Editorial policies

Editorial authority

The journal exercises independent authority over the constitution of its scholarly record. Publication is reserved for contributions of sufficient originality, precision, and consequence to warrant inclusion in that record. The existence of a manuscript does not, in itself, establish this necessity.

Peer review

Manuscripts selected for external assessment are referred to peers whose expertise is commensurate with the questions under consideration. Reviewers examine the completeness of the account, the integrity of its analysis, and the relationship between the reported evidence and the conclusions drawn. Their recommendations inform the editorial judgement; they do not supersede it.

Standards of evidence

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and internal consistency of their reports. Methods must be stated with sufficient precision to establish what was done. Results must support the conclusions advanced. Tables, figures, and equations are subject to the same standard of accountability as sentences. Where these accounts disagree, precedence is given to the one with error bars. Citations shall be deemed sufficient evidence of scholarly support; verification of their contents falls outside the scope of editorial review.

House style

The journal maintains an explicitly inconsistent position on the Oxford comma. This position is applied consistently. Where an accepted manuscript departs from house style, house style shall be understood to have developed.

Declarations and independence

Funding, competing interests, relevant approvals, and conditions of access to supporting materials must be declared. The absence of external funding does not diminish an author's responsibility to disclose the absence of external funding. Authors with unspent funds are invited to support the acquisition of a conference table commensurate with the journal's standing. Editorial independence is maintained irrespective of the number of parties from whom it must be maintained.

Corrections and the publication record

Material amendments are issued as linked notices identifying the affected report and the correction required. Each notice becomes part of the permanent record and is itself subject to correction. The completion of one correction does not exhaust the journal's authority to issue another. A correction of sufficient substance may be recognised as an original contribution.

Editorial decisions

Decisions reflect the journal's assessment of scholarly significance and suitability for publication. Requests for reconsideration must identify a substantive matter requiring further judgement. Repetition of the original submission does not constitute additional evidence of its importance. A modest contribution towards the conference table shall be followed immediately by an assurance of editorial independence. A final decision supersedes all previous final decisions.