Editorial Guidelines

Synergy: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (SIJMDS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity, transparency, academic independence, and scholarly quality.

The journal adheres to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE):
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

These Editorial Guidelines define the governance structure, responsibilities, and decision-making processes of the journal.

1. Editorial Governance Structure

SIJMDS operates under a clearly defined editorial structure consisting of:

  • Editor-in-Chief

  • Editorial Board Members

  • External Peer Reviewers

The complete and updated list of editorial members, including affiliations, is publicly available on the journal website.

The journal does not maintain undisclosed editorial or advisory roles.

2. Role of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate responsibility for the academic quality and integrity of the journal.

Responsibilities include:

  • Overseeing the entire editorial process

  • Conducting initial manuscript screening

  • Assigning reviewers

  • Making final publication decisions

  • Ensuring ethical compliance

  • Managing conflicts of interest

  • Handling appeals, complaints, and misconduct cases

  • Safeguarding editorial independence

The Editor-in-Chief makes decisions based solely on scholarly merit and relevance to the journal’s scope, without influence from commercial, institutional, or personal interests.

3. Role of the Editorial Board

Editorial Board Members are selected based on:

  • Academic expertise

  • Research publication record

  • International representation

  • Contribution to the journal’s field

Responsibilities include:

  • Providing subject-matter expertise

  • Recommending qualified reviewers

  • Advising on journal development and scope

  • Promoting the journal within academic networks

  • Assisting in maintaining scholarly standards

Editorial Board Members do not participate in decisions where conflicts of interest exist.

4. Editorial Independence

SIJMDS maintains strict editorial independence:

  • Editorial decisions are based exclusively on academic merit.

  • The publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions.

  • Financial considerations (including APCs, if applicable) do not influence acceptance decisions.

Submissions from the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Board Members are handled independently and without their involvement in the review or decision process.

5. Manuscript Evaluation and Decision-Making

All manuscripts undergo:

  1. Initial editorial screening

  2. Double-blind peer review (minimum two reviewers)

  3. Editorial decision based on reviewer reports

Final decisions may be:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

The Editor-in-Chief retains final decision authority.

In cases of conflicting reviews, additional reviewers may be consulted.

6. Ethical Standards

The editorial team ensures that all published content complies with:

  • Research ethics standards

  • Conflict of interest disclosure requirements

  • Data transparency expectations

  • Anti-plagiarism regulations

The journal screens submissions for plagiarism using similarity detection software.

Cases of suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication) are handled according to COPE procedures.

7. Conflict of Interest

All editorial participants must disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest.

If a conflict exists, the individual must recuse themselves from:

  • Handling the manuscript

  • Participating in the decision-making process

Transparency in editorial decision-making is strictly enforced.

8. Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents.

Editorial team members and reviewers must:

  • Not disclose manuscript content

  • Not use unpublished material for personal research

  • Maintain anonymity in the double-blind review process

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written justification.

The Editor-in-Chief will:

  • Review the appeal

  • Consult independent experts if necessary

  • Provide a final decision

All complaints related to editorial conduct or publication ethics are investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.

10. Continuous Quality Improvement

SIJMDS is committed to ongoing editorial development and quality enhancement through:

  • Periodic review of editorial policies

  • Monitoring peer review performance

  • Ensuring geographic and institutional diversity

  • Updating policies in line with international publishing standards

11. Transparency and Accountability

The journal ensures transparency by:

  • Publishing editorial policies publicly

  • Displaying submission, acceptance, and publication dates

  • Publishing peer review and ethics policies online

  • Clearly listing editorial team members and affiliations

All policies are reviewed periodically to maintain alignment with international indexing and abstracting standards.

12. Commitment to International Standards

SIJMDS supports best practices in scholarly publishing and aims to meet international indexing requirements, including those expected by Scopus and other major abstracting services.

The journal is committed to:

  • Academic integrity

  • Ethical publishing

  • Transparent governance

  • Scholarly excellence