Editorial Independence and Editorial Governance Policy

1. Purpose

Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science (HCMCOUJS) is committed to maintaining a transparent, independent, accountable, and internationally aligned editorial governance system to ensure scientific quality, objectivity in editorial decision-making, research integrity, and the trust of the scholarly community.

This Policy establishes a unified governance framework for the entire system, including HCMCOUJS Publisher, specialized journals, the Editorial Council, Editorial Boards, the Editorial Office, and all individuals involved in editorial activities. The Policy aims to:

• safeguard independence in all editorial decisions;
• clearly define the governance structure and allocation of responsibilities;
• specify the authority and accountability of each governance level;
• ensure transparency and accountability throughout the publication process;
• strengthen risk management and research integrity governance;
• maintain compliance with international principles and best practices in scholarly publishing.

Through this Policy, The journal affirms that all decisions concerning manuscript receipt, peer review, revision, acceptance, rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction shall be made solely on the basis of the scholarly merit of the manuscript and compliance with research and publication ethics standards. Such decisions shall not be subject to inappropriate interference from the host institution, sponsors, collaborating organizations, advertisers, or any individual or organization with a related interest.

2. Scope

This Policy applies uniformly to all editorial and governance activities of the journal, including but not limited to:

• HCMCOUJS Publisher;
• HCMCOUJS Editorial Council;
• HCMCOUJS Editor-in-Chief;
• Editors-in-Chief of specialized journals;
• Editorial Boards of specialized journals;
• Managing Editors;
• Associate Editors;
• Section Editors;
• Editorial Office;
• Editorial Assistants;
• statistical, methodological, and ethics advisors, where appointed;
• reviewers;
• authors;
• Guest Editors of Special Issues;
• publishing support units;
• individuals or organizations participating in the editorial and publication process.

This Policy applies to all article types, Special Issues, thematic collections, electronic publications, and other forms of scholarly publication published or co-published by the journal.

3. Policy Statement

The journal implements a multi-level editorial governance model in which strategic governance, policy governance, and system oversight are clearly distinguished from academic decision-making for individual manuscripts.

The journal is committed to ensuring that:

• all editorial decisions are made independently, objectively, and fairly;
• all governance activities are based on transparency, accountability, and compliance with research ethics;
• academic decisions are not influenced by inappropriate financial, administrative, political, or personal interests;
• the governance system is designed to prevent, detect, and address research and publication misconduct effectively;
• all governance activities are directed toward ensuring scholarly quality, enhancing the reputation of the journal, and protecting the legitimate interests of the research community.

The journal maintains an appropriate balance between the academic autonomy of each specialized journal and the unified oversight responsibility of HCMCOUJS Publisher, in order to ensure policy consistency, quality assurance, and ethical standards across the entire system.

4. Editorial Independence Principles

4.1. Principle of Editorial Independence

Editorial independence is a core principle governing all activities of the journal.

All editorial decisions shall be made solely on the basis of:

• the scientific quality of the manuscript;
• novelty and scholarly contribution;
• relevance to the journal’s Aims and Scope;
• methodological soundness;
• validity of the data and research findings;
• compliance with research and publication ethics standards;
• scientific peer review reports;
• professional assessment by the authorized editor.

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by:

• the nationality or residence of the author;
• gender, age, ethnicity, religion, or political views;
• academic title, degree, or position of the author;
• institutional affiliation;
• source of research funding;
• ability to provide financial contribution;
• personal relationships;
• commercial interests;
• advertising;
• citation volume;
• potential to increase journal metrics;
• or any other irrelevant factor.

4.2. Academic Freedom

The journal respects academic freedom and ensures that editors have full authority to assess manuscripts on scholarly grounds without inappropriate internal or external pressure from any level of governance.

4.3. Editorial Autonomy

Each specialized journal within the the journal system has autonomy to organize its editorial workflow, select reviewers, and make academic decisions concerning manuscripts within its disciplinary scope, provided that such autonomy is exercised in accordance with the unified policies of HCMCOUJS.

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council and HCMCOUJS Publisher shall not interfere with the academic content or editorial decision of an individual manuscript, except in cases involving research ethics violations, serious publication misconduct, complaints, appeals, or other matters governed by the policies.

4.4. Protection of Editorial Independence

The journal applies governance mechanisms to protect editorial independence, including:

• clear separation between strategic governance and academic decision-making;
• identification, disclosure, and management of conflicts of interest;
• replacement of editors where conflicts of interest arise;
• independent complaints and appeals procedures;
• research integrity oversight mechanisms;
• full documentation of editorial decisions in the manuscript management system;
• periodic review of compliance with editorial independence principles.

4.5. Editorial Responsibility

Editorial independence is accompanied by individual and professional responsibility. All editors shall be accountable for their editorial decisions.

Each decision shall be based on:

• scholarly evidence;
• peer review reports;
• The journal policies;
• international standards of scholarly publishing;
• principles of fairness, objectivity, and transparency.

Abuse of authority, bias, discrimination, or inappropriate interference in the editorial process shall be considered a serious violation of this Policy and shall be handled in accordance with the journal regulations and relevant policies.

5. Editorial Governance Framework

5.1. Governance Philosophy The journal builds its editorial governance system on the principle of good governance in scholarly publishing, to ensure that all editorial activities are conducted transparently, independently, accountably, and in accordance with international standards for scientific publishing.

The journal governance framework is designed to balance:

• the academic autonomy of each specialized journal;
• consistency in system-wide governance;
• the independence of editorial decisions;
• the accountability of each level of governance;
• the protection of research integrity;
• continuous quality improvement.

All governance activities are carried out on the basis of respect for academic freedom, transparency in management, and the professional responsibility of all individuals involved in the publishing process.

5.2. Governance Objectives The journal governance framework pursues the following objectives:

• ensuring the independence of editorial decisions;
• maintaining consistency in the application of the journal policies;
• enhancing the scientific quality of the journals;
• ensuring compliance with research and publication ethics standards;
• effectively managing risks in publishing operations;
• protecting the legitimate rights and interests of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers;
• strengthening the academic reputation of the journal within the international scholarly community;
• meeting the requirements of international indexing and journal evaluation databases.

5.3. Governance Principles The journal governance system is built on the following fundamental principles:

5.3.1. Editorial Independence.

All academic decisions are made independently and free from any undue interference.

5.3.2. Accountability.

Every level of governance is accountable for the decisions and activities within its scope of authority.

5.3.3. Transparency.

Organizational structure, policies, procedures, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making mechanisms are clearly disclosed on the official website.

5.3.4. Fairness.

All manuscripts are evaluated fairly, objectively, and consistently, regardless of the authors' nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, political views, institutional affiliation, or funding source.

5.3.5. Research Integrity.

Governance activities are consistently directed toward safeguarding research integrity and preventing misconduct in research and publishing.

5.3.6. Continuous Improvement.

The journal regularly reviews, evaluates, and updates its governance system to meet the evolving requirements of the international academic community.

5.4. Governance Model The journal adopts a multi-tier editorial governance model, in which strategic governance authority, system-wide governance authority, and academic decision-making authority are clearly delineated to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure editorial independence.

The governance framework is structured around four complementary levels:

Level 1 – Publisher Governance

HCMCOUJS Publisher provides strategic leadership and system-wide governance by:

• establishing publishing strategies and long-term development objectives;
• approving publisher-wide editorial policies;
• maintaining quality assurance systems;
• promoting research integrity;
• overseeing compliance with international publishing standards;
• supporting the sustainable development of all journals.

Publisher Governance does not participate in editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts except where specifically required under established publisher policies.

Level 2 – Editorial Council Governance

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council serves as the highest academic governance body responsible for:

• developing editorial policies;
• supervising editorial governance;
• monitoring publication quality;
• safeguarding editorial independence;
• overseeing research integrity;
• advising on strategic editorial development.

The Editorial Council performs oversight functions and does not intervene in routine editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts.

Level 3 – Journal Editorial Governance

Each specialized journal maintains its own Editorial Board under the authority of its Editor-in-Chief.

Journal Editorial Governance is responsible for:

• academic leadership within its disciplinary scope;
• manuscript assessment;
• peer review management;
• editorial decision-making;
• implementation of the journal policies;
• journal development.

Each journal retains appropriate academic autonomy while operating within the unified governance framework established by HCMCOUJS Publisher.

Level 4 – Editorial Operations

Editorial Operations encompass the day-to-day management of manuscript processing and publication activities.

Operational responsibilities include:

• manuscript administration;
• technical screening;
• editorial correspondence;
• production coordination;
• publication scheduling;
• metadata management;
• documentation and record management;
• OJS administration;
• editorial reporting.

Editorial Operations support the editorial process but do not make academic decisions regarding manuscripts.

5.5. Distinction Between Governance and Academic Decision-Making

A foundational principle of the journal is the clear distinction between:

• strategic governance;
• system-wide governance;
• ethics governance;
• quality governance;

and:

• the academic evaluation of individual manuscripts;
• the selection of reviewers;
• decisions requiring revisions;
• decisions to accept or reject a manuscript for publication.

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council and HCMCOUJS Publisher do not evaluate or intervene in the academic content of individual manuscripts, except in cases involving research misconduct investigations, complaints, appeals, or other special circumstances as defined by the journal policy.

All academic decisions must be made by the Editor-in-Chief or the editor assigned to handle the manuscript, in accordance with the journal's established peer review process and delegation of authority.

6. Publisher Ownership and Responsibilities

6.1. Ownership

The journal is a system of scientific journals belonging to Ho Chi Minh City Open University, organized and operated in accordance with the laws of Vietnam, the University's internal regulations, and international standards of scholarly publishing.

Ho Chi Minh City Open University is the supervising body of the journal and is responsible for ensuring the conditions necessary for the journal to fulfill its scholarly-publishing mission in an independent, transparent, and sustainable manner.

6.2. Publisher Responsibilities

The HCMCOUJS Publisher is responsible for:

• developing the strategy for the journal system;
• issuing and updating the publishing policy system;
• ensuring the technical infrastructure and manuscript management platform;
• maintaining the electronic publishing system;
• ensuring digital archiving and preservation;
• ensuring resources for editorial activities;
• promoting international academic collaboration;
• monitoring compliance with the journal policies;
• supporting the journals in the international indexing process;
• promoting quality-improvement and publishing-innovation activities.

The Publisher does not participate in evaluating the academic content of, or in decisions to accept or reject, individual manuscripts, except in the cases provided for in this Policy or related policies.

6.3. Commitment to Protecting Editorial Independence

The HCMCOUJS Publisher is committed to respecting and protecting the editorial independence of all journals within the system.

No individual or organization — including the supervising body, funders, collaborating partners, advertisers, or other interested parties — may exert inappropriate influence on the academic decisions of editors.

The Publisher does not request, direct, or exert pressure to accept, reject, or modify editorial decisions for any reason unrelated to scholarly merit or compliance with research ethics.

6.4. Resource Provision

The Publisher is committed to providing all resources necessary to ensure effective editorial operations, including:

• IT infrastructure and the OJS system;
• editorial human resources;
• training and capacity-building programs for editors;
• plagiarism-detection and quality-control support systems;
• resources for data management, information security, and long-term archiving;
• support for international collaboration and integration activities.

The provision of resources does not affect the independence of editors in making academic decisions.

6.5. Publisher Oversight

The Publisher performs an oversight function to ensure:

• the uniform implementation of the journal policies;
• compliance with research and publication ethics principles;
• the effectiveness of the editorial governance system;
• the quality of the member journals' operations;
• the fulfillment of the requirements of international indexing databases.

The Publisher's oversight activities shall not be construed as interference in the academic evaluation process or as a substitute for the professional authority of the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, or the editors assigned to handle manuscripts.

6.6. Supervising-Body Support and Assurance of Academic Freedom

Ho Chi Minh City Open University and HCMCOUJS Publisher respect the academic freedom, editorial independence, and professional autonomy of the journals within the system, within the framework of Vietnamese law on scientific research and publishing, the University's internal regulations, and international standards for academic publishing.

All financial, administrative, material, or technical support is intended to enable the sustainable development of scholarly-publishing activities and must not be used as a tool to influence the scientific content or the outcomes of the editorial process.

7. HCMCOUJS Editorial Governance Structure

7.1. Editorial Governance Framework

The journal applies a multi-level editorial governance framework to ensure a clear separation between strategic governance, academic governance, operational governance, and compliance oversight.

The governance structure is designed to:

• ensure the independence of editorial decisions;
• strengthen the accountability of each governance level;
• enhance transparency in publishing operations;
• prevent and control conflicts of interest;
• protect research integrity;
• maintain consistency across the entire system.

The governance system is built on the principle of clear delegation of authority, whereby each governance level performs only the functions within its own scope of responsibility and does not substitute for the professional role of another governance level, except in the cases provided for in this Policy.

7.2. Governance Levels

The journal governance is organized across the following four levels:

Level 1 – Publisher Governance

Responsible for:

• setting the development strategy;
• issuing the policy system;
• ensuring resources;
• monitoring compliance;
• developing quality across the entire system.

Level 2 – Editorial Council Governance

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council is responsible for:

• academic direction;
• policy governance;
• oversight of editorial activities;
• publication-ethics governance;
• review of special cases;
• evaluation of the performance of the journal system.

Level 3 – Journal Editorial Governance

Each member journal has an independent Editorial Board responsible for:

• academic management of the journal;
• organizing peer review;
• selecting reviewers;
• ensuring scientific quality;
• academic decisions on manuscripts.

Level 4 – Editorial Operations

The Editorial Secretariat is responsible for:

• operating the OJS process;
• administrative checks;
• records management;
• author support;
• reviewer support;
• ensuring editorial timeliness;
• records archiving.

7.3. Relationships Between Governance Levels

The governance levels cooperate on the principles of:

• clear separation of functions;
• no overlapping of authority;
• no interference beyond authority;
• assured accountability;
• assured transparency.

No governance level may use administrative management authority to influence or alter an academic decision lawfully made by the competent level.

8. HCMCOUJS Editorial Council

8.1. Role of the Editorial Council

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council is the highest academic governance body of the HCMCOUJS system.

The Council does not directly handle individual routine manuscripts; rather, it performs the functions of:

• academic strategic planning;
• setting development directions;
• issuing policies;
• overseeing policy implementation;
• ensuring publication quality;
• protecting research integrity;
• reviewing special cases within its authority.

8.2. Composition

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council comprises:

• the Chair of the Editorial Council;
• the HCMCOUJS Editor-in-Chief;
• the Editors-in-Chief of the member journals;
• the HCMCOUJS Managing Editor;
• other members appointed by the journal according to the development needs of the system.

Where necessary, the Council may invite:

• Ethics Advisors;
• Statistical Advisors;
• Methodology Advisors;
• Legal Advisors;
• AI and Research Integrity Advisors;

to provide consultation on specialized cases without participating in voting, unless otherwise provided.

8.3. Responsibilities

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council is responsible for:

8.3.1. Strategy Development.

• developing the the journal development strategy;
  • developing the international academic network;
  • setting development directions for the member journals.

8.3.2. Editorial Governance.

• issuing policies;
  • reviewing policies;
  • updating policies;
  • overseeing policy implementation.

8.3.3. Research-Integrity Governance.

• overseeing the implementation of publication ethics;
  • overseeing research integrity;
  • ensuring compliance with COPE;
  • ensuring compliance with international standards.

8.3.4. Quality Assurance.

• assessing editorial quality;
  • assessing the effectiveness of peer review;
  • assessing governance effectiveness;
  • overseeing quality improvement.

8.3.5. International Development.

• developing international collaboration;
  • promoting international indexing;
  • enhancing the academic reputation of the journal.

8.4. Matters Within the Authority of the Editorial Council

The following matters fall within the review or decision-making authority of the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council:

• issuing and amending the journal policies;
• establishing or dissolving member journals;
• appointing or dismissing Editors-in-Chief in accordance with the regulations of the competent authority;
• reviewing cases of serious research-ethics violations;
• reviewing retraction cases that are complex or that significantly affect the reputation of the journal;
• reviewing expression-of-concern cases that are serious or that involve multiple parties;
• resolving academic disputes beyond the authority of a member journal's Editor-in-Chief;
• reviewing final appeals in accordance with the Complaints & Appeals Policy;
• approving major changes to the publishing model, editorial standards, or governance policy.

In reviewing the above matters, the Editorial Council does not re-evaluate the scholarly merit of a manuscript absent grounds of ethics violation, procedural breach, or significant new decisive evidence.

9. Governance of the Member Journals

9.1. Academic Autonomy of the Member Journals

Each member journal within the system is organized with its own Editorial Board and has autonomy in managing the academic activities within its field of expertise.

This autonomy includes:

• organizing the process for receiving and handling manuscripts;
• selecting and assigning editors to handle manuscripts;
• selecting appropriate reviewers;
• making decisions to request revision, accept, or reject for publication in accordance with the delegation of authority of the journal;
• developing the academic direction and expert network within the journal's aims and scope.

The exercise of academic autonomy must fully comply with the journal policies and international standards of scholarly publishing.

9.2. Member Journal Editorial Board

Each member journal has its own Editorial Board, comprising:

• the Editor-in-Chief;
• the Managing Editor;
• Associate Editors (where applicable);
• Section Editors;
• domestic Editorial Board members;
• international Editorial Board members;
• academic, methodological, or statistical advisors (where necessary).

The composition of the Editorial Board must reflect diversity of expertise, institution, geographic region, and country, in line with the international development orientation of the journal.

9.3. Responsibilities of the Member Journal Editorial Board

The Editorial Board of each member journal is responsible for:

• ensuring the academic quality of published articles;
• maintaining independence and objectivity in the editorial process;
• conducting the peer review process in accordance with the Peer Review Policy;
• overseeing compliance with requirements on research ethics, authorship, conflict-of-interest disclosure, AI use, and related policies;
• proposing initiatives to enhance the quality and reputation of the journal;
• coordinating with the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council in handling cases beyond the journal's authority.

The Editorial Board may not issue regulations or procedures that conflict with the unified the journal policy system, unless approved by the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council.

10. Roles and Responsibilities of Editorial Positions

10.1. General Principles

All members involved in the journal editorial activities must carry out their duties on the basis of:

• academic independence;
• objectivity;
• fairness;
• transparency;
• confidentiality;
• accountability;
• compliance with the journal policies;
• compliance with international standards of publication ethics.

No individual may simultaneously hold all decision-making powers throughout the entire editorial process for the same manuscript.

Editorial responsibilities must be clearly assigned, verifiable, and fully recorded in the journal manuscript management system.

10.2. Chair of the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council

The Chair of the Editorial Council is responsible for:

• setting the strategic direction for the academic development of the journal;
• chairing the development and review of the policy system;
• ensuring the implementation of good-governance principles;
• overseeing the editorial independence of the entire system;
• chairing the review of special cases within the authority of the Editorial Council;
• promoting international academic collaboration and developing the reputation of the journal.

The Chair of the Editorial Council does not participate in decisions to accept or reject individual manuscripts, except where lawfully assigned or when handling special cases under this Policy.

10.3. HCMCOUJS Editor-in-Chief

The HCMCOUJS Editor-in-Chief is responsible for:

• coordinating the overall academic activities of the entire system;
• organizing the implementation of the journal policies;
• overseeing the activities of the member journals;
• proposing improvements to the editorial process;
• coordinating the handling of cases beyond the authority of individual journals;
• reporting periodically to the Editorial Council.

The HCMCOUJS Editor-in-Chief does not substitute for the academic decision-making authority of the Editors-in-Chief of the member journals with respect to routine manuscripts.

10.4. Editors-in-Chief of the Member Journals

The Editor-in-Chief of each member journal bears the highest responsibility for the academic activities of the journal.

This includes:

• scientific quality;
• the peer review process;
• final academic decisions;
• compliance with policies;
• publication quality.

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for:

• assigning editors to handle manuscripts;
• deciding whether to send manuscripts for review;
• reviewing peer review reports;
• deciding on revision requirements;
• deciding to accept or reject manuscripts;
• reviewing pre-publication retraction requests;
• handling issues arising during the editorial process.

Where a conflict of interest arises, the Editor-in-Chief must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript and appoint a duly authorized editor as a replacement, or report to the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council to assign an independent handler.

10.5. Managing Editor

The Managing Editor is responsible for coordinating and managing editorial operations.

This includes:

• receiving manuscripts;
• checking the completeness of submissions;
• checking technical requirements;
• tracking processing progress;
• managing OJS;
• managing editorial records;
• supporting communication with authors;
• supporting reviewers;
• supporting the Editorial Board.

The Managing Editor does not participate in evaluating academic content and has no authority to accept or reject manuscripts, unless concurrently appointed to an academic editorial position and acting strictly within the assigned scope.

10.6. Associate Editors and Section Editors

Associate Editors and Section Editors are responsible for:

• conducting the initial assessment of a manuscript's suitability;
• proposing reviewers;
• overseeing the review process;
• assessing the quality of review reports;
• recommending academic decisions to the Editor-in-Chief;
• ensuring timely handling of manuscripts;
• detecting signs of research-ethics violations;
• reporting anomalous cases.

Associate Editors and Section Editors may not unilaterally alter the final decision of the Editor-in-Chief without new grounds or authorization as provided.

10.7. Editorial Secretariat

The Editorial Secretariat is responsible for:

• technical support;
• records management;
• supporting the publication process;
• data archiving;
• managing the publication schedule;
• supporting communication with authors and reviewers.

The Editorial Secretariat may not participate in academic evaluation or influence editorial decisions.

11. Delegation of Authority in Editorial Decisions

11.1. General Principles

The journal applies a clear delegation-of-authority mechanism to ensure:

• transparency;
• accountability;
• internal control;
• avoidance of concentration of power;
• protection of editorial independence.

Authority is delegated in accordance with the function, expertise, and responsibility of each position.

No individual may simultaneously perform all key steps of the editorial process for the same manuscript.

11.2. Editorial Authority Matrix

Note: In special ethics or governance cases, the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council may review the matter under its oversight authority but does not substitute for the academic evaluation of the manuscript, unless there is evidence of a procedural breach or research misconduct.

11.3. Delegation and Temporary Substitution

Where the Editor-in-Chief, an Associate Editor, or a Section Editor is unable to perform their duties due to a conflict of interest, absence, or other objective reason, the Editor-in-Chief or the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council may appoint an editor with the requisite expertise and no conflict of interest to take over the handling of the manuscript.

All delegations must:

• be recorded in the manuscript management system;
• clearly define the scope and duration of the delegation;
• not alter the principles of editorial independence and accountability.

12. Appointment, Evaluation, and Dismissal of Editorial Members

12.1. General Principles

The journal builds its editorial team on the basis of academic competence, editorial experience, professional reputation, research integrity, and commitment to complying with international publication-ethics standards.

The appointment, evaluation, reappointment, or dismissal of editorial members is carried out according to the principles of:

• transparency;
• fairness;
• merit;
• avoidance of conflicts of interest;
• ensuring the continuity and sustainable development of the system.

No individual may self-appoint or decide on their own appointment.

12.2. Appointment Criteria

Editorial Board members must meet the criteria appropriate to their assigned position, including:

• holding qualifications and a research record appropriate to their field of responsibility;
• having experience in research, publication, or scientific editing;
• having an understanding of research ethics, peer review, and scholarly publishing;
• committing to comply with the journal policies;
• not being subject to a serious conflict of interest or to sanctions for research misconduct, unless reviewed and rehabilitated as provided.

In forming the Editorial Board, the journal strives for diversity of expertise, institution, country, gender, and research field, in order to strengthen academic quality and international representation.

12.3. Evaluation of Editorial Members' Performance

The performance of Editorial Board members is evaluated periodically on the basis of criteria such as:

• the quality of manuscript handling;
• processing time;
• compliance with policies and procedures;
• the quality of reviewer selection;
• the quality of editorial decisions;
• the handling of conflicts of interest;
• the level of participation in building and developing the journal;
• contributions to enhancing the academic reputation of the journal.

Evaluation results are used to inform training, operational improvement, reappointment, or reassignment of duties where necessary.

12.4. Resignation and Dismissal

Editorial Board members may resign or be dismissed in cases such as:

• no longer meeting the standards of the position held;
• failing to fully perform assigned responsibilities;
• seriously violating the journal policies;
• violating research ethics or publication ethics;
• an irremediable conflict of interest;
• conduct that seriously affects the reputation or independence of the journal.

Dismissal is carried out through a fair and objective process that safeguards the right of the individual concerned to be heard.

13. Conflict-of-Interest Governance

13.1. Principles

The journal regards the identification, disclosure, and management of conflicts of interest as a critical component of editorial governance.

Every member involved in the publication process must proactively disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of the editorial process.

13.2. Editor Conflicts of Interest

An editor may not handle a manuscript if they:

• are an author or co-author;
• have a family relationship or close personal relationship with an author;
• share the same institution or have had a recent research collaboration with an author under the journal regulations;
• have a financial or professional interest that could affect objectivity;
• are engaged in an academic dispute with an author or are in other situations that give rise to reasonable doubt about objectivity.

In such cases, the editor must voluntarily recuse themselves from the handling process, and the appointment of a replacement editor must be carried out, recorded in the manuscript management system, and retained in the editorial file.

13.3. Management Measures

The journal applies conflict-of-interest management measures, including:

• mandatory disclosure;
• replacement of the handler where necessary;
• retention of disclosure records and handling decisions;
• compliance monitoring;
• periodic review to improve the conflict-of-interest management process.

14. Performance Evaluation and Editorial Team Development

The journal maintains a program for evaluating and developing its editorial team in order to ensure professional quality, governance capacity, and the sustainability of the system.

Activities include:

• training in publication ethics, peer review, and editorial governance;
• updates on new international guidelines;
• experience-sharing among the member journals;
• encouraging participation in international academic and publishing networks;
• building a succession team to ensure continuity in editorial activities.

15. Succession Planning

The journal develops succession plans for key management and editorial positions in order to maintain the stability and long-term development of the system.

Succession planning aims to:

• ensure a continuous and orderly handover;
• maintain the quality and consistency of editorial activities;
• develop future editorial leaders;
• mitigate risks arising from personnel changes.

The selection of successors is based on professional competence, editorial experience, academic reputation, and leadership ability, while complying with the principles of transparency, fairness, and avoidance of conflicts of interest.

16. Governance Review and Continuous Improvement

The journal periodically reviews its editorial governance system to ensure alignment with:

• changes in legislation;
• international standards of scholarly publishing;
• the recommendations of COPE, ICMJE, and other relevant professional bodies;
• the requirements of international indexing databases;
• the development needs of the research community.

The review may include:

• assessing the effectiveness of the governance structure;
• assessing the effectiveness of the delegation of authority;
• reviewing policies;
• risk assessment;
• consulting stakeholders;
• updating procedures where necessary.

Any significant amendment to this Policy must be reviewed, approved, and publicly announced by the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council in accordance with the journal regulations.

17. Risk Management

17.1. General Principles

The journal applies a risk-management approach to identify, assess, control, and mitigate risks that may affect editorial independence, scientific quality, research integrity, academic reputation, and the sustainability of the publishing system.

Risk management is an integral component of the editorial governance system and is carried out continuously throughout the entire manuscript lifecycle as well as in the operational activities of the journal.

17.2. Risk Categories

The journal periodically identifies and assesses the main categories of risk, including but not limited to:

• research and publication ethics risks;
• peer review quality risks;
• conflict-of-interest risks;
• academic fraud risks;
• risks from the misuse or inappropriate use of AI;
• information-security and cybersecurity risks;
• OJS system operational risks;
• legal risks;
• academic reputation risks;
• risks in special issues;
• risks relating to research data and digital archiving.

17.3. Risk Management Measures

Risk management measures may include:

• periodic policy review;
• strengthening internal controls;
• training the editorial team;
• applying plagiarism-detection and quality-control tools;
• monitoring compliance with the editorial process;
• conducting post-incident reviews after each serious case to draw lessons and improve the system.

18. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

18.1. Quality Commitment

The journal is committed to maintaining and continuously enhancing academic quality, editorial quality, and publication quality in line with international standards.

Quality-assurance activities are carried out across the entire system and include the evaluation of processes, personnel, policies, and outcomes.

18.2. Quality Monitoring

The journal periodically monitors and evaluates governance and editorial indicators, including:

• manuscript processing time;
• reviewer response rate;
• the quality of review reports;
• the level of compliance with the editorial process;
• acceptance and rejection rates;
• the number of corrected or retracted articles;
• compliance with the journal policies;
• feedback from authors, reviewers, and readers;
• the academic and development indicators of the journal.

These indicators are used to identify opportunities for improvement and to enhance operational quality; they are not intended to exert pressure on the academic decisions of editors.

18.3. Continuous Improvement

The journal maintains a continuous-improvement mechanism through:

• policy updates;
• process improvement;
• periodic training;
• the application of appropriate technology;
• reference to international best practices;
• the evaluation of results after each operational cycle.

19. Transparency and Accountability

19.1. Transparency

The journal is committed to publishing on its official website the key information relating to publishing activities, including:

• the journal's aims and scope;
• the organizational structure and Editorial Board;
• publishing policies;
• the peer review model;
• the manuscript handling process;
• the ethics policy;
• the AI policy;
• the complaints and appeals policy;
• the correction and retraction policy;
• information on open access, copyright, and licensing;
• the fee schedule (where applicable);
• the publication schedule and other necessary information.

Information is updated in a timely manner to help authors, reviewers, and readers clearly understand the processes and governance mechanisms of the journal.

19.2. Accountability

Each governance level, each editorial position, and each individual involved in the publication process is accountable for the decisions and actions within their authority.

When errors or violations are detected, the journal carries out review, investigation, and handling in accordance with the relevant policies, and applies corrective and preventive measures to limit recurrence.

20. Confidentiality and Information Security

The journal ensures the confidentiality of all information relating to manuscripts, peer review, editorial records, and personal data, in accordance with the law and the Personal Data Privacy Policy.

Information is used only for legitimate editorial and publishing purposes.

Editorial Board members, reviewers, and support personnel may not:

• disclose confidential manuscript information;
• use unpublished information for personal or organizational benefit;
• gain unauthorized access to or share editorial data with third parties without permission.

21. Editorial Records Management

The journal maintains a complete and retrievable archiving system for records relating to the editorial and publication process, including:

• submission records;
• editorial decisions;
• review reports;
• conflict-of-interest disclosures;
• ethics investigation documents;
• correction, expression-of-concern, and retraction records;
• complaints and appeals records;
• processing logs in the OJS system.

Records are retained for the periods prescribed by the journal regulations and applicable law in order to ensure the ability to audit, retrieve, and support governance, auditing, or investigation where necessary.

22. Compliance and Oversight

All members involved in HCMCOUJS publishing activities are responsible for complying with this Policy.

The HCMCOUJS Editorial Council is responsible for overseeing implementation, assessing the level of compliance, and proposing improvement measures where necessary.

Violations of this Policy will be reviewed and handled in accordance with the applicable regulations of the journal and related policies.

23. Related Policies

This Policy applies in conjunction with the entire the policy system, including but not limited to:

• Publication Ethics & Research Integrity Policy;
• Authorship & Contribution Policy;
• Peer Review Policy;
• Reviewer Guidelines & Ethical Responsibilities;
• AI Governance Policy;
• Correction, Retraction & Post-Publication Policy;
• Complaints & Appeals Policy;
• Submission Policy;
• Copyright & Licensing Policy;
• Personal Data Privacy Policy;
• Archiving & Digital Preservation Policy;
• Open Access Policy;
• Research Data Policy;
• APC/Fee Policy;
• Special Issue Policy.

In the event of any discrepancy between policies, interpretation and application must ensure the consistency of the entire the journal policy system and prioritize the protection of research integrity, editorial independence, and the legitimate interests of the parties involved.

24. Policy Review and Update

This Policy is reviewed by the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council periodically, at least once a year, or sooner when there are:

• changes in legislation;
• updates from COPE, ICMJE, DOAJ, or other relevant professional bodies;
• requirements from international indexing databases;
• changes in the governance model or publishing operations of the journal;
• lessons learned from practical operations.

Any amendment takes effect after approval by the HCMCOUJS Editorial Council and publication on the official website.