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Journals should send a notice to authors to acknowledge receipt of their manuscripts and provide names and contact information of relevant editorial staff. For journals with Web-based manuscript submission systems, acknowledgment letters may be sent automatically, usually after an author has viewed the submission and confirmed that it is complete. | Less

Journals should publish corrections (or errata) following errors or important omissions made by authors or introduced by editors, manuscript editors, production staff, or printers.,, According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, journal editors have a duty to publish corrections in a timely manner; however, the age of the original article in which the error was made should not be used as a reason not to publish a correction. Corrections to print publications should be published on a numbered editorial page and listed in the journal’s table of contents. It is preferable to publish corrections in a consistent place Less

A biomedical journal should provide a forum for readers and authors to participate in postpublication peer review and scientific dialogue and to exchange important information, especially with regard to articles published in the journal.,, A common forum for such exchange is the correspondence, or letters to the editor, column (see also , Types of Articles, Correspondence). Such letters become part of the published record and, like articles, are indexed by bibliographic databases. In the correspondence column, journal readers have the opportunity to offer relevant comments, query authors, and provide objective and scholarly criticism of published articles. Authors of articles to Less

Underlying the ethics of editorial responsibility is the need for disclosure of editorial procedures and policies to authors, reviewers, and readers. Typically, these are listed, and explained as necessary, in the publication’s instructions for authors, which should be published and readily available on the journal’s website (if published online). Items that should be considered for inclusion in a biomedical journal’s instructions for authors are listed in Box . When an important editorial policy is first created or undergoes a major revision, it should be announced to prospective authors, reviewers, and readers. The easiest way to accomplish this is to publish Less

An editor’s primary responsibilities are to inform and educate readers and to maintain the quality and integrity of the journal., Thus, editors are obliged to make rational and consistent editorial decisions, select papers for publication that are appropriate for their readers, ensure that the content of their journal is of high quality, and maintain standards to ensure the journal’s integrity,, (see also , Editorial Freedom and Integrity). The editor’s duty to readers often outweighs obligations to others with vested interest in the publication and may require actions that may not appear fair or suitable to authors, reviewers, owners, publishers, advertisers, Less

Many journals conduct internal assessments, audits, and research into various aspects of the editorial process. For example, a journal may produce monthly or annual reports from its database of manuscripts, authors, and peer reviewers to track inventory, workflow, and efficiency metrics. Trends from these reports can help editors determine the number and types of papers to accept for publication, assess staffing needs, track reviewer performance, and determine when to institute corrective action. For example, JAMA publishes an annual editorial audit that includes the number of manuscripts received the previous year, acceptance rates, and the turnaround time for manuscripts that are Less

A final editorial procedure that should be a part of every journal’s operation is quality review. After publication, editorial and production staff and advisers should review each issue for content errors (which, if detected, should be considered for publication as corrections), problems in presentation and format, and general appearance. All editorial and publishing staff should have the opportunity to participate in the quality review process, and all errors, problems, and suggestions for improvement should be communicated to the editor as well as those directly involved in editing and producing the publication. | Less

I believe the editor is the primary source for ethical responsibility among professional publications.   George D. Lundberg, MD Coupled with the autonomy and authority that come with editorial freedom are responsibility and accountability (see also , Editorial Freedom and Integrity). Editors are responsible for determining the journal’s content, ensuring the quality of the journal, directing editorial staff and board members, developing and maintaining procedures, and creating and enforcing policies that allow the publication to meet its mission and goals effectively, efficiently, and ethically and in a fiscally responsible manner. This section focuses primarily on decision-making editors (ie, editors in chief and Less

Editors should follow consistent procedures to evaluate papers and make decisions regarding acceptance (see , Editorial Responsibility for Manuscript Assessment). Editors should inform authors of acceptance of their manuscripts in a letter that describes the subsequent process of publication, including substantive editing and any remaining queries; editing of the manuscript, tables, and figures for accuracy, consistency, clarity, style, grammar, and formatting; and what material the author will be expected to review and approve before publication. Editors may also provide an approximate timetable for the publication process. If authors are given an expected date of publication, they should be informed of Less

The editor should establish and maintain procedures and policies for appropriate editorial assessment and decisions to accept, request revision of, and reject mansucripts (see also , Editorial Assessment and Processing). The editor also establishes whether such decisions will be made unilaterally or by other editors (eg, deputy, associate, assistant, contributing, section, or guest editor) or in collaboration. Factors used to determine decisions should be made available to authors and reviewers. For example, JAMA editors use the following general criteria to evaluate manuscripts: material is original, writing is clear, study methods are appropriate, data are valid, conclusions are reasonable and supported Less