Regulations for the Operation of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

Amended 2024.07.04
Amended 2023.07.17
Amended 2022.12.15
Enacted 2022.03.22

Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of these Regulations is to establish regulations regarding the operation of the Editorial Board and the review of papers submitted to the Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology (hereafter, “the Journal”) in accordance with Article 17 of the Detailed Regulations of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society (hereinafter "the Society").

Article 2 (Functions of the Editorial Board) The Editorial Board oversees the following:
1. Matters related to the editing and publication of the Journal and other academic publications.
2. Matters related to the review of manuscripts submitted to the Journal.
3. Selection of outstanding papers published in the Journal.
4. Efforts to list and maintain the Journal in prestigious international academic journal directories.
5. Other matters referred by the Board of Directors or regarded as necessary by the Editor-in-Chief.

Article 3 (Composition and Term of the Editorial Board)
① The Editorial Board comprises approximately 50 members, including the Editor-in-Chief and the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, with two Editorial Directors appointed by the President of the Society serving as the Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chief ex officio.
② Editorial board members are appointed and dismissed by the president based on the recommendation of the Editor-in-Chief and are reported to the Board of Directors.
③ To promote the activities of the Editorial Board and ensure smooth publication operations, the Editor-in-Chief may appoint Executive Editors from among the board members.
④ The terms of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members are two years, and consecutive terms may be served.

Article 4 (Duties of the Editorial Board)
① The Editor-in-Chief represents the Editorial Board and oversees all operations, including calls for papers, reviews of submitted manuscripts, notifications of review results, publication decisions, and journal composition.
② The Deputy Editor-in-Chief performs the following duties:

1. Support the Editor-in-Chief's duties, as per paragraph 1.
2. Act on behalf of the Editor-in-Chief when necessary.
3. Review the suitability of submitted manuscripts and select the chairs of review committees.
4. Request the necessary materials for approved papers.
5. Perform other tasks requested by the Editor-in-Chief.

③ Executive Editors perform the following duties:

1. Invite manuscript submissions.
2. Select reviewers and make publication decisions as chairs of review committee, as per
Article 2 (3).

3. Conduct internal reviews on approved papers.

Article 5 (Convocation and Resolution of the Editorial Board)
① The Editorial Board is convened by the Editor-in-Chief when necessary or at the request of a majority of board members.
② Meetings are valid when a majority of the domestic board members are present, and decisions are made with the approval of a majority of the attending members. When a tie occurs, the Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision.
③ For minor or urgent matters, the Editor-in-Chief may take action in writing without convening a meeting.
④ The Editor-in-Chief reports the results of meetings and written decisions to the Board of
Directors.

Article 6 (Submission and Review of Submitted Manuscripts) Manuscripts submitted to the journal
adhere to the following procedures for submission and peer review.
1. Manuscripts, including research papers, technical papers, notes (technical reports), and letters are received on a rolling basis, assigned individual submission numbers, and reviewed by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for suitability. Manuscripts regarded as inappropriate, based on the submission guidelines, may be returned by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief.
2. The authors are notified when the manuscript is received. Manuscripts are generally not returned; however, authors may withdraw their submissions before the review process begins.
3. The Deputy Editor-in-Chief selects a Chair of the Review Committee from among the Executive Editors to review the received manuscripts. If necessary, an external review chair may be appointed, and the Executive Editors’ manuscript review duties may be delegated to the newlyappointed chair. The Deputy Editor-in-Chief reports to the Editor-in-Chief regarding both manuscript submission and the selection of a review chair.
4. The Chair of the Review Committee appoints at least two experts in the field as reviewers. If a reviewer declines or fails to provide feedback after the specified deadline, a third reviewer may be appointed. Reviewers from the same institution should preferably be avoided, and reviewer information should not be disclosed to the authors.
5. Reviewers must decline if their personal or professional relationships with the authors cause bias in the review. Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript content, provide an impartial review within 14 days, and submit their review, categorized as <Accepted for Publication>, <Minor Revision>, <Major Revision>, or <Rejected>, with a maximum of three review rounds. Reasons for rejection must be provided.
6. The authors must comply with the ethics stipulated in Article 3 of the Society's Research Ethics Regulations. If the submitted manuscript falls under any of the following conditions, the Chair of the Review Committee may decide that the article is not eligible for publication in consultation with the Deputy Editor-in-Chief or Editor-in-Chief.

A. The content is not significantly different from previously published studies.
B. The research results are unacceptable due to significant errors.
C. The content is illogical or unscientific.
D. The Chair of the Review Committee deems the content unsuitable for the Journal.

7. The Chair of the Review Committee combines feedback from the two reviewers and makes a final decision, which is then communicated to the author. Based on the review outcomes, the following actions are implemented:

A. If revisions are required, the authors are requested to submit a revised manuscript within 14 days. Failure to submit within the deadline may result in deferred or rejected publication. In exceptional circumstances, such as the need to conduct additional experiments, the
Chair of the Review Committee can extend the deadline by up to six months.
B. If a second review is required after the revision, the author is asked to submit the revised manuscript within 14 days, and the review process is repeated to reach a final decision on publication. A maximum of three rounds of peer review are allowed.
C. If the two reviewers disagree, the Executive Editor may select a third reviewer or decide whether to publish the paper after consulting with the Deputy Editor-in-Chief or Editor-in-Chief.

8. The Editor-in-Chief ensures the fairness of the entire review process and grants the final approval for the publication decision.
9. The authors can request a re-review within 14 days of receiving the review results. The Editor-in-Chief must then form a committee to conduct the re-review.
10. The re-review committee comprises the Editor-in-Chief and four experts in the field, for a total of five members. The Editor-in-Chief serves as the chair of the committee. The decision of the re-review committee is communicated to the authors and reported to the Editorial
Board.
11. If a board member is the author of a manuscript, he or she must be excluded from the review and publication decision processes to avoid bias.

A. If the Editor-in-Chief is an author, then the Deputy Editor-in-Chief must manage the review and publication decision-making processes.
B. If the Deputy Editor-in-Chief is an author, then the Editor-in-Chief must manage the review and publication decision-making processes.
C. If other board members (including Executive Editors) are authors, then they are excluded from review and publication decision processes.

Article 7 (Journal Publication Fees): A publication fee is charged for papers published in a journal.However, the Editor-in-Chief may waive the fee or provide an honorarium when necessary.

Addendum

These regulations shall be in effect from March 22, 2022.

Addendum

These regulations shall be in effect from December 15, 2022.

Addendum

These regulations shall be in effect from July 17, 2023.

Addendum

These regulations shall be in effect from July 4, 2024