Editors’ Perceptions and Views on Journal Quality: The Case of Iran’s Editors-in-Chief

The study aimed to determine the perceptions and views of Iranian editors about the quality of journals, articles, the responsibilities of the editorial team, review and the review process, copyright and intellectual property, consequences of open access (OA), and influential factors in the scientific life cycle of a journal. The study adopted a qualitative approach using interviews. Respondents included 13 editors of journals. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used for the interview. The results showed that the editor’s main tasks were to supervise the reviewers’ performance, initially control the article, and send it to the reviewers. Participants believed that compliance with professional standards was the main factor influencing the scientific quality of publications. Their understanding of the ethical codes includes impartiality and confidentiality in evaluation and publication. In light of the fact that reviewers often perform superficial reviews, the editors viewed them as poor-quality. They stated that intellectual property is not valued and observed in many cases. Some participants mentioned the negative consequences of open access (OA). However, they think OA bears more positive than adverse outcomes. Observance of these factors is ultimately essential for the survival of a scientific journal.