For Editors

1. Overview

As an Editor, you play a central role in advancing scholarly knowledge and shaping the intellectual direction of the journal. Editors are responsible for ensuring that the journal publishes high-quality, relevant, and impactful research that meets the needs of its academic readership and reflects developments within the field.

GASF is a values-driven academic publisher committed to the principles of quality, transparency, and integrity in all aspects of scholarly communication. Editors are essential partners in upholding these principles and in safeguarding the academic reputation of both the journal and its contributors within an increasingly complex global publishing environment.

2. Ethical Guidelines for Editors

GASF ensures that its editorial practices remain transparent, ethical, and aligned with international standards, thereby supporting the dissemination of reliable and high-quality scholarly research. Editors of GASF journals are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and professionalism in all aspects of manuscript handling. Editorial responsibilities must be carried out in a manner that ensures the credibility of the scholarly record and the trust of authors, reviewers, and readers. Please refer to GASF Ethical Guidelines - Ethical Guidelines for Editors.

3. Editorial Responsibilities

3.1 Cooperation with Editorial Bord Members (EBMs)

Editors are responsible for ensuring that the Editorial Board is actively engaged in supporting the journal’s academic quality, strategic development, and ethical standards. The Editorial Board should collectively reflect disciplinary diversity and maintain a balanced representation in terms of geography, gender, and academic expertise.

Editors are expected to collaborate with Editorial Board Members in key aspects of journal governance, including the identification of emerging research areas, the evaluation of journal performance, the recommendation of qualified reviewers, and the promotion of the journal within relevant academic communities.

Editorial Board Members may also be consulted on strategic editorial decisions, including the assessment and approval of Special Issue proposals, where appropriate. Their expertise should be utilized to ensure that editorial policies are consistently applied and aligned with international publishing standards.

Editors should ensure that EBMs are appropriately informed of their responsibilities and are actively contributing to the journal’s development. Regular engagement and communication with EBMs should be maintained to support transparency, accountability, and the continuous improvement of editorial processes.

3.2 Cooperation with Guest Editors

Editors must ensure that Guest Editors possess appropriate subject expertise and a strong international academic network capable of attracting high-quality submissions.

Prior to appointment, Editors must verify the academic credentials and suitability of proposed Guest Editors. Guest Editors must demonstrate a clear understanding of the journal’s editorial policies, commissioning procedures, and peer review standards, and must formally agree to comply with all journal ethical requirements. Editors may consult the Editorial Board before approving Special Issue proposals.

All submissions to Special Issues, including invited or commissioned manuscripts, must undergo full peer review in accordance with the journal’s standard editorial and ethical policies.

3.3 Author Services and Article Promotion

Editors and the Editorial Office are responsible for ensuring a high-quality author experience. This includes timely responses to inquiries, efficient manuscript handling, prompt editorial decisions, and the provision of clear, constructive, and actionable reviewer feedback.

Editors are also expected to actively contribute to the visibility and academic impact of the journal. This may include encouraging high-quality authors to submit future work, promoting published articles within relevant academic communities, and highlighting impactful publications through appropriate channels such as conferences, academic networks, and digital platforms. Where appropriate, authors may be informed of the performance of their published work, including download statistics or citation impact, to further engage the scholarly community.

The journal collects ORCID iDs during submission. Upon acceptance, ORCID iDs are included in the article metadata and published alongside author names to ensure accurate attribution and integration with scholarly communication systems.

3.4 Reviewer Oversight and Peer Review Quality

Editors must ensure that all reviewer reports are substantive, constructive, and focused on the scientific content of the manuscript. Reviews should provide detailed evaluation of methodology, research design, data analysis, interpretation of results, and overall presentation, together with clear recommendations for improvement.

If a review is insufficient—for example, overly brief, limited to superficial language comments, or lacking justification—Editors should seek additional independent reviews to ensure a fair and balanced assessment.

3.5 Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Ethics approval and informed consent statements are mandatory requirements for all research involving human or animal subjects, and it is the responsibility of the handling Editor to ensure compliance.

All submitted manuscripts must include appropriate statements regarding:

Ethics committee, institutional review board (IRB), or institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) approval, where applicable;

Informed consent for participation, data use, sample collection, and/or publication, or animal welfare considerations for animal studies.

Editors are responsible for verifying that all required ethical statements are clearly presented, complete, and understandable to an international readership. While authors are responsible for the accuracy of reporting, Editors must ensure that ethical compliance is properly documented before publication.

4. Role of Academic Editors

Academic Editors play a critical role in the dissemination and advancement of scientific knowledge. They are responsible for evaluating the scientific quality, originality, and relevance of submitted manuscripts, and for determining whether they meet the journal’s standards of excellence and are suitable for its target readership.

Academic Editors must also ensure that all ethical considerations related to the research are properly addressed. They are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record and ensuring that published content does not compromise the interests of readers, the scientific community, or the public.

All editorial decisions must be made in an objective, fair, and unbiased manner. Manuscripts must be evaluated strictly on academic merit, without influence from factors such as the authors’ nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, political affiliation, gender, or institutional background.

In addition to managing the peer review process, Academic Editors are expected to actively contribute to the development of the journal by identifying emerging research areas, inviting high-quality submissions including original research and review articles, and ensuring the timely and rigorous execution of peer review.

Academic Editors also play an important role in promoting the journal within the international scientific community, thereby enhancing its visibility, academic impact, and reputation as a leading platform for scholarly communication.

4.1 Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief holds the principal responsibility for the scientific leadership and strategic direction of the journal, ensuring its alignment with the overall vision and mission of GASF. This position is typically held by senior scholars with established academic authority, recognized contributions to their field, and a strong commitment to the advancement of scholarly publishing.

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for maintaining the scientific quality, integrity, and reputation of the journal. In collaboration with the Publisher and Editorial Board, the Editor-in-Chief defines the journal’s scope, establishes editorial policies, and oversees the overall editorial workflow, including the selection and assignment of manuscripts for peer review.

Final editorial decisions on all manuscripts rest with the Editor-in-Chief or with designated academic editors acting under their authority. These decisions must be based on scientific merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and the outcomes of rigorous peer review.

The Editor-in-Chief plays a central role in developing and strengthening the journal’s academic community. This includes organizing Editorial Board meetings, identifying and inviting qualified researchers to serve on the Editorial Board, and promoting the journal within relevant academic networks, conferences, and scholarly events. The Editor-in-Chief is also encouraged to contribute high-quality scholarly work to the journal, provided that full editorial independence is maintained and no conflict of interest exists in the handling of such submissions.

In addition, the Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring that the Editorial Board reflects disciplinary breadth, international representation, and diversity in terms of geography, gender, and ethnicity. They are expected to provide guidance on Editorial Board development to ensure long-term academic balance and sustainability.

The Editor-in-Chief must also uphold strict confidentiality regarding all editorial and peer review matters. Any information related to submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, or editorial decisions must not be disclosed or discussed outside the formal editorial process. This obligation remains applicable even when engaging with colleagues or participating in other editorial board activities within the academic community.

4.2 Associate Editor-in-Chief

The Associate Editor-in-Chief supports the Editor-in-Chief by inviting and recommending Editorial Board members, soliciting manuscripts, reviewing submissions, and providing final recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief. They maintain regular communication with the Editorial Office, offering insights into the journal’s strategies and development. Their key responsibilities include assisting the Editor-in-Chief in managing the journal’s development, focusing on maintaining editorial quality, process coordination, and expanding readership. Additional responsibilities include developing event concepts, representing the journal externally, and collaborating with the Editorial Board on journal promotion.

4.3 Editorial Board

Editorial Board members support the Editor-in-Chief in maintaining and enhancing the scientific quality, integrity, and reputation of the journal. They are responsible for advising on journal policy, scope, and strategic development; assisting in the evaluation of manuscript quality and originality; participating in editorial decision-making on assigned submissions in accordance with journal standards; and recommending suitable reviewers when necessary. In addition, Editorial Board members are expected to contribute and recommend high-quality papers, propose topics and serve as Guest Editors for Special Issues when invited, actively promote the journal within the academic community to increase its visibility and impact, and participate in Editorial Board meetings and related activities. Respectively, there is also a chance for an editorial board member to be promoted to editor-in-chief if they make a great contribution to the journal.

4.4 Youth Editorial Board

The Youth Editorial Board plays a pivotal role in supporting the Editorial Board by upholding the journal’s high publication standards. Their responsibilities include reviewing submissions, recommending reviewers, soliciting contributions, promoting the journal, and engaging in academic activities. Youth Editorial Board Members, selected for their academic experience and potential, contribute to the journal’s long-term growth, ensuring it remains dynamic, inclusive, and at the forefront of scholarly discourse. This board serves as a platform for emerging scientists, fostering communication and collaboration, offering members priority consideration for future Editorial Board positions.

4.5 Guest Editor

Special Issues published by GASF are designed to highlight emerging topics and rapidly advancing areas of research through curated collections of high-quality articles. These Issues are led by invited Guest Editors with recognized expertise in the field and are developed in close coordination with the journal’s editorial team to ensure relevance, quality, and academic integrity. For more information, please refer to GASF Submission & Peer-review – Special Issue.

Guest Editors are responsible for overseeing Special Issues and are encouraged to invite contributions from researchers within their academic field. The main responsibilities of Guest Editors include:

Defining the title, aims and scope, summary, and keywords of the Special Issue;

Recommending and inviting potential contributors;

Conducting initial screening of submissions, supervising the peer review process, and making editorial recommendations on new submissions;

Promoting the Special Issue through academic conferences, social media platforms, and other relevant scholarly channels.

Guest Editors must declare any real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest related to the Special Issue. To maintain transparency and editorial integrity, any conflicts of interest must be disclosed to the journal prior to and during the editorial process. This includes, but is not limited to, financial interests, institutional or corporate sponsorship, intellectual property (including patents or patent applications), confidentiality agreements, or ongoing professional collaborations or personal relationships with invited authors.

In addition to their editorial responsibilities, serving as a Guest Editor provides opportunities for academic and professional development. These include curating a focused collection of high-quality research, enhancing visibility and impact within a chosen research area, strengthening international academic networks, and gaining practical experience in scholarly publishing and peer review processes. Guest editing also contributes to long-term scholarly recognition by establishing an enduring association with a specific research topic and supporting future editorial and leadership opportunities.

5. Call for Applications

5.1 Editorial Board Member

The journal welcomes applications and recommendations for Editorial Board membership. Scholars with strong academic backgrounds, relevant research expertise, and a demonstrated record of scholarly contributions are encouraged to apply or nominate qualified colleagues.

Interested applicants or nominators are invited to send an application letter and updated CV to the official journal email addresses. All submissions will be reviewed based on academic merit, subject expertise, and alignment with the journal’s scope and editorial needs.

5.2 Guest Editor

Scholars who are interested in acting as Guest Editors are invited to submit a Special Issue Proposal along with an updated CV to the Editorial Office for evaluation.

The Special Issue Proposal must include the following information:

Proposed title of the Special Issue;

A clear description of the aims, scope, and academic relevance of the Special Issue;

A summary of the research background and emerging importance of the topic;

A list of potential keywords;

A preliminary list of potential contributors and/or target research communities;

An indication of the expected number and types of manuscripts to be included;

Suggested timeline for submission.

5.3 New Journal Proposal

GASF welcomes proposals for the launch of new academic journals in emerging and rapidly developing fields of research. We invite experienced scholars, research groups, and academic institutions to submit well-developed proposals for consideration.

A New Journal Proposal should clearly demonstrate the academic need, originality, and long-term viability of the proposed journal. It must include the following information:

Proposed journal title and thematic focus;

A detailed description of the journal’s aims, scope, and target audience;

Justification for the necessity of the new journal, including gaps in existing literature or publishing platforms;

Proposed editorial structure, including Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, and their academic profiles;

Potential indexing goals and strategies for academic visibility and impact;

An outline of expected submission volume and subject areas to be covered;

Brief CVs of the proposed editorial leadership team.

All submissions will be carefully reviewed by the Publisher and Editorial Board based on academic merit, feasibility, and strategic relevance to the field. Successful proposals will proceed to further evaluation and journal development planning.

Interested applicants are invited to submit their proposal and supporting documents to the Editorial Office via the official GASF website.