Compliance and Governance for Publishing

Open MedScience operates under a governance framework designed to safeguard the quality, integrity, and transparency of its activities. This structure ensures that the organisation’s objectives are met in a manner that is accountable, compliant with applicable standards, and aligned with its mission to advance open access to medical and scientific knowledge.

Leadership and Decision-Making

At the centre of the governance model is the leadership team, which is responsible for setting the strategic direction, managing operational priorities, and ensuring that all decisions reflect the organisation’s commitment to ethical publishing and professional conduct. The leadership team is structured to enable clear delegation of responsibilities, with defined roles covering operational management, compliance, content oversight, technology infrastructure, and stakeholder engagement.

This structure avoids overlap and ensures that each area of the business is managed with the appropriate expertise. Major strategic decisions are taken collectively, drawing on data-driven assessments, stakeholder feedback, and compliance reviews. Operational decisions, while aligned with overall strategy, are managed by designated leads who report regularly to the leadership team.

Principles of Governance

The governance of Open MedScience is founded on four key principles:

Integrity – All published content must be factually accurate, properly attributed, and free from conflicts of interest. Internal procedures require thorough source verification and clear declarations of any potential commercial or personal interests.
Compliance – The organisation adheres to all relevant laws, regulations, and recognised industry guidelines related to publishing, intellectual property, data protection, and online communications. This includes compliance with the UK GDPR, copyright laws, and open-access publishing standards.
Transparency – Policies, procedures, and decision-making criteria are made clear to contributors, collaborators, and readers. Submission guidelines, review procedures, and complaint-handling mechanisms are publicly accessible, ensuring contributors understand how their work will be assessed and published.
Accountability – Clear lines of responsibility ensure that every decision can be traced to an accountable role or function. Procedures are in place for handling errors, issuing corrections or retractions, and reviewing organisational performance against strategic goals.

Content Oversight and Review Process

Open MedScience does not operate with a traditional editorial board. Instead, content is reviewed through an internal oversight process that draws on subject matter expertise and compliance checks. Each submission undergoes a structured evaluation that considers scientific accuracy, relevance to the intended audience, adherence to ethical publishing principles, and compliance with house style and guidelines.

This process is coordinated by an internal content lead who ensures that contributors receive clear feedback on any revisions required. The process also includes fact-checking, plagiarism screening, and, where applicable, independent technical review. Only after these steps have been completed is content approved for publication.

Policy Framework

The governance framework is supported by a comprehensive set of policies that address key operational and ethical areas. These policies include:

Authorship Criteria – Clear rules on who qualifies as an author, ensuring transparency in contributions and avoiding issues such as honorary authorship.
Data Integrity – Requirements for the accuracy, traceability, and reproducibility of all data presented in published content.
Conflict of Interest Declarations – Mandatory disclosure of financial or personal interests that may influence the content.
Responsible Use of AI – Guidelines for the ethical application of artificial intelligence in research, writing, and image generation.
Open Access Commitment – A pledge to provide unrestricted access to published materials, with licensing terms that promote knowledge sharing.
Corrections and Retractions – Procedures for addressing errors and issuing updates or withdrawals in line with best practice.

These policies are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain relevant, effective, and aligned with international publishing standards. Updates are communicated to contributors and staff, with training provided where changes affect operational processes.

Compliance and Risk Management

Compliance is embedded within the governance structure through a dedicated function that monitors adherence to applicable laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. Regular compliance audits are conducted, and risks are assessed in areas such as intellectual property rights, data protection, and reputational integrity.

A proactive risk management approach is adopted, with issues identified early through monitoring systems and stakeholder feedback. Mitigation strategies are developed collaboratively by the leadership team, ensuring that risks are addressed without disrupting the organisation’s ability to meet its publishing and outreach goals.

Stakeholder Engagement

Open MedScience recognises that strong governance relies on active engagement with the communities it serves. Feedback channels are open to contributors, readers, and collaborators, with structured opportunities for consultation on policy updates and new initiatives.

Stakeholder engagement is not limited to feedback on published content. It encompasses the development of new features on the platform, the identification of emerging scientific topics, and the evaluation of potential collaborations. By involving stakeholders in these processes, the organisation maintains relevance and responsiveness to the evolving needs of the scientific and medical communities.

Separation of Functions

To preserve trust and independence, there is a clear separation between content oversight and any commercial or partnership activity. This ensures that publication decisions are made on the basis of scientific and ethical merit rather than financial considerations. Commercial arrangements are managed independently, with transparent policies to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing editorial decisions.

Continuous Improvement

Governance at Open MedScience is not static. The organisation has a culture of continuous improvement, informed by regular internal reviews, external benchmarking, and lessons learned from operational experience. Key performance indicators are set annually, measuring success not only in terms of reach and output but also in compliance, ethical integrity, and stakeholder satisfaction.

These measures are reviewed quarterly, with adjustments made where performance falls short of expectations. This approach ensures that the governance framework remains dynamic, effective, and aligned with the organisation’s mission.

Conclusion

Through this governance framework, Open MedScience is able to maintain the trust of its contributors, readers, and partners while operating efficiently and transparently. Robust internal processes, a clear policy framework, and a commitment to ethical and compliant publishing balance the absence of a traditional editorial board.

By combining strategic oversight with operational discipline, Open MedScience ensures that it can respond quickly to emerging challenges in the scientific publishing sector while maintaining the high standards required for credible and authoritative medical and scientific communication.

Governance Framework of Open MedScience