All editors are expected to follow the COPE Core Practices and the journal’s Editorial and Publication Policies (RJ-POL-01).
Core Responsibilities of Editors
1 · Publication decisionsEditors evaluate manuscripts on their originality, significance, methodological soundness and fit with the journal’s aims and scope. Reviewer recommendations are advisory and are weighed on the quality of their reasoning, not counted mechanically. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or, for manuscripts authored by the Editor-in-Chief, with the designated Associate Editor.
2 · Fair playManuscripts are evaluated for their intellectual content without regard to the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship or political philosophy of the authors.
3 · ConfidentialityEditors do not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers and the publisher, as appropriate. Editors must not upload manuscripts or reviewer reports to generative AI tools, and must not use AI to make or draft editorial decisions.
4 · Managing conflicts of interest- Editors are not involved in processes concerning their own work or the work of authors with whom they have a close financial, institutional, personal or collaborative relationship.
- An editor who identifies a potential conflict with an assigned manuscript notifies the Editor-in-Chief immediately and withdraws; the manuscript is reassigned by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript is not used in an editor’s own research without the author’s express written consent.
The Editorial Workflow
1Technical and preliminary checkEditorial Office · within 7 daysRequired files, anonymisation, scope and similarity are checked. Similarity limits: 15% overall and 3% from any single source.
2Desk evaluationField Editor · within 14 daysThe manuscript is scored using the Field Editor Evaluation Form (200 points). Manuscripts scoring 150 or above proceed to peer review; others are desk-rejected with a written justification.
3Reviewer assignmentSection Editor · reviewers: 21 days + one 7-day extensionAt least two independent external reviewers are assigned, each holding a doctorate in a relevant field. No reviewer is at the same institution as any author or has had a co-authorship, joint project, supervisor–student or thesis-jury relationship with any author in the last five years. Wherever possible, at least one reviewer is affiliated outside the authors’ country.
4Statistics and language editingQuantitative studies are reviewed by the statistics editor, and all manuscripts are language-edited before acceptance.
5Decision makingMax. 3 revision roundsDecisions follow the decision table in the Editorial and Publication Policies. A third reviewer is assigned where recommendations conflict. Authors answer every reviewer point in the Amendment Sheet. Decisions are communicated to authors with clear and constructive justification.
6Acceptance and productionProof approval within 5 working daysThe Editor-in-Chief completes a pre-acceptance check before a manuscript is accepted. The corresponding author approves the final proof before publication.
7AppealsOnce, within 30 daysAuthors may appeal a decision by a reasoned letter to the editorial office. The appeal is assessed by an editor who was not involved in the original decision.
Manuscript Submissions by Editors
Editors may submit their own work to the journal. Such manuscripts undergo the same double-blind peer review with at least two external reviewers, none of whom may be a member of the Editorial Board, and the published article carries a note stating that it was handled independently.
Manuscripts by the Editor-in-ChiefHandled entirely by an Associate Editor appointed by the Editorial Board, who takes the final decision. The Editor-in-Chief has no access to the reviewers’ identities, the reports or the editorial discussion of that manuscript.
Manuscripts by other editorsHandled by an editor with no connection to the work.
10% capArticles authored by Editorial Board members should not exceed 10% of the articles published in a calendar year.
Full details are given in Section 7 of the Editorial and Publication Policies (RJ-POL-01) and in the Editorial Workflow Guidelines (RJ-GDL-01), available on the Documents page.
Joining Our Editorial Board
RoMAya Journal welcomes internationally recognised academics who are experts in their fields to its editorial board. If you are interested in joining, please send your CV and a brief letter of intent.
✉ info@romayajournal.com
