Editorial Governance & Policy

Link Journal of Speech, Language and Audiology

ISSN: 3105-5354 |  Editorial Governance & Policy Framework

 

  1. Preamble and Scope

The Link Journal of Speech, Language and Audiology (LJSLA) is committed to the highest standards of editorial integrity, transparency, and independence. This document defines the governance structure, roles, responsibilities, and safeguards applicable to all members of the Editorial Board, Advisory Board, and management of the Journal. These policies are designed to meet and exceed the criteria of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and align with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

 

  1. Editor-in-Chief

2.1 Role and Authority

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) holds the highest editorial authority within LJSLA. The EiC is responsible for ensuring the scientific quality, integrity, and ethical standards of all content published in the Journal. The EiC operates with full editorial independence from the publisher and all commercial interests.

2.2 Responsibilities

  • Setting and upholding the editorial vision, scope, and quality standards of the Journal.
  • Making final decisions on acceptance or rejection of all submitted manuscripts, based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance.
  • Overseeing the peer review process to ensure it is rigorous, fair, and conducted in a timely manner.
  • Appointing and reviewing the performance of Associate Editors and Editorial Board members.
  • Ensuring all editorial decisions are free from commercial, political, or personal influence.
  • Addressing post-publication concerns, corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern in accordance with COPE guidelines.
  • Representing the Journal in matters of editorial policy with indexing bodies including DOAJ.

 

2.3 Editorial Independence

Formal Statement: The Editor-in-Chief of LJSLA makes all manuscript acceptance and rejection decisions independently and without interference from the publisher, the Managing Editor, advertisers, sponsors, or any other external party. The publisher and management of JSLA provide institutional and operational support to the Journal but have no role in, and shall not seek to influence, any editorial decision.

 

2.4 Conflict of Interest — Editor-in-Chief

The EiC shall recuse themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a personal, financial, professional, or institutional conflict of interest. In such cases, responsibility for that manuscript shall be delegated to a senior member of the Editorial Board. The EiC shall declare any ongoing affiliations or interests that could be perceived as influencing editorial decisions.

 

  1. Managing Editor

3.1 Role and Function

The Managing Editor (ME) is responsible for the operational and administrative management of the Journal's editorial workflow. The Managing Editor's role is strictly administrative and does not extend to editorial evaluation, peer review assignment, or acceptance and rejection decisions.

3.2 Responsibilities

  • Coordinating manuscript submission, tracking, and communication with authors throughout the editorial process.
  • Managing the journal management system (OJS) including technical configuration, version maintenance, and metadata management.
  • Liaising with reviewers regarding assignment logistics and submission of review reports.
  • Overseeing production, copyediting, typesetting, and publication scheduling.
  • Maintaining the journal website, ensuring policies are current, accessible, and compliant with indexing requirements.
  • Managing administrative correspondence on behalf of the editorial team.

 

3.3 Boundaries of the Managing Editor's Authority

Policy Statement: The Managing Editor shall not evaluate manuscripts for scientific merit, assign peer reviewers based on strategic or preferential considerations, override or influence editorial recommendations, or communicate editorial decisions to authors. All such functions rest exclusively with the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board.

 

  1. Editorial Board

4.1 Composition and Appointment

The Editorial Board comprises distinguished academics, clinicians, and researchers with relevant expertise in the Journal's scope. Members are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief based on academic standing, subject expertise, and commitment to publication ethics. Editorial Board membership is reviewed periodically.

4.2 Responsibilities

  • Conducting or overseeing peer review of manuscripts within their area of expertise.
  • Providing editorial recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief on manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.
  • Contributing to the development of special issues, thematic collections, and editorial initiatives.
  • Upholding and promoting the Journal's ethical standards among the broader research community.
  • Disclosing any conflicts of interest with assigned manuscripts and recusing themselves accordingly.

 

4.3 Decision-Making Authority

Editorial Board members may make recommendations regarding manuscript disposition but do not hold final acceptance authority. Final acceptance or rejection decisions rest solely with the Editor-in-Chief. Editorial Board members handling manuscripts act independently and are not subject to direction from the publisher or management of LJSLA.

 

  1. Advisory Board

5.1 Role and Purpose

The Advisory Board of LJSLA provides high-level strategic guidance to support the long-term growth, quality, and international standing of the Journal. The Advisory Board performs a consultative and ambassadorial function and is entirely distinct from the editorial decision-making structure.

5.2 Responsibilities

  • Advising on the Journal's scope, strategic direction, and positioning within its field.
  • Recommending enhancements to editorial standards and publication practices.
  • Supporting the Journal's efforts toward international indexing, including DOAJ, Scopus, and PubMed.
  • Promoting the Journal within their professional networks and academic communities.
  • Providing input on special issues, thematic priorities, and emerging research areas.

 

5.3 Boundaries of the Advisory Board's Role

Policy Statement: Advisory Board members do not participate in the peer review of individual manuscripts, do not make or influence acceptance or rejection decisions, and do not have access to confidential manuscript submissions or review reports. All editorial functions remain exclusively within the authority of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board.

 

5.4 Meetings and Engagement

The Advisory Board convenes at least once annually, either in person or via remote communication. Advisory Board members may be consulted on an ad hoc basis by the Editor-in-Chief on matters of policy, strategic direction, or indexing requirements. Minutes or summaries of Advisory Board consultations are retained on record.

 

  1. Conflict of Interest Policy

All individuals involved in the editorial governance of LJSLA — including the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Editorial Board members, Advisory Board members, and peer reviewers — are required to disclose any actual or perceived conflict of interest that could compromise the integrity of editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Personal, financial, or institutional relationships with manuscript authors.
  • Competitive or collaborative relationships that could bias evaluation.
  • Membership of the same institution as the submitting author.
  • Prior involvement in the research presented in the manuscript.
  • Any financial interest in outcomes related to the manuscript's subject matter.

 

Any individual with a declared conflict of interest must recuse themselves fully from the handling, review, and decision-making process for the affected manuscript. Recusal shall be recorded in the journal management system. The Editor-in-Chief shall designate an alternative handler in all such cases.

 

  1. Editorial Independence from Publisher

Formal Declaration of Editorial Independence: LJSLA affirms that all editorial decisions — including manuscript acceptance, rejection, and revision — are made solely on the basis of academic merit, scientific rigor, and ethical compliance, without interference from the publisher (LMI), its directors, advertisers, sponsors, or any other external party. The publisher provides financial and operational support for the Journal but has no authority over editorial content or decisions. This independence is non-negotiable and is binding on all parties.

 

If at any time the Editor-in-Chief believes that editorial independence is being compromised, they are entitled to raise the matter formally with the Advisory Board and, if necessary, with DOAJ or COPE, without prejudice to their position.

 

  1. Peer Review Policy

LJSLA operates a double-blind peer review process for all submitted manuscripts. Each manuscript is evaluated by a minimum of two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors, and author identities are not disclosed to reviewers.

  • All peer review assignments are made by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Editorial Board member.
  • Reviewers are required to declare any conflicts of interest prior to accepting an assignment.
  • Review reports and editorial correspondence are retained in the journal management system (OJS) as a permanent record.
  • Decisions communicated to authors are based solely on reviewer reports and editorial assessment of scientific merit.

 

  1. Policy Review and Amendments

This policy framework is reviewed annually by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board. Amendments may also be made in response to updated DOAJ criteria, COPE guidelines, or other relevant publication ethics standards. All revisions are version-controlled, dated, and published on the Journal's official website. Previous versions are retained on record.

 

 

Link Journal of Speech, Language and Audiology ISSN: (3105-5354)  |  Published by LMI

This policy is publicly available on the Journal website and is submitted to DOAJ as part of the Journal's transparency commitment.