The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry relies on the expertise, integrity, and commitment of its editorial board to maintain the highest standards of scholarly publishing. As an editor, you serve as both a scientific gatekeeper and a mentor to authors, ensuring that the journal continues to advance innovation, integrity, and global collaboration in the field of medicinal chemistry.

These instructions are designed to provide clear guidance on your roles, responsibilities, and expectations as part of the editorial team.

1. Editorial Responsibilities

a. Initial Manuscript Assessment

• Conduct a preliminary evaluation of submitted manuscripts to ensure they fall within the scope of the journal.
• Assess the novelty, relevance, and scientific quality before assigning reviewers.
• Verify that the manuscript complies with the submission guidelines (formatting, ethical statements, plagiarism check, etc.).

b. Peer Review Management

• Select qualified, independent, and unbiased reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript.
• Ensure double-blind peer review is maintained to preserve fairness.
• Monitor the progress of the review process to ensure timeliness.
• Provide reviewers with clear instructions regarding evaluation criteria and confidentiality.

c. Decision-Making

• Evaluate reviewer reports critically and synthesize them to make a balanced editorial decision.
• Possible decisions include: accept, minor revision, major revision, resubmission, or rejection.
• Ensure that authors receive constructive, respectful, and transparent feedback.

d. Ethical Oversight

• Uphold the ethical standards of publishing, including detecting plagiarism, duplicate submissions, or conflicts of interest.
• Handle cases of suspected scientific misconduct (fabrication, falsification, unethical experimentation) with fairness and confidentiality.
• Refer unresolved ethical concerns to the Editor-in-Chief or Ethics Committee.

2. Communication and Professional Conduct

• Maintain professional and courteous communication with authors, reviewers, and fellow editors.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to authors that helps improve the quality of their work.
• Respect confidentiality of all manuscripts and reviewer identities.
• Avoid bias based on nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, or personal beliefs.

3. Editorial Workflow and Timelines

• Aim to complete the initial screening of manuscripts within 7–10 days of submission.
• Ensure that peer review is completed within a reasonable timeframe (typically 3–4 weeks).
• Provide final editorial decisions promptly to support the journal’s commitment to efficient publication.

4. Conflict of Interest

• Editors must decline handling any manuscript in which they have a direct or indirect conflict of interest (e.g., personal, financial, or collaborative relationships with the authors).
• Such manuscripts should be reassigned to another editor to preserve impartiality.

5. Continuous Improvement

• Stay informed about advances in medicinal chemistry and related fields to ensure high-quality editorial judgments.
• Contribute to the strategic growth of the journal by suggesting special issues, inviting expert contributors, and engaging with the scientific community.
• Participate in editorial board meetings and provide feedback on journal policies, workflows, and best practices.

6. Editorial Integrity and Accountability

Editors are the custodians of scientific quality. Every decision should be based on:

• Scientific merit and relevance to medicinal chemistry.
• Transparency and fairness in peer review.
• Commitment to global accessibility and dissemination of knowledge.

7. Support for Editors

The journal’s editorial office will:

• Provide technical assistance with the submission platform.
• Supply plagiarism reports and other screening tools.
• Assist in resolving ethical or procedural disputes.
• Offer training resources and updated editorial policies.

As an editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, your role extends beyond decision-making. You are entrusted with shaping the direction of the journal, fostering scientific excellence, and supporting authors in presenting their research to the global community. Your dedication and integrity ensure that the journal remains a trusted and respected platform in the field of medicinal chemistry.