Governance Policy

The Governance Policy of the Cosmic Journal of Chemistry (CJC) defines the structural frameworks, responsibilities, and decision-making processes that ensure academic integrity, editorial independence, and quality control. Like most journals published on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and adhering to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, its governance model is built on clear separation of powers between editorial authority, advisory oversight, and administrative management.

Core Governance Principles

1. Editorial Independence

  • Separation of Powers: The Chief Editor and Editorial Board operate with complete editorial independence from the publisher (Cosmic Degree College) and any commercial or institutional interests.

  • Unbiased Decisions: Acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts is based solely on scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope—never on financial, political, or personal influences.

2. Structure & Roles

  • Chief Editor / Editor-in-Chief:

    • Holds ultimate authority and responsibility for the journal’s academic content and direction.

    • Oversees the peer-review process, appoints section editors, and makes final publication decisions based on reviewer recommendations.

  • Editorial Board:

    • Consists of recognized international and national experts across various sub-disciplines of chemistry.

    • Provides strategic direction, assists in double-blind peer review, monitors scientific quality, and advises on policy updates.

  • Managing / Technical Editors:

    • Handle day-to-day operations, including initial administrative desk checks (formatting, preliminary plagiarism screening via tools like Turnitin), platform coordination (OJS), and managing author/reviewer communications.

  • Advisory / Advisory Board:

    • Offers high-level policy guidance, periodically audits editorial performance, and ensures the journal maintains compliance with international indexing standards (e.g., Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines in Pakistan, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)).

Key Operational Policies

1. Peer-Review System Governance

  • CJC enforces a Double-Blind Peer Review process where both author and reviewer identities are concealed.

  • Every article undergoes evaluation by at least two independent subject-matter experts.

  • Recommendations (Accept, Revisions Required, Reject) are reviewed by the handling editor before a final decision is conveyed to authors.

2. Ethical Oversight & Misconduct

  • The journal strictly enforces zero-tolerance policies regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication (salami slicing), and authorship manipulation.

  • Misconduct allegations are handled systematically following COPE flowcharts.

  • Corrective measures include issuing a Corrigendum, Expression of Concern, or Article Retraction depending on severity.

3. Appeals and Complaints Procedure

  • Appealing Rejections: Authors have the right to appeal a rejection decision if they believe it was based on factual errors or procedural bias. Appeals must be submitted in writing with a point-by-point rebuttal and are evaluated independently by a senior board member not involved in the original review.

  • General Complaints: Complaints regarding editorial processing time, conduct, or conflicts of interest can be submitted directly to the Chief Editor or the managing office via the official editorial email.

Governance Resources