Sami Publishing Company Editorial Governance Manual

Version 1.0 | 2026

1. Purpose and Scope

The Sami Publishing Company Editorial Governance Manual establishes the principles, responsibilities, and governance framework that guide the editorial and scholarly publishing activities of Sami Publishing Company (SPC).

The Manual applies to the journals and scholarly publications operated or published by SPC and provides a publisher-level framework within which individual journals develop and implement their own editorial policies, procedures, and operational practices.

The purpose of this Manual is to promote:

• editorial independence;
• academic integrity;
• transparent and accountable publishing;
• fair and consistent editorial processes;
• responsible research and publication practices;
• appropriate separation of editorial and commercial responsibilities;
• continuous improvement of journal quality; and
• responsible participation in the international scholarly communication system.

This Manual establishes the publisher-level principles and governance expectations of SPC. Individual journals may adopt additional policies or procedures appropriate to their disciplinary characteristics, provided that such policies remain consistent with the fundamental principles established by this Manual.

 

2. Publishing Governance Principles

SPC considers scholarly publishing a responsibility to authors, editors, reviewers, readers, institutions, and the wider research community.

Our publishing governance is based on the following principles:

2.1 Academic Integrity

Editorial and publishing activities shall be conducted with respect for research integrity, accuracy, transparency, and responsible scholarly communication.

2.2 Editorial Independence

Scientific and editorial decisions shall be based on scholarly considerations and shall not be improperly influenced by commercial, political, personal, institutional, or other non-editorial interests.

2.3 Transparency

SPC seeks to provide accurate and accessible information concerning its journals, editorial structures, policies, publishing practices, licensing arrangements, and relevant organizational information.

2.4 Fairness and Non-Discrimination

Manuscripts and scholarly contributions should be evaluated according to relevant academic and editorial criteria rather than the authors' nationality, geographical location, institutional affiliation, gender, personal characteristics, or other irrelevant considerations.

2.5 Accountability

SPC accepts responsibility for maintaining appropriate publishing systems and governance mechanisms and for addressing legitimate concerns concerning its journals and publishing activities.

2.6 Continuous Improvement

Publishing quality is considered an ongoing process. SPC periodically reviews its policies, procedures, infrastructure, and journal performance to identify opportunities for improvement.

 

3. Publisher–Editor Relationship

SPC recognizes a clear distinction between the responsibilities of the publisher and those of journal editors.

The publisher is responsible for providing the organizational, technical, financial, and administrative environment necessary for the operation of its journals.

Editors are responsible for scholarly and editorial decisions within the scope and policies of their respective journals.

The publisher should not interfere improperly with individual editorial decisions based on commercial considerations or other interests unrelated to scholarly evaluation.

At the same time, editorial independence does not remove the responsibility of editors to comply with applicable journal policies, publication ethics requirements, research-integrity principles, and the legitimate governance framework of the publisher.

SPC seeks to maintain an appropriate balance between publisher accountability and editorial independence.

 

4. Editorial Independence

Editorial independence is a fundamental principle of SPC's publishing philosophy.

Editorial decisions should be based on factors such as:

• scientific quality;
• originality;
• methodological soundness;
• relevance to the journal's scope;
• research integrity;
• ethical compliance; and
• the suitability of the manuscript for the journal's readership.

Editorial decisions should not be determined by:

• the commercial value of a manuscript;
• the ability or willingness of an author to pay a fee, where applicable;
• advertising considerations;
• personal relationships;
• political considerations;
• institutional pressure; or
• the nationality or geographical location of an author.

Where an actual or potential conflict may affect editorial independence, appropriate measures should be taken to protect the integrity of the decision-making process.

 

5. Governance Structure and Responsibilities

SPC recognizes several complementary levels of responsibility within its publishing structure.

5.1 Publisher

The publisher is responsible for the overall publishing environment, including:

• maintaining appropriate publishing infrastructure;
• establishing publisher-level policies;
• supporting ethical and responsible publishing;
• maintaining appropriate journal governance;
• supporting editorial independence;
• overseeing publication operations;
• supporting quality assurance;
• maintaining appropriate relationships with scholarly services and infrastructure providers; and
• responding to significant publishing or ethical concerns when publisher-level intervention is appropriate.

5.2 Editors-in-Chief and Editorial Leadership

Editors-in-Chief and other editorial leaders are responsible for the scholarly and editorial management of their journals.

Their responsibilities include:

• maintaining the academic quality of the journal;
• ensuring appropriate manuscript evaluation;
• selecting suitable reviewers;
• making or overseeing editorial decisions;
• managing conflicts of interest;
• protecting confidentiality;
• addressing ethical concerns;
• maintaining the journal's scope and academic identity; and
• supporting continuous editorial improvement.

5.3 Editorial Boards

Editorial Board members contribute to the academic development and governance of their journals according to their defined roles.

They are expected to:

• provide appropriate scholarly expertise;
• support editorial quality;
• maintain confidentiality;
• disclose relevant conflicts of interest;
• contribute to the development of the journal where appropriate; and
• act in accordance with the journal's policies and ethical standards.

5.4 Reviewers

Reviewers contribute independent scholarly assessments and are expected to:

• provide objective and constructive evaluations;
• maintain confidentiality;
• identify potential conflicts of interest;
• avoid inappropriate use of confidential manuscript information; and
• communicate concerns about research integrity when identified.

 

6. Journal-Level Governance

SPC recognizes that different disciplines require different editorial procedures.

Accordingly, each SPC journal may maintain its own:

• Editorial Policy;
• Peer Review Policy;
• Publication Ethics Policy;
• Authorship Policy;
• Conflict of Interest Policy;
• AI Policy;
• Data Availability Policy;
• Copyright and Licensing Policy;
• Corrections and Retractions Policy; and
• other discipline-specific policies.

Journal-level policies operate within the broader governance principles established by SPC.

Where a journal-specific policy differs from the general framework because of legitimate disciplinary requirements, the difference should be clearly documented and should not compromise fundamental principles of editorial independence, research integrity, fairness, or transparency.

 

7. Editorial Decision-Making

SPC supports editorial decision-making that is:

• independent;
• evidence-based;
• consistent;
• appropriately documented; and
• relevant to the journal's scope.

Editors should ensure that manuscripts receive appropriate initial assessment and, where applicable, independent peer review before a final editorial decision.

The number and type of reviewers, review model, statistical assessment, and other procedures may vary among journals according to disciplinary requirements.

Editorial decisions should not be based solely on the recommendations of a single reviewer where the journal's policy requires broader assessment.

Editors should retain responsibility for final decisions and should not delegate their editorial judgment entirely to reviewers.

 

8. Peer Review Governance

SPC considers peer review an essential mechanism for maintaining scholarly quality.

Individual journals determine their peer-review model according to their disciplinary and editorial requirements. Such models may include double-anonymous, single-anonymous, open, or other appropriately defined forms of peer review.

Regardless of the model adopted, journals should seek to ensure:

• appropriate reviewer expertise;
• independence of reviewers;
• confidentiality where applicable;
• disclosure and management of conflicts of interest;
• constructive and relevant assessment;
• protection against inappropriate influence; and
• appropriate documentation of editorial decisions.

Peer review should contribute to editorial quality rather than function as a purely procedural requirement.

 

9. Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

SPC is committed to responsible scholarly publishing and supports appropriate procedures for addressing publication and research-integrity concerns.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include concerns relating to:

• plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse;
• fabrication or falsification;
• authorship disputes;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• manipulated peer review;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• inappropriate use of artificial intelligence;
• image or data manipulation;
• unethical research practices; and
• other forms of publication misconduct.

Individual journals may establish detailed procedures for handling such matters. Serious or systemic concerns may require publisher-level involvement.

SPC supports the principle that allegations should be assessed carefully and fairly and that actions should be proportionate to the available evidence.

 

10. Authorship and Contributorship

SPC recognizes that authorship should reflect genuine scholarly contribution.

Individual journals may establish detailed authorship and contributorship requirements appropriate to their disciplines.

Where contributorship statements are requested or required, they should provide greater transparency concerning the actual roles performed by individual contributors.

SPC supports clear distinction between:

• authorship;
• contributorship;
• editorial responsibility;
• supervisory roles; and
• administrative or institutional support.

Authorship should not be assigned solely on the basis of position, seniority, institutional status, or supervisory authority.

 

11. Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise when personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other interests could reasonably affect—or appear to affect—scholarly judgment.

SPC expects journals to establish appropriate procedures for the disclosure and management of conflicts involving:

• authors;
• editors;
• reviewers;
• editorial board members; and
• other individuals participating in editorial decisions.

The existence of a conflict does not necessarily constitute misconduct. Appropriate disclosure and management are essential to maintaining transparency and trust.

 

12. Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

SPC recognizes the increasing role of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in scholarly communication.

The use of such technologies should be consistent with principles of:

• research integrity;
• transparency;
• accountability;
• confidentiality;
• authorship;
• intellectual property; and
• responsible scholarly communication.

Individual journals may establish more detailed requirements concerning the use and disclosure of generative AI and related technologies.

AI systems should not be treated as independent authors or as substitutes for accountable human editorial and scholarly responsibility.

 

13. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Issues

SPC recognizes that publication does not end editorial responsibility.

Where a published article contains an error, raises a significant ethical concern, or is subsequently found to require corrective action, the relevant journal should have appropriate procedures for:

• corrections;
• retractions;
• expressions of concern; and
• other necessary post-publication actions.

Such actions should be based on evidence and should be communicated transparently.

The objective of post-publication procedures is to protect the integrity of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors or protect the reputation of the publisher or journal.

 

14. Transparency and Publisher Accountability

SPC seeks to maintain transparent information about its publishing activities.

Where applicable, information provided publicly should include:

• publisher identity;
• journal ownership or publishing responsibility;
• editorial leadership;
• journal scope;
• peer-review arrangements;
• publication frequency;
• publication ethics policies;
• copyright and licensing;
• fees and charges;
• indexing and abstracting information;
• relevant scholarly infrastructure; and
• appropriate contact information.

SPC does not regard transparency as a promotional exercise. Information published on its websites should be accurate, current, and capable of verification.

 

15. International Scholarly Engagement

SPC considers scholarly communication an international activity and seeks to support participation by researchers, editors, and reviewers from different geographical and institutional backgrounds.

Internationalization is understood through actual scholarly participation rather than geographical claims alone.

Relevant indicators may include:

• international authorship;
• editorial participation;
• reviewer participation;
• institutional diversity;
• international collaboration;
• cross-border research activity; and
• the geographical reach of published content.

Geographical diversity should complement, rather than replace, scholarly expertise as the principal consideration in editorial appointments and peer-review selection.

 

16. Scholarly Publishing Infrastructure

SPC seeks to maintain appropriate technical and scholarly infrastructure supporting the integrity and discoverability of its publications.

Depending on the journal and applicable services, this may include:

• ISSN registration;
• DOI registration;
• Crossref services;
• ORCID integration;
• structured metadata;
• digital preservation;
• persistent identifiers;
• article-level metadata;
• indexing and abstracting services; and
• other scholarly communication infrastructure.

SPC recognizes that technical infrastructure supports, but does not itself establish, scholarly quality.

 

17. Indexing, Abstracting, and Scholarly Discovery

SPC seeks appropriate inclusion of its journals in recognized indexing, abstracting, discovery, library, and scholarly information services where the relevant journals meet applicable criteria.

Applications and evaluations by external organizations are independent processes.

SPC does not regard inclusion in any single database as a substitute for editorial quality, research integrity, or responsible publishing.

Indexing and discovery services are considered components of a broader scholarly communication ecosystem and are pursued as part of the continuous development of journal visibility and accessibility.

 

18. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

SPC considers quality assurance an ongoing publisher responsibility.

Where appropriate, the publisher and individual journals may monitor areas such as:

• publication regularity;
• editorial performance;
• peer-review quality;
• research integrity;
• publication ethics;
• metadata accuracy;
• author and reviewer experience;
• international scholarly participation;
• technical performance;
• discoverability;
• indexing status; and
• compliance with applicable publishing standards.

Identified weaknesses should be addressed through appropriate corrective or developmental measures.

The purpose of quality assurance is not simply to obtain recognition from external organizations, but to strengthen the underlying quality and reliability of scholarly publishing.

 

19. Complaints, Appeals, and Concerns

SPC supports appropriate mechanisms through which authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other stakeholders may raise legitimate concerns.

Depending on the nature of the matter, concerns may be handled by:

• the relevant journal editor;
• an editorial committee;
• the publisher;
• an ethics or research-integrity process; or
• another appropriately designated authority.

Complaints should be considered fairly and, where appropriate, confidentially.

Individuals raising legitimate concerns should not be subject to inappropriate retaliation.

 

20. Relationship with External Standards and Organizations

SPC seeks to align its publishing practices, where applicable and appropriate, with recognized principles and standards of scholarly publishing.

These may include guidance and recommendations developed by relevant scholarly, ethical, indexing, infrastructure, and publishing organizations.

Alignment with an external organization should not be interpreted as a claim of endorsement, certification, or membership unless such status has been formally established.

SPC periodically reviews its policies in light of developments in scholarly publishing and relevant external standards.

 

21. Documentation and Governance Records

Appropriate records should be maintained to support accountable editorial and publishing operations.

Depending on the nature of the activity, such records may include:

• editorial decisions;
• peer-review records;
• conflict-of-interest disclosures;
• ethical investigations;
• corrections and retractions;
• policy revisions;
• governance decisions; and
• relevant communications.

Access to confidential information should be appropriately restricted.

 

22. Review and Revision of this Manual

This Manual is subject to periodic review.

Revisions may be introduced in response to:

• developments in scholarly publishing;
• changes in applicable standards;
• technological developments;
• changes in the structure of SPC;
• experience gained from editorial operations;
• identified quality-improvement needs; or
• significant changes in the research and publishing environment.

The current version of the Manual should be identified clearly on the SPC website.

Current Version: 1.0
Year of Publication: 2026
Responsible Organization: Sami Publishing Company

 

23. Final Statement

Sami Publishing Company recognizes that responsible scholarly publishing requires more than the publication and dissemination of academic articles. It requires a governance environment in which editorial independence, research integrity, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement are actively supported.

SPC therefore seeks to establish a publishing environment in which:

• editorial decisions are academically responsible;
• authors and reviewers are treated fairly;
• research integrity is protected;
• the scholarly record is responsibly maintained;
• publisher and editorial responsibilities are appropriately distinguished;
• relevant information is communicated transparently; and
• the quality of publishing activities is continuously improved.

Our objective is not to define quality through a single metric, database, ranking, or external recognition. Rather, we seek to build and maintain the underlying practices that enable our journals to participate responsibly in the international scholarly communication system.

Sami Publishing Company is committed to evidence-based, transparent, ethical, and continuously improving scholarly publishing.