QES Academic Press separates publisher-level governance from manuscript-level editorial decision-making so that scholarly decisions remain focused on quality, relevance, rigor and ethics.
Publisher governance
The publisher may establish policies, infrastructure, technology, production standards, legal requirements and integrity procedures that apply across the portfolio. These functions should support journals without dictating the outcome of individual manuscripts.
Editorial independence
Acceptance, revision or rejection of individual submissions should remain the responsibility of the journal’s authorized editorial leadership. Editors should make decisions based on scholarly merit, fit with scope, methodological quality, ethical compliance and the evidence presented.
Conflicts and recusal
Editors, reviewers and publisher personnel should disclose relationships that could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, their judgment. Where a conflict is material, the individual should recuse themselves and an appropriate alternative decision-maker should be used.
Commercial separation
Fees, sponsorship, advertising, publishing-service arrangements or ability to pay must not determine manuscript acceptance. Commercial discussions should be kept separate from editorial evaluation.
Accountability
Material complaints about editorial process or alleged interference may be raised through the Complaints & Appeals process.