The European Journal of Medical Practitioners (EJMP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a fair, transparent, and efficient editorial process. Editors play a critical role in ensuring the scientific quality, integrity, and ethical compliance of all published manuscripts. Editorial decisions should be based solely on the academic merit of the submitted work and must remain free from bias or external influence.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are expected to:

• Manage manuscripts in a fair, objective, and timely manner.
• Evaluate submissions based on scientific quality, originality, relevance, and ethical standards.
• Select qualified and independent reviewers with appropriate subject expertise.
• Ensure that the peer-review process is conducted fairly and confidentially.
• Make editorial decisions based on reviewers' recommendations and their own professional judgment.
• Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related correspondence.
• Promote transparency, consistency, and integrity throughout the editorial process.

Initial Editorial Assessment

Upon submission, editors should perform an initial screening to determine whether the manuscript:

• Falls within the aims and scope of EJMP.
• Meets the journal's formatting and submission requirements.
• Demonstrates sufficient scientific quality and originality.
• Complies with ethical standards and publication policies.
• Includes all required supporting documents, such as ethical approval, conflict of interest declaration, and plagiarism report where applicable.

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors before peer review or rejected at the editorial screening stage.

Peer Review Management

Editors should:

• Assign manuscripts to qualified reviewers with relevant expertise.
• Avoid selecting reviewers who have conflicts of interest.
• Monitor the progress of the review process and ensure timely completion.
• Evaluate reviewer comments for quality, fairness, and professionalism.
• Request additional reviews when necessary to support informed editorial decisions.

Editorial Decision Making

Editorial decisions should be based on:

• Scientific originality and significance.
• Methodological rigor and validity.
• Ethical compliance.
• Relevance to the journal's scope.
• Clarity and quality of presentation.
• Reviewer recommendations.

Editors may issue one of the following decisions:

• Accept
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject

The final decision rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief or the designated handling editor.

Confidentiality

Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information contained within a manuscript must not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial staff, or publisher when necessary.

Editors must not use unpublished information obtained through submitted manuscripts for personal research or professional advantage.

Conflict of Interest

Editors should withdraw from handling a manuscript if they have any financial, academic, institutional, collaborative, or personal relationships that could influence—or appear to influence—their editorial judgment.

In such cases, the manuscript should be reassigned to another qualified editor.

Publication Ethics

Editors are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record. They should follow internationally recognized publication ethics and remain vigilant for potential cases of:

• Plagiarism
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Image manipulation
• Authorship disputes
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• Ethical approval deficiencies

Where concerns arise, editors should follow established journal procedures and internationally accepted ethical guidelines before making a final decision.

Corrections and Retractions

Editors should take appropriate action when errors or research misconduct are identified after publication. Depending on the circumstances, this may include issuing:

• Corrections
• Expressions of Concern
• Retractions
• Editorial Notes

Such actions should be undertaken in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards to preserve the integrity of the scientific record.

Communication with Authors

Editors should communicate editorial decisions professionally, respectfully, and transparently. Decision letters should include constructive feedback from reviewers and clear guidance regarding revisions where applicable.

Editors should avoid unnecessary delays and ensure timely responses throughout the editorial process.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests, institutional influence, advertising, sponsorship, or personal relationships. Manuscripts should be evaluated solely on their scientific merit and contribution to medical knowledge.

Continuous Improvement

Editors are encouraged to remain informed about developments in scholarly publishing, peer review, research integrity, and publication ethics. Participation in editorial training and adherence to internationally recognized best practices contribute to maintaining the quality and reputation of EJMP.

The European Journal of Medical Practitioners (EJMP) values the dedication, professionalism, and expertise of its editorial team. Through impartial decision-making, ethical leadership, and commitment to scientific excellence, editors play a vital role in advancing high-quality medical research and strengthening the global scholarly community.