Editorial Guidelines & Organisation
- Purpose and Scope
This document sets out the editorial policies, procedures, and role definitions for the books publishing program of Scientific Collaborative Online Publishing Universal Academy (SCOPUA). Click here to view the Editorial Team
- Editorial Governance Structure
2.1 Editor-in-Chief
The Editor in Chief is the chief editorial authority for the Scientific Collaborative Online Publishing Universal Academy (SCOPUA) books publishing program. The Editor in Chief provides strategic leadership, safeguards academic and pedagogical quality, and holds final responsibility for editorial decisions. The Editor-in-Chief defines and periodically reviews the editorial strategy for textbooks, ensuring alignment with Scientific Collaborative Online Publishing Universal Academy’s aims to present original, in-depth scholarly work in the sciences and social sciences. The Editor in Chief represents SCOPUA’s book publishing program to external stakeholders (universities, professional bodies, conferences).
2.2 Editors
Editors are responsible for a defined segment of the books publishing program:
- Series Editor – SCOPUA Books
- Series Editor – Books of Research Collection
The Editors, hereinafter called Series Editors, curate, develop, and oversee the manuscript handling within their assigned series/portfolio, from acquisition to final acceptance, under the strategic direction of the Editor-in-Chief and specific scope. Series Editors ensure the series aligns with SCOPUA’s mandate to publish high-quality scholarly works and research. They select appropriate reviewers (in consultation with Associate Editors).
2.3 Associate Editors
Associate Editors provide scholarly support for the Editor-in-Chief and Editors, managing the editorial process and ensuring the smooth progress of manuscripts.
2.4 Managing Editor
The Managing Editor provides operations support to Editors and authors. The basic role of a managing editor is;
- Receive and log all proposals and manuscripts into SCOPUA’s tracking system.
- Send acknowledgements and basic instructions to authors.
- Verify completeness of submissions (proposal, sample chapters, author CVs, permissions).
- Run plagiarism/similarity checks using approved tools.
- Provide routine updates on manuscript status to the author
- Convey revision instructions and deadlines as directed by Series Editors.
- Support authors on technical aspects of manuscript preparation.
- Editorial Standards & Ethics
3.1 Quality & Originality
- All books must present original material or an original synthesis of existing knowledge.
- Plagiarism, duplicate publication, and undisclosed substantial overlap are prohibited.
- Managing editor conducts similarity checks; Series Editors and Editor in Chief review concerns.
3.2 Academic Integrity & Data
- Empirical content must be reported transparently (methods, data, sources).
- Where student or participant data is used, ethical approval and anonymization must be respected.
3.3 Legal & Copyright
- Authors must obtain permission for all third-party content beyond fair use.
- Editors verify permissions documentation before production.
- Conflicts of Interest & Editorial Independence
4.1 Conflicts of Interest
Editors and reviewers must disclose:
- Close collaborations or personal relationships with authors.
- Financial or institutional interests that may bias judgment.
The Editor-in-Chief may reassign manuscripts or replace reviewers when conflicts arise.
4.2 Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are based on academic and pedagogical merit, not on commercial or external pressures.
- Policy Review and Amendments
5.1 This editorial policy shall be reviewed at least every three years, or earlier if:
- SCOPUA’s strategic direction changes.
- Industry best practices for book publishing evolve.
- New series or portfolios are introduced at scale.
5.2 Amendments require approval from the Editor-in-Chief after consultation with Series Editors and Associate Editors.
