Editorial Independence

Purpose

This statement clarifies the independence of the editorial process at the World Journal of Experimental Biosciences. It provides transparency for authors, reviewers, readers, libraries, and indexing and abstracting services, demonstrating that all editorial decisions are made solely on academic merit and are free from commercial, organizational, or other external influence.

This statement is consistent with COPE's Position on Editorial Independence, WAME's guidance on the relationship between editors-in-chief and journal owners, and the joint COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. It should be read alongside the journal's General Policies, Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, and Peer Review Guidelines.

1. Editorial Decision-Making

All editorial decisions regarding manuscript handling, peer review, and publication are made solely by the Editor-in-Chief and the Academic Editorial Board, based on:

  • Scientific quality and rigor of the research.
  • Originality and novelty of the findings.
  • Ethical compliance and integrity.
  • Relevance to the Aims & Scope of World Journal of Experimental Biosciences.

No external party, including the publisher, funding agencies, sponsors, advertisers, or operational staff, may influence editorial decisions. Consistent with WAME's guidance on the editor–owner relationship, Unicorn Scientific Publishing LLC supports the editorial independence of World Journal of Experimental Biosciences and does not interfere with the Editor-in-Chief's authority over editorial content. The publisher is responsible for the journal's business, staffing, production, and technical operations, while editorial decisions remain solely under the authority of the Editor-in-Chief and the Academic Editorial Board.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Editor-in-Chief

  • Holds ultimate authority over the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.
  • Ensures adherence to journal policies and international ethical standards.
  • Oversees the integrity, fairness, and objectivity of the peer review process.
  • Is ultimately accountable for all editorial content published in the journal, including special issues and guest-edited content.

Associate Editors

  • Manage the peer review process for manuscripts in their subject area, including selecting and inviting qualified, impartial reviewers.
  • Evaluate reviewer reports and provide reasoned recommendations for acceptance, revision, or rejection.
  • Advise the Editor-in-Chief on complex or borderline cases to ensure fair, consistent decisions.
  • Identify and manage potential conflicts of interest, plagiarism, or suspected research misconduct.
  • Contribute to journal policy, thematic focus, and strategic editorial planning.
  • Is ultimately accountable for all editorial content published in the journal, including special issues and guest-edited content (with the editor in chief).

Associate Editors operate independently of the publisher and operational staff. Their recommendations are based solely on scientific merit, ethical standards, and relevance to the journal's scope; final editorial authority remains with the Editor-in-Chief.

Academic Editorial Board Members

  • Provide subject-area expertise in evaluating manuscripts.
  • Recommend qualified peer reviewers and assist in editorial decision-making where invited.
  • Advise on journal policy and strategic development.

Editorial Office / Operational Staff

  • Support administrative and technical operations only (e.g., manuscript system management, author and reviewer correspondence, production and formatting).
  • Do not participate in or influence academic editorial decisions.

3. Peer Review Independence

All manuscripts submitted to World Journal of Experimental Biosciences undergo double-blind peer review:

  • Reviewers are selected for subject-matter expertise and impartiality; the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another throughout the review.
  • Reviewers and editors are required to declare any competing interests and to recuse themselves from handling a manuscript where a conflict exists.
  • Reviewers' recommendations inform, but do not dictate, the final editorial decision, which remains the responsibility of the handling editor and the Editor-in-Chief.

Full detail on reviewer selection and the review workflow is available in the journal's Peer Review Guidelines, Peer Review Process, and Review Policies.

4. Handling Submissions from Editors and Editorial Board Members

To prevent any actual or perceived conflict of interest, manuscripts authored or co-authored by the Editor-in-Chief, an Associate Editor, or an Academic Editorial Board Member are handled as follows:

  • The submission is assigned to an editor who is not an author of the manuscript and has no direct reporting relationship or close collaboration with the author-editor.
  • The author-editor is fully recused from any editorial discussion, decision, or system access concerning that submission.
  • The manuscript undergoes the same double-blind external peer review as any other submission.
  • The acceptance, revision, or rejection decision is made independently by the assigned editor, without input from the author-editor.

The journal monitors the proportion of published articles authored by editors, editorial board members, or reviewers to maintain editorial independence, diversity of authorship, and compliance with recognized best practices in publishing.

5. Publisher and External Independence

The publisher, Unicorn Scientific Publishing LLC, and any external entity have no role in editorial decisions:

  • Commercial, institutional, advertising, or sponsorship considerations cannot affect manuscript acceptance or rejection.
  • The absence of author-facing publication fees supports the journal's commitment to editorial decisions based solely on scholarly merit.
  • All editorial policies are designed and maintained to preserve scientific integrity and transparency, consistent with the COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME Principles of Transparency and Best Practice.

6. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, or readers with concerns about the independence or fairness of an editorial decision, or about the conduct of an editor, may raise the matter in writing with the editorial office. Such concerns are reviewed, where feasible, by an editor not involved in the original decision, in accordance with COPE's guidance on complaints and appeals. The journal follows relevant COPE guidance when handling complaints and appeals. See the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement for further detail on how ethical concerns and complaints are handled.

7. Commitment to Integrity

World Journal of Experimental Biosciences is committed to:

  • Maintaining independence in all editorial matters, at every stage from submission to post-publication correction.
  • Upholding ethical standards consistent with COPE, WAME, ICMJE, and other recognized international publishing guidelines.
  • Ensuring transparency for authors, reviewers, readers, and indexing and abstracting services.

For questions about this statement, please contact the editorial office or contact us.