For Editors

This page is for Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Guest Editors, and Editorial Board members of SSG journals. It summarises how manuscripts are handled, and what we expect of editors. The full rules are in our Editorial Independence, Peer Review, and Publication Ethics policies.

1. Technical check (editorial office): completeness, declarations, anonymisation, formatting, and a similarity report.
2. Assignment: the Editor-in-Chief assigns a handling editor who has no conflict of interest.
3. Screening (handling editor, usually 5 to 10 days): scope, originality, basic soundness, and the similarity report. Possible outcomes are desk rejection (with reasons) or sending the manuscript for review.
4. Inviting reviewers: at least two reviewers who are independent of the editorial board, of the authors, and of each other (not from the same institution, and with no recent co-authorship). Check each reviewer's identity and institutional email.
5. Assessment: read the manuscript and the reports. Do not simply count recommendations. Weigh the arguments, and invite another reviewer if the reports conflict.
6. Decision: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject, with a decision letter that tells the authors what they must address.
7. Final check before acceptance: confirm that every declaration is present, that reviewer concerns have been resolved, and that nothing in the final version raises integrity concerns.

• Decide on scholarly merit alone. Do not let the authors' country, institution, gender, seniority, or ability to pay influence the decision.
• Keep every submission confidential. Do not use unpublished work in your own research.
• Declare conflicts and step aside. Do not handle manuscripts by recent co-authors, by colleagues at your institution, by your students, or by anyone else where a conflict exists.
• Never ask authors to cite the journal, yourself, or your colleagues, unless the citation is scientifically necessary. Watch for reviewers who do this, and remove such requests from their reports.
• Do not upload manuscripts or reviews into generative AI tools.
• Respond to the editorial office within the agreed timelines. Tell the office about planned absences.
• Report suspected misconduct to the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial office. Do not investigate it alone, and do not contact third parties without agreement.

You may submit your research to the journal. It will be handled by an editor with no conflict, and reviewed by external reviewers only. You will have no access to the file or the decision. The published article will include a statement that you were not involved in handling it (see Publication Ethics, section 3).

• Proposals go to the Editor-in-Chief, and must include the title, scope, guest editors (with affiliations and profiles), and a timeline.
• The Editor-in-Chief approves the proposal and oversees the special issue. Every manuscript is peer-reviewed in the same way as a regular submission.
• A Guest Editor's own manuscript is handled by another editor, and is peer-reviewed in the same way as any other.

• Board members are invited by the Editor-in-Chief. Candidates should have a doctoral degree, an active research record in the journal's field, and recent peer-reviewed publications. Researchers may also apply by sending a CV and links to their profiles to editorial-office@scientificstepsgroup-ssg.com. Appointment is at the Editor-in-Chief's discretion.
• The Editor-in-Chief is appointed by the publisher, after consulting the board. Candidates should be established researchers with an international publication record in the journal's field, and previous editorial experience.
• No one is listed without their written consent.

Editors work voluntarily. SSG does not pay editors, and does not give them rewards, points, or discounts. Editors are acknowledged on the journal website, and may request a certificate of service. Editors receive no commission on author services.

The editorial office provides training in the submission system on appointment, access to COPE guidance and flowcharts, and help with every integrity case. Contact: editorial-office@scientificstepsgroup-ssg.com.