Editors guide the peer review process and ensure that published research meets JES standards for methodological rigor and evolutionary relevance. Editors also help maintain transparency and fairness in manuscript decisions.

• Sound data provenance and ethical compliance
• Reproducible phylogenetic and comparative methods
• Clear interpretation of evolutionary outcomes
• Adequate validation, support values, and benchmarking

Editors must disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when necessary. Appeals are handled transparently and may involve additional editorial review.

• Confirm scope alignment and data availability
• Check ethical approvals and collection permits
• Verify reviewer expertise and balance
• Ensure decisions are supported by evidence

• Encourage consistent decision letters and clear revision guidance.
• Use standardized scoring rubrics for methodological quality.
• Ensure reviewer expertise matches the manuscript topic.
• Confirm ethical approvals and field permits documentation.
• Monitor turnaround times and communicate delays promptly.
• Promote data transparency and reproducibility statements.
• Document conflicts of interest and recuse when needed.
• Coordinate with guest editors to align on scope fit.
• Verify reporting standards for phylogenetic and comparative analyses.
• Ensure statistical review for complex models or simulations.
• Request data access statements for sensitive datasets.
• Encourage clear reporting of model assumptions and settings.
• Ensure adherence to reporting guidelines for evolutionary studies.
• Confirm inclusion of ethics statements and permits.
• Request clarity on sampling frames and geographic coverage.
• Verify that data sharing statements align with journal policy.
• Encourage structured abstracts for improved indexing.
• Confirm that conflicts of interest are disclosed for all authors.

JES is committed to rigorous, transparent publishing in evolutionary science. We emphasize reproducible phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, clear reporting of model assumptions, and ethical compliance in field and laboratory research.

The editorial office supports authors, editors, and reviewers with clear guidance and responsive communication. For questions about scope or workflow, contact [email protected].

We encourage open data, code sharing, and careful documentation of specimens and sequences to support replication and long-term reuse across the evolutionary biology community.