Editorial Independence

The management of the Journal of Health Promotion and Behavior (JHPB) is committed to safeguarding editorial independence and ensuring that all editorial decisions are made fairly, objectively, and transparently. This policy provides guidance to the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members regarding their editorial authority, responsibilities, and relationship with the journal management and publisher.

The journal management recognizes the Editor-in-Chief's authority and responsibility for making final decisions on the acceptance, rejection, or revision of submitted manuscripts. Such decisions shall be based on scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, and the outcomes of the peer-review process. The journal management shall respect these decisions and shall not interfere with the editorial assessment of individual manuscripts.

The journal management is responsible for providing administrative, technical, financial, and operational support to facilitate the journal's effective operation and sustainable development. The management may consult with the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board on journal policies, strategic priorities, publication procedures, and performance. However, such consultation shall not compromise the independence of editorial decisions or place pressure on editors to accept, reject, or prioritize manuscripts for commercial, financial, political, personal, or institutional reasons.

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members are expected to exercise their editorial responsibilities independently, impartially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies, publication ethics standards, and applicable legal requirements. Editors shall disclose competing interests and ensure that manuscripts are handled appropriately whenever potential conflicts could affect editorial judgment.

The journal management shall ensure that financial arrangements, including publication fees, sponsorships, advertising, and other sources of revenue, do not influence manuscript evaluation or publication decisions. Editorial decisions shall remain independent of financial performance, citation targets, journal rankings, and other commercial or bibliometric considerations.

To maintain transparency and accountability, the journal management shall clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the journal management, Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, and publisher, as applicable. Any concerns or disputes regarding editorial independence shall be addressed through a fair and transparent procedure that protects the integrity of the editorial process and respects the Editor-in-Chief's decision-making authority.

All editors are expected to understand and comply with this policy as part of their editorial responsibilities. The journal management will periodically review the policy and its implementation to ensure alignment with recognized publication ethics standards, including the relevant guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) on transparent relationships between journals, their owners, and publishers.