ensures impartiality in manuscript selection based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

3. Manuscript Evaluation Process

1. Initial Screening
• Manuscripts are screened by the editorial office to ensure they meet the journal’s submission guidelines, scope, and ethical standards.
• Submissions that fail to comply are returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright.
2. Peer Review
• JIMP employs a double-blind peer-review process to ensure impartiality and confidentiality.
• Manuscripts are evaluated for scientific accuracy, originality, clarity, and significance.
3. Editorial Decision
• Based on reviewer recommendations, the Editor-in-Chief makes one of the following decisions:
• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject
4. Revision and Resubmission
• Authors are given clear guidance on required revisions and are expected to address reviewer and editorial comments thoroughly.
5. Final Review
• Revised manuscripts are re-evaluated, and the final decision is communicated to the authors.

4. Ethical Oversight

• The editorial team adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to address issues such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, and data fabrication.
• Ethical concerns or disputes are investigated thoroughly, and appropriate actions are taken, including rejection, retraction, or reporting to the authors’ institutions.

5. Editorial Board Responsibilities

1. Accountability:
• All editors are accountable for the quality and integrity of the journal's content.
2. Transparency:
• Editorial processes are conducted transparently to foster trust among authors, reviewers, and readers.
3. Continuous Development:
• Editors regularly review and update the journal’s policies to align with best practices in scholarly publishing.
4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure:
• Editorial Board members must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.

6. Handling Complaints and Appeals

• Author Complaints:
• Authors can raise concerns about editorial decisions by submitting a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Appeals are reviewed impartially, and the final decision is communicated clearly.
• Reader Complaints:
• Concerns regarding published content should be directed to the editorial office and will be investigated promptly.

7. Diversity and Inclusivity

• The journal is committed to diversity and inclusivity within its editorial team and published content.
• Efforts are made to ensure equitable representation of authors, reviewers, and editors from diverse regions, genders, and disciplines.

8. Editorial Workflow Timelines

• Initial decision after submission: [e.g., 2-3 weeks]
• Peer-review process: [e.g., 4-6 weeks]
• Final decision after revision: [e.g., 1-2 weeks]

The journal strives to maintain efficient timelines without compromising the quality of the editorial process.

9. Policy Updates

This editorial policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with the evolving standards of academic publishing. Updates will be reflected on the journal’s website.