Journal Policy

(internal use only, last updated March 15, 2017)

The following policies, terms and conditions are established in order to maintain the high quality and reputation of the International Journal of Georesources and Environment (IJGE hereunder), and at the same time to protect the freedom of speech in academic arena. They are to be followed by all members who are involved in the journal operation process from manuscript evaluation to publication.

I. Mission of the Journal

IJGE is aimed at being one first class academic journal in the world in the described fields. Its purpose is to provide an open forum for scholars to disseminate their research findings and exchange ideas freely on various associated topics.

II. Journal Standards

1. Only high quality papers from original works, state-of-the-art reviews and case studies will be accepted for publication in IJGE. All papers must be well written in English, and meet the international academic and publishing standards.

2. A paper to be accepted by the journal must have at least two positive recommendations from qualified peer reviewers.

3. The selected reviewers for a manuscript must have expertise in the relevant field and are in a position to make impartial evaluation and recommendation.

4. If a manuscript received inconsistent recommendations for acceptance, issues raised by reviewers must be addressed satisfactorily by the authors before it can be accepted for publication.

5. A manuscript can not be accepted for publishing in IJGE if it contains unsuitable materials, is of low quality or in violation of copyright, or may cause political or religious instability.

III Working Rules

1. It is paramount for everyone involved in IJGE to work together as a team, to build and maintain the journal’s reputation, to win and retain the trust of authors and readers, and to follow the established journal policy and rules in dealing with journal matters.

2. Everyone involved in reviewing manuscripts must adhere to the guidelines and schedule.

3. During the process of manuscript review, if a delay or a problem is anticipated due to whatever reasons and it can not be resolved within a reasonable time frame, it is the duty of the person involved to report the matter timely to the editor in charge of that manuscript, who may take an action to process the manuscript at his/her own discretion.

4. It is the responsibility of the editor in charge of a manuscript review to make sure the peer review process completed timely and to make an impartial recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief by following the Guideline for Editors.

5. In order to maintain the journal quality and apply the same standard to all publications in IJGE, it is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief to make a final decision on acceptance or rejection of a manuscript. Notification to authors about the outcome of a manuscript is to be issued directly from the Editor-in-Chief. The decision by the Editor-in-Chief is final and not negotiable.

IV. Journal Editorial Board

1 Board structure

IJGE is supported by an Editorial Board, which includes senior editors (Honorary Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Section / Executive Editors, Associate Editors) and Editorial Board Members.

Journal operation is carried out through Assistant Editors who may also be resource people to the Editorial Board.

2 Qualification of members

Members to serve on IJGE Editorial Board must have expertise in fields associated with at least one of the sections stated in the Aims and Scope. A member is expected to be a published and well-respected scholar with extensive research experience in the relevant fields, evidenced normally with a strong tracking record of publications in English journals. Outstanding scholars with the equivalent qualification may also be included.

A member must be willing to serve and make a commitment to IJGE during the service term.

3 Appointment and duration

    • Members of the IJGE Editorial Board are normally appointed by invitations from the Editor-in-Chief for a term of two years.

    • At the end of the initial term, a member who remains an Active Status will be automatically renewed for another term of two years, unless the member indicated otherwise. At the end of the second term, a member may be re-appointed.

    • A member may terminate his/her service to the journal prior to the expiration date by a written notice to the Editor-in-Chief three (3) months in advance.

    • If a member violated the journal policy with clear evidence, or is committed in the court of laws during the service term, his/her membership in the Board may be terminated at any time by a written notice from the Editor-in-Chief.

4 Member status

All members are required to perform their duties and provide services to the journal to remain an active member. If a member is inactive for a period of 12 consecutive months, his/her membership may be terminated automatically.