Decision authority
Editors decide whether to review, revise, accept, or reject manuscripts on scholarly and ethical grounds. The publisher, society executive, sponsors, advertisers, and commercial affiliates cannot direct individual acceptance decisions.
Conflicted submissions
Work by editors, board members, society officers, or commercial affiliates is assigned to an independent editor. Conflicted individuals are excluded from reviewer selection, confidential correspondence, and the decision. The handling arrangement is documented.
Accountability
Editorial appointments, terms, responsibilities, removal procedures, and a route for reporting interference must be documented. Complaints about an editor are assigned outside that editor's reporting or commercial relationship.