AMG Transcend Association maintains a publisher-level governance framework that distinguishes publishing responsibilities from journal-level editorial authority.
Each journal operates within the publisher’s general standards for editorial quality, research integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing, while scientific evaluation and editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts remain within the independent editorial structure of the respective journal.
Governance Structure
Editorial governance operates at two related levels:
- publisher level, where AMG Transcend Association establishes and maintains the general publishing framework, publisher-level standards and policies, infrastructure, and operational support applicable across its journal portfolio; and
- journal level, where Editors-in-Chief, editors, Editorial Boards, and other appropriately appointed editorial participants are responsible for manuscript evaluation and the implementation of journal-specific editorial policies and procedures.
Responsibilities may be delegated within this structure, but delegation does not remove accountability for the responsibilities assigned to each role.
Publisher Responsibilities
AMG Transcend Association is responsible for maintaining the organizational and publishing framework within which its journals operate.
Publisher-level responsibilities include supporting appropriate editorial and publication-ethics policies, publishing infrastructure, administrative and technical processes, and mechanisms for addressing matters relating to research integrity, publication ethics, and the maintenance of the scholarly record.
The publisher may establish general requirements and standards applicable across its journal portfolio. Individual journals may adopt additional or more detailed policies and procedures appropriate to their aims and scope, editorial structure, disciplines, and types of published content.
Publisher-level requirements complement, but do not replace, the journal-specific policies and procedures governing scientific evaluation and editorial decision-making.
Publisher-level administrative, organizational, financial, strategic, or commercial considerations must not determine or improperly influence the acceptance or rejection of individual manuscripts.
Editors-in-Chief and Journal Editorial Leadership
The Editor-in-Chief of each journal has overall responsibility for the journal’s scientific and editorial direction and for oversight of its editorial and peer-review processes.
Editors-in-Chief are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated in accordance with the journal’s aims and scope, editorial standards, peer-review procedures, and applicable ethical policies.
Manuscript handling and other editorial responsibilities may be delegated to appropriately qualified editors, provided that the delegated editor has sufficient independence and authority to perform the assigned role.
Final editorial responsibility remains within the journal’s editorial governance structure.
Editors, Editorial Boards, and Peer Reviewers
Editors and Editorial Board members contribute scientific and professional expertise to the operation and development of the journals.
Depending on their assigned responsibilities, they may participate in:
- manuscript assessment;
- reviewer selection;
- peer-review oversight;
- editorial recommendations or decisions;
- development and review of journal policies;
- other scientific or editorial activities appropriate to their roles.
Peer reviewers provide independent expert assessments that inform editorial decisions.
Reviewers do not make the final decision on publication. Their recommendations are evaluated by the responsible editor together with the manuscript, review reports, author responses and revisions, and the journal’s applicable editorial and ethical requirements.
Editorial authority must be exercised on the basis of scholarly merit, relevance, scientific and research integrity, and the journal’s published editorial requirements.
Editorial and Technical Operations
Editorial, administrative, and technical personnel support manuscript processing, communications, workflow management, production, publication, and maintenance of the journal record.
Operational staff may facilitate editorial procedures but do not override the scientific judgment of the editor responsible for a manuscript and do not independently determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected.
Administrative and technical responsibilities do not confer scientific editorial authority.
The distinction between editorial judgment and operational support is maintained throughout the publication process.
Delegation, Conflicts of Interest, and Recusal
Editorial responsibilities may be delegated when appropriate, including where subject expertise, workload, availability, or a potential conflict of interest requires another editor to assume responsibility for a manuscript.
Editors must not handle manuscripts where circumstances could reasonably compromise, or appear to compromise, their impartiality or independent judgment.
In such circumstances, editorial responsibility must be transferred to another appropriately qualified editor who has no relevant competing interest and who can exercise independent authority over the relevant editorial process.
AMG Transcend Association recognizes that an individual may hold both publisher-level and journal-level responsibilities.
In particular, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu serves as President of AMG Transcend Association and as (Founding) Editor-in-Chief . These responsibilities remain distinct even when held by the same individual.
Where this dual role gives rise to a relevant conflict of interest in relation to a particular manuscript or editorial matter, the individual must recuse themselves from the relevant editorial process.
Responsibility must then be assigned to another appropriately qualified and independent editor who has no relevant competing interest and who has genuine authority over the manuscript’s evaluation and editorial decision.
Detailed requirements concerning competing interests, editor-authored submissions, recusal, confidentiality, and editorial independence are addressed in the applicable publisher and journal policies.
Policy Oversight and Accountability
AMG Transcend Association maintains publisher-level editorial and publishing policies and expects its journals to implement applicable standards consistently while maintaining procedures appropriate to their individual aims and scope, editorial structures, and publishing operations.
Editors-in-Chief are accountable for oversight of editorial standards within their respective journals.
Editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, and other editorial participants are accountable for carrying out their assigned responsibilities in accordance with applicable policies, confidentiality requirements, ethical standards, and conflict-of-interest provisions.
Concerns relating to editorial conduct, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, complaints, corrections, retractions, or other matters affecting the integrity of the scholarly record are addressed through the relevant journal and publisher policies and procedures.
Further Information
Additional information concerning editorial governance and publishing responsibilities is available under:
- Management and Qualifications
- Editorial Independence and Governance
- Publisher Policies
- Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests
- Complaints and Appeals
Journal-specific information concerning Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Boards, peer-review procedures, and editorial policies is provided on the respective journal websites.