Elsevier Policies

Editorial independence

The following Statement of Principle speaks to a core Elsevier value of intellectual freedom and independent editorial decisions. The statement is informed by the World Association of Medical Editors policy, The Relationship Between Journal Editors-in-Chief and Owners opens in new tab/window and the RELX policy on editorial standards opens in new tab/window to which we abide.

We believe strongly in ensuring that the editorial decision making processes of our publications are kept separate from our commercial interests and we uphold editorial independence in decisions about which articles submitted to the journal shall be accepted.
These editorial decisions, or concerns or complaints about these editorial decisions, are dealt with within the editorial structures of a publication. These structures typically include editors, editors-in-chief, editorial boards, review boards, ethics committees, and ombudsmen or analogous structures for the editorial governance of any given publication.
Editors and publishers will work together to manage a particular journal and will each have duties and responsibilities as discussed in our policies and set out in the editor’s contract.
In making these editorial decisions the editors working on a journal are guided by the policies of that journal, the validity of the work, research integrity and publishing ethics policies and legal requirements in force regarding, for example, libel, copyright infringement, privacy, plagiarism, multiple submission, and fraudulent use of data. The publisher will not get involved in editorial decisions except to advise on research integrity, publishing ethics and legal issues, or where agreed with the editor.