Guide for Editors

This guide outlines the roles, responsibilities, and editorial procedures for editors of the Journal of Sustainable Finance (JSF). It is designed to ensure transparency, consistency, and the highest standards of academic integrity in the editorial and peer-review process.

1. Editorial Structure and Roles

1.1 Editor-in-Chief (EiC)

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for:

  • Defining the journal’s academic vision and strategic direction in sustainable finance and related fields
  • Ensuring editorial quality, ethical compliance, and publication integrity
  • Making final decisions on all manuscripts
  • Appointing Associate Editors, Editorial Board members, and Guest Editors
  • Representing the journal to academic, policy, and indexing communities

1.2 Associate Editors

Associate Editors support the EiC by:

  • Managing manuscripts within their areas of expertise (e.g., ESG, green finance, climate finance, fintech)
  • Selecting qualified peer reviewers
  • Evaluating reviewer reports and providing editorial recommendations
  • Ensuring efficient, fair, and timely peer-review processes

1.3 Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members are expected to:

  • Advise on journal scope, policy, and strategic development
  • Contribute to manuscript review when required
  • Promote the journal within academic and professional networks
  • Support special issues and thematic initiatives

2. Editorial Independence and Integrity

Editors must:

  • Maintain full independence and objectivity in decision-making
  • Base all decisions on scholarly merit, originality, and relevance to sustainable finance
  • Avoid conflicts of interest in all editorial activities
  • Ensure strict confidentiality throughout the editorial process

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal, institutional, or financial interests.

3. Manuscript Handling Workflow

Step 1: Initial Screening

Editors assess submissions for:

  • Relevance to sustainable finance, ESG, or related areas
  • Methodological quality and theoretical contribution
  • Originality and ethical compliance

Submissions not meeting minimum standards may be desk-rejected with justification.

Step 2: Reviewer Selection

Editors must:

  • Assign at least two independent and qualified reviewers
  • Ensure subject expertise alignment (e.g., climate finance, ESG, banking, fintech)
  • Avoid conflicts of interest with authors or institutions
  • Ensure diversity and balance in reviewer selection

Step 3: Peer Review Management

Editors are responsible for:

  • Monitoring review timelines and ensuring timely completion
  • Ensuring reviewer comments are constructive and objective
  • Addressing ethical issues raised during review
  • Requesting additional reviews when required

Step 4: Editorial Decision

Based on reviewer reports, editors may recommend:

  • Accept
  • Minor revision
  • Major revision
  • Reject

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision in complex or contested cases.

4. Decision Communication

Editors must ensure that decision letters:

  • Clearly summarise key reviewer feedback
  • Provide constructive and professional guidance
  • Maintain respectful and neutral language
  • Support authors even in rejection decisions

5. Ethical Oversight

Editors are responsible for identifying and addressing:

  • Plagiarism and self-plagiarism
  • Data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation
  • Authorship disputes or misattribution
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

All ethical issues must follow COPE guidelines and documented procedures.

6. Handling Conflicts of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves if:

  • There is prior collaboration with authors
  • Institutional, financial, or personal relationships exist
  • Any potential bias may affect judgment

Such manuscripts must be reassigned to another editor.

7. Use of AI in Editorial Processes

Editors may use AI tools only for:

  • Language and grammar improvement
  • Administrative support (e.g., reviewer suggestions with verification)

Editors must ensure:

  • AI does not influence editorial decisions
  • Confidentiality of manuscripts is fully protected
  • No manuscript content is misused or exposed externally

8. Special Issues Management

  • Guest Editors must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief
  • Clear objectives, scope, and timelines must be defined
  • All submissions undergo full double-blind peer review
  • Final authority rests with the Editor-in-Chief

9. Timeliness and Performance Standards

Editors are expected to:

  • Complete initial screening within 7–10 days
  • Ensure first review decisions within 4 weeks
  • Maintain timely communication with reviewers and authors
  • Notify delays to the EiC promptly

10. Post-Acceptance Responsibilities

Editors must:

  • Ensure manuscripts meet formatting and ethical standards
  • Coordinate with production and copyediting teams
  • Approve final proofs before publication
  • Verify metadata accuracy and DOI assignment

11. Retractions, Corrections, and Appeals

Editors must:

  • Recommend corrections, errata, or retractions when necessary
  • Handle appeals in a fair and transparent manner
  • Document all editorial decisions and communications

12. Editorial Meetings and Review

The editorial team should:

  • Conduct annual performance reviews of the journal
  • Assess reviewer quality and turnaround efficiency
  • Update editorial policies when required
  • Plan special issues and strategic directions

13. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Editors must:

  • Treat all manuscripts as strictly confidential
  • Not use unpublished content for personal research or advantage
  • Comply with data protection and privacy requirements

14. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Editors are expected to:

  • Promote diversity in authorship, reviewers, and editorial board membership
  • Encourage participation from emerging economies and early-career researchers
  • Ensure fair, unbiased editorial decisions

15. Compliance and Accountability

Editors must:

  • Uphold the mission and integrity of JSF
  • Follow all editorial policies consistently
  • Support journal visibility, indexing, and quality enhancement

Non-compliance may result in reassignment or removal from editorial responsibilities.