Editor Guidelines

Dear Colleagues,

I write to share a set of expectations that I hope will guide and strengthen our collective approach to manuscript handling at the Indian Journal of Soil Conservation (IJSC). As editors following points merit our consistent attention.

1.  Pre-Review Evaluation and Communication of Critical Issues:

All manuscripts submitted to IJSC undergo a pre-review evaluation by the editorial office before being assigned to the editors. A summary of these issues is communicated to both the handling editor and the author prior to the manuscript being formally assigned for peer review. Editors are requested to keep these flagged issues in view while guiding the review process, and to ensure that reviewers are directed to specifically examine and comment on them. The peer review process should not be considered complete unless the critical issues identified at the pre-review stage have been adequately addressed.

2. Adherence to IJSC Format and Guidelines:

Please ensure that manuscripts assigned to you are reviewed for compliance with IJSC’s author guidelines- covering structure, referencing style, tables, figures, and units before and after peer review. Authors should be clearly advised of any deviations from the prescribed format, and acceptance recommendations should not be made for manuscripts that remain non-compliant in these respects.

3. Scientific Soundness:

it’s very crucial that editors ensure that and methodology is clearly and sufficiently described and adequate to draw intended conclusions. There are no unexplained inconsistencies or contradictions within the manuscript.

4. A Constructive and Supportive Editorial Attitude:

I would like to emphasize that our role is not merely to filter manuscripts but to help authors produce the best possible version of their work. Reviewer and editorial comments should, wherever feasible, be specific, actionable, and constructive. Authors — particularly early-career researchers — benefit greatly from guidance that explains *why* a revision is needed and *how* it may be addressed.

5. Communication and Prompt Reporting of Delays:

The editorial timeline is a shared commitment. Editors are requested to adhere to the review schedule agreed upon at the time of assignment. Should a delay become unavoidable for any reason, please communicate this to the IJSC editorial office at the earliest, so that alternative arrangements can be made without affecting the author experience or the journal’s publication schedule. Proactive communication is always preferable to a lapse in the process.

I am confident that with your continued dedication and these shared expectations as a guide, we will maintain and further strengthen the standards of the journal.

With warm regards and appreciation for your service to the journal

Dr. Rajive K. Singh

Chief Editor, Indian Journal of Soil Conservation

Suggestions for the Editors:

1. Request to each editor for preparing his/her reviewers’ team consisting of at least 10 reviewers.

2. Flow chart of review process:

S.N.	Responsible person	Maximum days allowed to keep manuscript	Responsibilities
1.	Journal office staff	One	Check journal’s writing style
2.	Chief-Editor	One-two	Check aim and scope and pass to Associate chief -editor
3.	Associate chief-editor	One	Find-out the suitable editor
4.	Editor	Two	Check suitability within his/her domain and find-out at least two suitable reviewers and remind them about time line of the review process
5.	Reviewers	30	Check the scientific suitability of the manuscript and pass to editor
6.	Editor	Two	First decision to revise or reject
7.	Author	15	Revision
8.	Editor	Two	Again, invite to reviewers for checking the revision
9	Reviewers	Seven	Check the scientific suitability of the revised manuscript
10	Editor	One	Communicate final decision to Associate-chief-Editor
11	Associate chief-editor	One	Communicate final decision to Chief-Editor
12	Chief-Editor	One	Communicate final decision to journals office staff
13	Journal office staff	One	Communicate final decision to authors
14	Journal office staff	Five	Communicate final pdf to authors
14	Authors/Editors	Five	Re-check pdf and return back to journals office
15	Journal office staff	Five	Put final pdf on journal’s website along with doi number
	Total	81 days to publish a paper

 

3. Best editor of the year award will be given each year to felicitate the best editor based on the score card.

4. Each editorial board member should contribute at least one paper to journal every year.

5. It is requested to editorial board members to cite at least five suitable references of IJSC (2020-2025) in their manuscripts submitted to international journals.