General Principles of the Editorial Board of the Journals of Chinese Medical Association
(Adopted at the Seventh Session of the Executive Council Meeting of the 23rd Council of the Chinese Medical Association)
The Journals of Chinese Medical Association refer to all medical science and technology journals sponsored by the Chinese Medical Association. The Journal Editorial Board (hereinafter referred to as Editorial Board) is an important organizational form of the Chinese Medical Association, which relies on the medical science and technology workers to run journals. These general principles are formulated in order to give full play to the role of the Editorial Board and strengthen the team construction of the Editorial Board.
Chapter 1 Nature of the Editorial Board
Article 1 The Editorial Board is an organization responsible for the academic leadership of the journals, which is composed of experts from related disciplines invited and employed by the Chinese Medical Association. The academic guidance of the Chinese Medical Association branches to the corresponding professional journals is reflected through the work of the Editorial Board.
Article 2 The Editorial Board is under the leadership of Chinese Medical Association, and its members are invited and employed by the Chinese Medical Association. The Chinese Medical Association Magazine House (Journal Management Department) is responsible for managing the Editorial Board of the Journals of Chinese Medical Association.
Chapter 2 Tasks of the Editorial Board
Article 3 To carry out the relevant principles and policies of the Party and the state, implement the relevant provisions of the superior departments in charge, and adhere to the correct purpose and direction of running the journals.
Article 4 To study the overall design and orientation of the journals, and guide the editorial department to formulate editorial policies and report plans according to the development trend of the disciplines and the needs of the readers.
Article 5 To undertake the work of soliciting, reviewing and finalizing manuscripts to ensure the academic quality of journals.
Article 6 To cultivate and strengthen the team of reviewers and authors.
Article 7 To collect the opinions of readers and authors, study and solve the major problems in the journal work.
Article 8 To be concerned with the construction of the editorial department and the growth of the editorial staff.
Article 9 To strengthen the international exchange and cooperation, expand the influence of journals.
Chapter 3 Organizing principles of the Editorial Board
Article 10 The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs and editorial board members (hereinafter referred to as the editorial members).
Article 11 Composition scale of the Editorial Board: The composition scale of the Editorial Board of different levels of disciplines is different. Generally, there are no more than 120 editorial board members in first-level and second-level disciplines, and no more than 100 editorial board members in third-level disciplines or below. The above number of editorial board members does not include those from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan of China and foreign countries, nor does it include honorary Editor-in-Chief and consultants.
Article 12 There is no standing committee of Editorial Board for each journal.
Article 13 The post setting of the Editorial Board: The Editorial Board consists of one Editor-in-Chief, several Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs and editorial members. The number of Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs can be determined by each journal on its own, but should not exceed 10% of the total number of the Editorial Board.
Article 14 The Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs should generally be selected from the current editorial members.
Article 15 The composition of the Editorial Board should properly consider the rationality of the age structure of the editorial members, the universality of regional distribution and the balance of the coverage of disciplines (majors).
(1) The composition of the Editorial Board should reflect the combination of the old, the middle-aged and the young generations. Special attention should be paid to the selection of young and middle-aged experts who are active in academic research, outstanding in professional work and enthusiastic in journal work.
(2) In order to facilitate the daily work, the number of editorial members in the journal editorial department’s location can be increased appropriately, but it should not exceed one third of the total number of editorial board members.
(3) The editorial members should be as widely distributed as possible.
(4) Attention should be paid to the balance of the number of editorial members among different disciplines (including different majors in the same discipline). There should be a certain number of qualified experts working as editorial members in the main professional fields of this discipline. Generally, there should be no more than two editorial members for the same discipline (major) in the same organization.
Article 16 Basic requirements for editorial board members:
(1) Love the motherland and support the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
(2) Have high academic level and editing ability, as well as certain representativeness.
(3) Be enthusiastic about editing work, can undertake certain editing and reviewing tasks, and actively participate in various activities of the Editorial Board.
Article 17 The Editor-in-Chief should be an expert who meets the following requirements: have outstanding achievements in the discipline; enjoy high prestige, rigorous academic and democratic style; hold good organizational ability and enthusiasm for journal work; be basically healthy and no more than 70 years old. The designated Editor-in-Chief should not hold the post of Editor-in-Chief in any other journals sponsored by Chinese Medical Association except the journal to be employed.
Article 18 The Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs should be experts who meet the following requirements: have great achievements in the discipline; have certain prestige, rigorous academic and democratic style; hold certain organizational ability and enthusiasm for journal work; be healthy. The newly appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs should be no more than 65 years old.
Article 19 The age of the reappointed editorial members shall not exceed 70 years old. Newly appointed editorial members are generally under the age of 65.
Article 20 Whether the Editorial Board of each journal has an honorary Editor-in-Chief and consultants can be decided by each journal itself according to the specific situation. If there is an honorary Editor-in-Chief and consultants, the number of honorary Editor-in-Chief is limited to one, and the number of consultants should not exceed 10% of the total number of the editorial board members.
The honorary Editor-in-Chief and consultants should meet the following requirements: (1) The honorary Editor-in-Chief should be the outgoing Editor-in-Chief; (2) The consultants should be the former Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chief, or people who have high prestige in the discipline; (3) In principle, the consultants should not be older than 75 years old.
Article 21 Responsibilities of editorial board members:
(1) To carry out the guidelines for running the journals and the decisions of the Editorial Board, and to participate in the meetings and activities of the Editorial Board.
(2) To organize and recommend manuscripts of high quality, write instructional manuscripts of the discipline, and complete the task of reviewing manuscripts timely and conscientiously.
(3) To timely or regularly provide written feedbacks to the Editorial Board on the opinions, suggestions and requirements of the journal work.
(4) To pay attention to the cultivation and discovery of editorial talents in the region and the organization, so as to recommend the talents to the Editorial Board when needed. For those with mature requirements, they can be recommended to the Editorial Board as candidates for new Editorial Board.
(5) To be concerned with the construction of the editorial department.
Chapter 4 Formation and appointment of the Editorial Board
Article 22 The Editorial Board adopts the appointment system, and the appointment period of each Editorial Board is four years.
Article 23 The journal editorial department is responsible for the formation of the Editorial Board and the adjustment of its term. The formation of the Editorial Board is supposed to be based on extensive investigation and solicitation of opinions. The last Editorial Board and the editorial department should put forward a preliminary list. After consultation among the corresponding specialized branches, the recommended persons and their work organizations, the editorial department of the journal should submit the report to the Chinese Medical Association Magazine House for review and approval. And then the appointment will be formally approved by Chinese Medical Association.
Article 24 After the expiration of each term of appointment, the members of the Editorial Board should be reappointed in accordance with the procedures. The specific operation is supposed to be carried out in accordance with the Implementation Rules for the Adjustment of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Chinese Medical Association.
Article 25 For the convenience of work, the Editor-in-Chief should be selected in the place where the editorial department is located. For the journals which use the second mode of publication of Chinese Medical Association, at least one of the Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs should be selected from the location of the journal.
Article 26 Editorial board members may be reappointed. The term of appointment of Editor-in-Chief, honorary Editor-in-Chief and consultants should not exceed 2 terms.
Article 27 In order to facilitate the development of daily work and the coordination of the work between the editorial department and the Editorial Board, the person in charge of the editorial department who meets certain requirements may be invited to join the Editorial Board.
Article 28 The following guiding principles should be followed in the adjustment of the Editorial Board:
(1) The new term of the Editorial Board should be completed within six months after the expiration of the term of appointment.
(2) The qualifications and requirements of editorial members should be strictly followed with no favoritism.
(3) The newly appointed editorial members should generally be selected from the experts who have undertaken the work of reviewing manuscripts of the journal for more than one year.
(4) Attention should be paid to the rationality of the age structure of the Editorial Board, attracting qualified young and middle-aged experts who are active in clinical or scientific research, especially those who have remarkable academic achievements, great social influence, as well as care and support to the development of the journal.
(5) On the premise of ensuring the academic authority of the Editorial Board, the rationality and representativeness of the composition structure, the universality of the regional distribution and the balance of the coverage of disciplines (majors) should be taken into account. The experts from remote areas should be given proper consideration, but the requirements should not be too relaxed.
(6) Those who are unable to perform their duties as editorial members for a long time due to heavy workload of other affairs are not suitable to serve as editorial members.
(7) In order to ensure the continuity of the work of the Editorial Board, the adjustment range of the Editorial Board should not exceed half. In case of special circumstances, prior approval from the Chinese Medical Association Magazine House must be obtained.
(8) In principle, the members of the Editorial Board should not be added or adjusted during the appointment period of each Editorial Board. When there is a vacancy in the Editor-in-Chief for some reason, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief can fill in order or through consultation.
Chapter 5 Working methods of the Editorial Board
Article 29 The Editorial Board implements the system of division of labor and responsibility under the leadership of the Editor-in-Chief. Major issues should be decided through collective discussion and reported to relevant departments in a timely manner. The Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs have the right to make decisions on general academic issues. If the Editor-in-Chief is not in the place where the journal is located, one Deputy Editor-in-Chief in the journal’s location should be authorized by the Editor-in-Chief to preside over the daily work of the Editorial Board.
Article 30 The Editorial Board shall actively listen to the opinions and suggestions of the editorial members, the authors and readers on the journal work. The Editorial Board should study and establish the corresponding working system and operating mechanism according to the specific situation of the journal, so as to ensure the smooth implementation of the resolution, decision and working plan of the Editorial Board.
Article 31 The Editorial Board of each journal shall establish a regular meeting system composed of Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs. In principle, it will be held regularly (not less than twice a year) to study the major issues in running the journal and arrange the important matters in the work of the Editorial Board. In order to facilitate the development of daily work, the main person in charge of the editorial department should attend the regular meeting. If the Editor-in-Chief is unable to attend and preside over the regular meeting for some reason, one Deputy Editor-in-Chief at the location of the journal’s editorial department may be entrusted to preside over the meeting.
Article 32 The Editorial Board shall establish an evaluation system for the routine work. The specific work shall be carried out by the editorial department of the journal. Relevant information can be used as one of the important bases for the adjustment of the next Editorial Board.
Article 33 Each journal can implement the regular meeting system of executive editorial board or responsible editorial board according to the situation. Together with the editorial department, the journal should be responsible for the editing work, so as to ensure the academic quality more effectively.
Article 34 In order to strengthen the relations among the editorial boards, the editorial department may, on a regular or irregular basis, edit and print the internal communications, minutes of meetings and brief reports of the Editorial Board and distribute them to the local editorial boards.
Article 35 The plenary meeting of the Editorial Board is generally held once a year. The tasks of the plenary are listed as follows:
(1) To study and discuss the implementation of the guidelines for running the journal. If necessary, suggestions for revision may be put forward and submitted to the Chinese Medical Association for approval before implementation.
(2) To study and discuss relevant work regulations.
(3) To summarize the working experience, study and solve the major problems in the journal work.
(4) To formulate future work plans and determine the topics of the thematic soliciting meetings.
During the adjournment of the plenary meeting of the Editorial Board, the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs or the local Editorial Board of the editorial department of the journal shall be responsible for the daily work of the journal. Specific tasks are as follows:
(1) To listen to the work report of the editorial department, formulate and implement the editorial plan and determine the topics of the thematic soliciting meetings.
(2) To study the opinions of regional editorial boards, authors and readers on the journal.
(3) To research other problems that need to be solved in daily work.
(4) To examine and approve manuscripts.
Article 36 In order to give full play to the role of the Editorial Board, the Editorial Board may set up disciplinary (major) editorial and review groups according to the needs of the work, and may also set up local editorial and review groups in areas where the editorial members are relatively concentrated outside the location of the journal editorial department. The members of the editorial and review group are mainly the editorial board members of the disciplines (majors), and are expanded to the reviewers with enthusiasm and academic level. The editorial and review group can undertake the following tasks:
(1) To research key topics and organize manuscripts of key column.
(2) To organize and recommend manuscripts of high academic quality, and be responsible for reviewing and finalizing the manuscripts.
(3) To organize special symposiums and seminars entrusted by the Editorial Board.
(4) To solicit opinions and requirements from readers of the discipline (major) and the region, and report to the Editorial Board in time.
Chapter 6 Appointment and procedures of editorial board members or consultants from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries
Article 37 In order to enhance the contact and exchange between Chinese medical academic field and overseas counterparts, and further expand the influence of the Journals of Chinese Medical Association, a certain proportion of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign experts can be appointed as editorial board members or consultants when needed. If there is no suitable candidate, the vacancy may be temporarily opened.
Article 38 The editorial board members or consultants from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan should love the motherland and support the reunification of the motherland. Foreign editorial board members or consultants should be friendly people. Candidates are supposed to have certain academic status and international influence in their respective disciplines, being willing to make positive contributions to promoting academic exchanges in medicine at home and abroad and expanding the influence of the Journals of Chinese Medical Association overseas.
Article 39 The Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign editorial board members or consultants for the Journals of Chinese Medical Association must be jointly recommended by two or more editorial board members of the journal. The recommender should understand and introduce the political attitude, general situation, academic influence and status of the recommended. The recommended person should provide a written resume and major academic achievements with signature. The above materials shall be submitted to the Chinese Medical Association Magazine House after being deliberated and approved by the Editorial Board. Candidates are formally employed by the Chinese Medical Association after being approved by the Chinese Medical Association.
Chapter 7 Supplementary provisions
Article 40 The right of final interpretation of these general principles belongs to the Chinese Medical Association Magazine House.
Article 41 The general principles shall come into effect on January 1, 2009. Provisions in related documents previously issued that are inconsistent with these general principles shall be annulled simultaneously.
Chinese Medical Association Magazine House
December 2008
