Index Academic welcomes collaboration with researchers, academics, and specialists who wish to contribute to the academic and international development of the journal.
Interested individuals may apply for inclusion in:
- the Editorial Board;
- the Scientific Advisory Board;
- the journal’s reviewer community.
Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance. Each application is assessed according to the candidate’s academic profile, professional experience, area of expertise, the journal’s needs, and the existing composition of its team.
Who May Apply
Applications are encouraged from individuals who:
- carry out or have carried out relevant academic, scientific, or professional activity;
- have expertise in one or more fields covered by the journal;
- have experience in research, academic publishing, peer review, or editorial activity;
- are familiar with the principles of research ethics and academic integrity;
- are willing to contribute actively to the development of the journal;
- accept the responsibilities associated with the role for which they apply.
The journal particularly encourages applications that can contribute to the disciplinary, institutional, and international diversity of the team.
Application for the Editorial Board
A candidate for the Editorial Board should be able to contribute, according to expertise and availability, to activities such as:
- preliminary assessment of manuscripts;
- recommendation of reviewers;
- support for editorial processes;
- recommendations concerning journal policies;
- identification of topics and editorial directions;
- handling of manuscripts where requested;
- promotion of academic integrity and editorial independence.
Before applying, candidates should consult the Responsibilities of Editorial Board Members page.
Application for the Scientific Advisory Board
The Scientific Advisory Board has primarily a consultative and strategic role.
Candidates should be able to contribute to:
- development of the journal’s academic direction;
- maintenance of scientific standards;
- strengthening of the interdisciplinary profile;
- identification of relevant fields of research;
- internationalization of the journal;
- recommendation of experts, collaborators, or reviewers;
- provision of academic opinions in situations requiring specialized expertise.
Before applying for this role, candidates should consult the Responsibilities of Scientific Advisory Board Members page.
Application as a Reviewer
Researchers and specialists may apply to be included in the journal’s reviewer database.
A reviewer should have relevant expertise and be able to provide independent, confidential, reasoned, and constructive evaluations.
Inclusion in the reviewer database does not imply a permanent obligation to review, nor does it mean that the individual will be invited to review every manuscript in their field.
Reviewers are selected for each manuscript on the basis of:
- subject expertise;
- independence;
- absence of competing interests;
- availability.
Applicants should consult the Responsibilities of Reviewers page.
Information Required for an Application
An application should include at least:
- full name;
- academic or professional title, where relevant;
- current institutional affiliation;
- city and country;
- professional email address;
- main areas of expertise;
- ORCID iD, where available;
- link to a verifiable academic, institutional, or professional profile;
- a short academic or professional CV;
- a list of principal publications or a link to such a list;
- the role for which the application is submitted;
- a brief explanation of the applicant’s interest in collaborating with the journal.
Applicants may also provide profiles such as:
- ORCID;
- institutional profile;
- Google Scholar;
- Web of Science Researcher Profile;
- Scopus Author ID;
- OpenAlex;
- other verifiable academic profiles.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications may be assessed according to:
- relevance of expertise to the journal’s aims and scope;
- quality and consistency of academic activity;
- research and publication experience;
- experience in peer review or editorial work;
- publication record;
- compliance with academic integrity standards;
- ability to contribute effectively to the journal;
- complementarity with the expertise of existing members;
- disciplinary, institutional, and geographical diversity of the team.
The journal does not rely exclusively on bibliometric indicators when evaluating candidates.
Verification of Information
The Editorial Office may verify information provided by applicants through public and professional sources.
Before accepting an application, the journal may request:
- clarification;
- additional information;
- confirmation of institutional affiliation;
- confirmation of ORCID;
- an updated CV;
- a brief discussion by email or online.
Providing false or misleading information will result in rejection of the application and may lead to termination of the collaboration if the issue is discovered after acceptance.
Competing Interests
Applicants should disclose any circumstances that may create a significant competing interest in relation to the journal, publisher, or editorial activity.
Acceptance into a journal role does not permit an individual to influence the editorial process for personal benefit or for the benefit of colleagues, institutions, or collaborators.
Voluntary Nature of Collaboration
Roles on the Editorial Board and Scientific Advisory Board are normally voluntary and unpaid.
Peer-review activity is also ordinarily carried out on a voluntary basis.
Acceptance of a role does not create an employment relationship between the member and the journal or publisher.
Duration and Review of Membership
Acceptance into a journal structure does not necessarily imply an unlimited term.
The composition of the team is reviewed periodically in order to maintain:
- genuine participation by members;
- relevance of expertise;
- disciplinary diversity;
- institutional and international diversity;
- compliance with the journal’s policies and standards.
A member may request withdrawal from the journal structure at any time.
Data Protection and Publication of Profiles
By accepting a role within one of the journal’s public structures, the individual consents to publication of the professional information necessary for identification, such as:
- name;
- role;
- affiliation;
- country;
- area of expertise;
- ORCID;
- links to relevant academic profiles.
Private data that are not necessary for professional presentation are not published.
How to Submit an Application
Applications should be sent to:
[official journal email address]
Recommended subject line:
Application – Editorial Board
or
Application – Scientific Advisory Board
or
Application – Reviewer
Applicants should clearly indicate the role for which they are applying and provide the information requested above.
Evaluation and Response
The Editorial Office reviews applications according to the journal’s needs and priorities.
The journal reserves the right to:
- accept an application;
- reject an application;
- propose a different role from the one requested;
- retain the application for possible future collaboration.
Rejection of an application does not imply a negative assessment of the applicant’s academic or professional value.
Acceptance of Responsibilities
Before official inclusion in the journal’s structures, an accepted candidate must confirm that they have read and accept the responsibilities associated with the relevant role:
Responsibilities of Editorial Board Members
Responsibilities of Scientific Advisory Board Members
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Official inclusion takes place only after confirmation that the candidate accepts the role and agrees to the publication of the relevant professional information.