Editorial governance & independence
How editorial work is organised and protected across journals published by Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), including the roles of editors, independence from owners and sponsors, management of conflicts of interest, and routes for raising concerns about editorial integrity.
1 Purpose & scope
The primary purpose of editorial governance at IUMS is to protect the quality and credibility of the scholarly record. Editorial teams are responsible for deciding which manuscripts are suitable for publication, and they must do so using criteria that relate only to the scientific, educational, and ethical merits of the work. This policy applies to every IUMS title, including society-owned journals, journals co-published with other organisations, and special issues or supplements that are overseen on behalf of conferences or projects.
Regardless of the business model, sponsor, or subject area, the same principles of editorial independence and integrity apply. The policy is written specifically for the IUMS journal portfolio but is informed by international expectations for medical and health-science journals. It should be read together with the main Policies & standards page and with each journal’s own “Guide for authors”.
This policy is broadly consistent with guidance from organisations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. It adapts these principles for the IUMS context rather than copying them verbatim, and is designed to complement our policies on peer review, authorship, ethics and research integrity.
2 Editorial structure in IUMS journals
Each IUMS journal is led by an Editor-in-Chief (EIC). The EIC is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the journal, for maintaining scientific and ethical quality, and for making or confirming final decisions on manuscripts. In larger journals, the EIC is supported by associate editors, section editors, and editorial board members who handle submissions within defined subject areas. Editorial board members contribute their expertise, advise on policy development, review manuscripts, and help the journal stay connected to its research community.
Iran University of Medical Sciences, acting through its journals office, serves as the owner and publisher. The publisher provides the submission and peer-review systems, production and archiving services, and legal and administrative support. However, the publisher does not decide which individual articles are accepted or rejected. That authority rests with the Editor-in-Chief and, where delegated, with handling editors. This separation between the owner and the editorial team is essential for genuine editorial independence.
3 Editorial independence & relationship with the owner
Editorial independence means that editors are free to decide what to publish without interference from owners, sponsors, advertisers, or other external parties. At IUMS, editorial decisions must never depend on the potential for commercial revenue, on the prestige of the authors’ institutions, on political considerations, or on personal relationships. Manuscripts are judged on whether they are methodologically sound, clearly reported, ethically conducted, and aligned with the aims and scope of the journal.
The University and its journals office may set broad strategic goals—for example, moving toward open access, improving diversity in authorship and editorship, or increasing international reach—but they do not instruct editors to accept or reject specific manuscripts. Requests from owners or sponsors that would contradict this principle are inconsistent with this policy. If the publisher or a partner organisation has concerns about a particular article because of potential legal risk, safety considerations, or serious ethical doubts, those concerns are discussed with the Editor-in-Chief. Content decisions must still be grounded in evidence, legal obligations, and robust editorial reasoning, not in the convenience or reputation of any party.
4 Appointment, term & transition of editors
Editors-in-Chief are appointed by IUMS following a process that considers scientific reputation, subject-matter expertise, editorial experience, and a demonstrated commitment to research integrity. Appointments are usually made for a defined period (for example, three to five years), with the possibility of renewal by mutual agreement. At the start of an appointment, the key responsibilities and decision-making authority of the EIC are clearly explained, including the expectation that the editor will uphold and defend editorial independence.
The University retains the right, in principle, to end an editorial appointment. However, removing an editor is an exceptional step that must not occur simply because of disagreement with specific editorial decisions or because the editor has published content that is controversial but scientifically and ethically justifiable. Removal should be considered only when there is clear evidence of serious misconduct, persistent failure to fulfill editorial duties despite prior support, or behaviour that seriously harms the journal’s integrity. Any such process must be documented, fair, and transparent to the parties involved, and the editor must have the opportunity to respond before a final decision is taken.
Editors may resign at any time, ideally with enough notice to allow an orderly transition and to ensure that manuscripts already in review are handled without disruption. When a transition occurs, the publisher works with outgoing and incoming editors to transfer knowledge, preserve continuity in policies, and protect the integrity of the editorial record.
5 Handling editorial conflicts of interest
Editors and editorial staff inevitably have professional networks, institutional roles, and in some cases financial interests. To preserve trust in editorial decisions, any interests that might reasonably be perceived as influencing judgment must be handled carefully. Editors are expected to declare relevant conflicts to the publisher, such as significant paid consultancies, intellectual property, or leadership roles in organisations that may be affected by what the journal publishes, and to keep these declarations up to date.
When a manuscript is submitted by an editor, a close colleague, a recent collaborator, a student, or a family member, or when the editor has a strong institutional or financial connection to the work, that editor must have no role in the review or decision. The manuscript is reassigned to another editor who does not share that conflict, and in some cases, particularly when several editors are authors, an independent guest editor from outside the journal may be invited to oversee the process. Editors must not try to influence the handling editor, reviewers, or final decision in such cases. Similar principles apply to editorial board members and staff: no one should use their position within a journal to secure favourable treatment of their own work or the work of their close associates, nor should they seek to delay or obstruct competing research.
6 Protection from external pressure
Editors sometimes face pressure from institutions, funders, advocacy groups, or public authorities who are unhappy with published or pending content. At IUMS, such pressure is not a legitimate basis for changing editorial decisions unless it is accompanied by compelling evidence of serious error, ethical breach, or legal obligation that genuinely requires editorial action. Editors are encouraged to document any attempts to improperly influence the content of the journal and to share these concerns with the publisher so that appropriate support can be provided.
If a powerful stakeholder seeks to block or force publication of a paper for reasons unrelated to scholarly merit—for example, to protect institutional reputation or to promote a policy position—editors should rely on the guidance in this policy and on accepted international recommendations on editorial independence. Where necessary, the journals office may consult external experts or professional organisations for advice on how to respond, while keeping the primary focus on maintaining an accurate and trustworthy scientific record.
7 Editorial conduct & professional standards
Editorial governance is not only about formal structures; it is also about how editors behave. Editors are expected to treat authors and reviewers with courtesy, respect, and impartiality. Decision letters should explain the reasons for rejection or major revision in a way that is clear and constructive, preferably linking comments to the reviewers’ reports and to the journal’s scope and standards. Editors should respond to communications in a reasonable time frame and avoid unnecessary delays in the review process.
Confidentiality is central to the role. Unpublished manuscripts and reviewer reports must not be shared outside the editorial and peer-review process, except when there is a legitimate need to consult with another editor or an ethics committee. Editors may not use data or ideas from submitted work for their own research or teaching until that work has been published and is publicly available. They must also avoid coercive citation practices: suggestions to add references should be based on relevance and completeness of scholarship, not on the desire to raise citation counts for particular individuals or journals. If editors become targets of harassment, threats, or unfair criticism because of decisions taken in good faith, they should inform the publisher and, if appropriate, university leadership. IUMS will take such situations seriously and will support editors in upholding sound editorial practice.
IUMS also provides editors with guidance and training resources on editorial ethics, peer review and research integrity, and encourages participation in external initiatives (such as COPE and WAME) that support best practice in journal editing.
8 Partnership with societies, sponsors & guest editors
Some IUMS journals are linked to professional societies or academic groups, and some publish special issues that involve guest editors or external sponsors. These partnerships are valuable but do not alter the basic principles of this policy. Society officers, sponsors, and guest editors are expected to respect editorial independence and may not guarantee acceptance of any submission, regardless of authorship or funding source.
Guest editors are appointed or approved by the Editor-in-Chief and must follow the journal’s normal peer-review procedures, conflicts-of-interest rules, and ethics policies. The EIC retains the right to review and, if necessary, overturn decisions made by guest editors if there are concerns about fairness, quality, or compliance with policy. Sponsorship, if present, must be transparently disclosed in the special issue or article acknowledgements, and sponsors may not influence the editorial assessment of individual manuscripts.
9 Transparency, diversity & inclusion in editorial governance
Each IUMS journal provides basic information about its editorial structure on its website: the names and affiliations of the Editor-in-Chief, associate editors, and editorial board members; a concise description of the scope and typical content; and a summary of the peer-review model used. This transparency helps authors and readers understand who is responsible for decisions and how the journal operates.
In building and renewing editorial boards, IUMS seeks to reflect the diversity of the research community, including diversity of geography, institution type, gender, and career stage, within applicable legal and ethical boundaries. The aim is to ensure that editorial decisions are informed by a wide range of perspectives and experiences and that authors from different backgrounds feel welcome to submit. Editors are encouraged to be mindful of potential biases and to support initiatives that broaden participation, for example by inviting reviewers from underrepresented regions or mentoring early-career researchers in editorial work.
10 Monitoring, review & reporting concerns
This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains aligned with evolving international guidance on editorial independence and with the practical experience of IUMS journals. Updates to the policy are dated and made publicly available, and the most recent version applies across the portfolio unless a particular journal explicitly publishes additional, compatible requirements.
Anyone who believes that editorial independence may have been compromised—for example, by undue pressure from an owner, sponsor, institution, or editor, or by unmanaged conflicts of interest—may raise the concern with the Editor-in-Chief of the relevant journal or directly with the IUMS journals office at journals@iums.ac.ir. If the concern relates specifically to the conduct of an Editor-in-Chief, reports may instead be sent to the journals office or to a designated research integrity contact, rather than to that editor. Where a concern involves the publisher or university leadership, it may be referred to an independent institutional committee (for example, a research integrity or ethics committee) for review.
Reports should, where possible, identify the journal, the article or manuscript involved, the nature of the concern, and any supporting information. Concerns will be examined in good faith and, where appropriate, may lead to internal review, consultation with external experts, or other actions consistent with IUMS policies on complaints and research integrity. IUMS will not retaliate against individuals who raise concerns in an honest, responsible way.
By setting out these principles in a clear, public policy, IUMS affirms that the independence of its editors and the integrity of its journals are central priorities. The University, its journals office, and its editorial boards share responsibility for maintaining this independence and for ensuring that the scientific record emerging from IUMS journals remains trustworthy, transparent, and free from improper influence.
11 Editorial records & documentation
To support transparency, accountability and the ability to review past decisions, IUMS journals maintain secure records of the editorial and peer-review process. These records may include submission dates, versions of manuscripts, reviewer invitations and responses, reviewer identities (kept confidential from authors), decision letters, and correspondence related to ethical or legal concerns.
Access to these records is restricted to authorised editorial and publisher staff and is used solely for legitimate purposes such as managing manuscripts, responding to queries or complaints, and fulfilling legal or indexing requirements. Records are retained for a reasonable period, consistent with institutional policies and applicable regulations, so that journals can provide an auditable trail of how key decisions were made.