Internal Manuscript Transfer Policy

Scientific Innovation Research Group (SIRG)

1. Purpose of the Policy

The Scientific Innovation Research Group (SIRG) is committed to ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated fairly, efficiently, and within the journal whose aims and scope most appropriately match the subject and scientific contribution of the work.

This Internal Manuscript Transfer Policy establishes the procedures and conditions under which a manuscript submitted to one SIRG journal may be considered for transfer to another journal published by SIRG.

The objectives of this policy are to:

  • Improve manuscript–journal alignment.

  • Reduce unnecessary resubmission by authors.

  • Promote an efficient and transparent editorial process.

  • Maintain editorial independence and academic integrity.

  • Ensure that transferred manuscripts remain subject to the policies and standards of the receiving journal.

Internal manuscript transfer is intended to facilitate appropriate editorial placement and must not be used to circumvent peer review, editorial evaluation, publication ethics requirements, or the normal decision-making process of any SIRG journal.

2. Scope of Application

This policy applies exclusively to manuscripts submitted to journals published by the Scientific Innovation Research Group (SIRG) and managed through the relevant SIRG editorial management system.

Internal manuscript transfers are permitted only between journals published by SIRG.

This policy does not apply to:

  • Transfers to journals published by other publishers.

  • Manuscripts that have already been formally accepted for publication.

  • Transfers intended to bypass editorial evaluation or peer review.

  • Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to multiple journals.

Each SIRG journal retains its own aims and scope, editorial policies, peer-review procedures, and publication ethics requirements.

3. Eligibility for Internal Transfer

A manuscript may be considered for internal transfer when the editorial team determines that another SIRG journal provides a more appropriate scientific or disciplinary venue.

A transfer may be considered when:

  1. The manuscript is outside, or insufficiently aligned with, the aims and scope of the originally submitted journal.

  2. The manuscript has not been formally accepted for publication by the original journal.

  3. The manuscript may be potentially suitable for another SIRG journal.

  4. The authors agree to the proposed transfer.

  5. The transfer is approved by the appropriate editorial authority of the original journal.

A manuscript does not have to be scientifically rejected because of poor quality in order to be transferred. A transfer may be recommended primarily because of scope, subject area, readership, or journal fit.

However, an editorial transfer does not constitute an endorsement of the manuscript's scientific quality or a prediction of acceptance by the receiving journal.

4. Editorial Independence

Each SIRG journal operates with independent editorial responsibility.

The decision to transfer a manuscript is an editorial decision concerning journal suitability and does not constitute an acceptance decision.

The receiving journal maintains complete editorial independence and is responsible for determining whether the manuscript should be:

  • Accepted;

  • Rejected;

  • Returned for revision;

  • Sent for peer review; or

  • Handled through any other editorial procedure permitted by its policies.

An internal transfer does not guarantee acceptance, peer-review approval, or publication.

Previous editorial decisions, recommendations, or reviewer opinions from the original journal are not binding on the receiving journal.

5. Author Consent and Notification

Authors will be informed of a proposed internal transfer before the transfer is completed.

No manuscript will be transferred to another SIRG journal without the explicit agreement of the corresponding author.

The authors may:

  • Accept the proposed transfer;

  • Decline the proposed transfer; or

  • Request clarification regarding the reason for the proposed transfer.

If the authors decline the transfer, they remain free to submit the manuscript to another journal, subject to the applicable policies of the original journal.

By accepting an internal transfer, the authors acknowledge that the manuscript will be evaluated under the aims, scope, editorial policies, peer-review procedures, and publication ethics requirements of the receiving journal.

6. Authorship and Manuscript Integrity

Internal transfer must not be used as an opportunity to manipulate authorship or the scientific record.

At the time of transfer:

  • The manuscript should retain its existing authorship.

  • Addition, removal, or reordering of authors should not be made solely because of the transfer.

  • Any legitimate authorship change must be handled according to the applicable authorship and publication ethics policies of the receiving journal.

  • The manuscript should remain substantially unchanged during the transfer process.

  • Any substantive revision requested after transfer will be handled by the receiving journal.

Where an authorship dispute or other research-integrity concern is identified, the transfer may be suspended until the matter is appropriately addressed.

7. Peer Review Status

A manuscript may be considered for internal transfer before or after peer review, depending on the circumstances and editorial judgment.

7.1 Transfer Before Peer Review

If a manuscript is transferred before peer review, the receiving journal will conduct its own initial editorial assessment and determine whether the manuscript should proceed to peer review.

7.2 Transfer After Peer Review

If peer review has already been completed, relevant review reports may be transferred to the receiving journal when appropriate and with appropriate editorial authorization.

The receiving journal may:

  • Consider the previous reviewer reports;

  • Request additional reviews;

  • Select new reviewers; or

  • Conduct a completely new and independent peer-review process.

Previous reviewer recommendations are not binding on the receiving journal.

Reviewer confidentiality will be maintained in accordance with the applicable peer-review and confidentiality policies.

8. Internal Transfer Procedure

The internal transfer process normally follows these steps:

  1. The editorial team of the original journal determines that the manuscript may be more appropriately considered by another SIRG journal.

  2. The editorial team identifies a potentially suitable receiving journal based on its aims, scope, subject area, readership, and editorial focus.

  3. The corresponding author is informed of the proposed transfer and the reason for the recommendation.

  4. The corresponding author's explicit consent is obtained.

  5. The original journal records the transfer decision and the reason for the transfer.

  6. The manuscript files and relevant metadata may be transferred through the SIRG editorial management system.

  7. Where appropriate, available editorial information and peer-review reports may be transferred to the receiving journal.

  8. The receiving journal creates or assigns a new submission record or manuscript identification number.

  9. The receiving journal conducts its own editorial assessment in accordance with its policies.

  10. The receiving journal independently determines whether the manuscript will proceed to peer review and/or further editorial evaluation.

  11. The receiving journal communicates the subsequent editorial decision to the authors.

9. Transfer of Peer-Review Reports

Where peer review has already taken place, review reports may be transferred to the receiving journal when editorially appropriate.

The receiving journal retains full discretion regarding the use of those reports.

The receiving journal may:

  • Use the existing reports as part of its assessment;

  • Seek clarification from the authors;

  • Request additional peer review;

  • Appoint different reviewers; or

  • Start a new peer-review process.

The transfer of peer-review reports does not transfer the original journal's editorial decision.

The receiving journal makes its own independent editorial decision.

10. Publication Fees and No-APC Policy

SIRG journals operate under a No Article Processing Charge (No APC) publishing model.

Authors are not required to pay Article Processing Charges (APCs) for manuscript submission, peer review, acceptance, or publication in SIRG journals.

Internal manuscript transfer is also completely free of charge.

No:

  • Transfer fee;

  • Submission fee;

  • Processing fee;

  • Peer-review fee; or

  • Publication fee

will be charged to authors solely because a manuscript is transferred internally between SIRG journals.

Payment is not a condition for editorial consideration, peer review, acceptance, or publication.

Editorial decisions are completely independent of financial considerations.

SIRG reserves the right to review its publishing model in the future. Any change to the fee policy of an individual journal will be publicly communicated through the journal's official website and policy pages before becoming effective.

11. Open Access and Licensing

SIRG journals follow open-access publishing policies as specified on their respective journal websites.

Where a receiving journal publishes an accepted article under a Creative Commons license, the applicable copyright and licensing terms of that journal will apply to the published article.

Internal manuscript transfer does not alter the requirement for authors to comply with the copyright, licensing, research ethics, and publication policies of the receiving journal.

12. Editorial and Publication Ethics

Internal manuscript transfer must be conducted in accordance with recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

SIRG expects all participating editors, reviewers, and authors to maintain high standards of:

  • Academic integrity;

  • Editorial independence;

  • Research integrity;

  • Transparency;

  • Confidentiality;

  • Fairness; and

  • Responsible authorship.

A transfer may be suspended or discontinued if concerns arise regarding:

  • Plagiarism;

  • Duplicate or redundant publication;

  • Fabrication or falsification of data;

  • Image manipulation;

  • Authorship disputes;

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest;

  • Ethical approval;

  • Research misconduct; or

  • Other publication-ethics concerns.

Internal transfer must never be used to circumvent an ethical investigation or to obtain a more favorable editorial outcome.

13. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

An authorized internal manuscript transfer conducted under this policy does not constitute duplicate submission or redundant publication.

However, authors must not independently submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple SIRG journals.

Once an internal transfer has been accepted and initiated:

  • The original submission will be appropriately closed or transferred;

  • The receiving journal will manage the manuscript as the active submission;

  • The authors must not maintain simultaneous active submissions of the same manuscript within multiple SIRG journals.

Any unauthorized simultaneous submission may be treated as a publication-ethics matter.

14. Confidentiality

Manuscripts transferred internally remain confidential throughout the editorial process.

SIRG and its journals will handle confidential submission information appropriately, including:

  • Manuscript files;

  • Author information;

  • Reviewer reports;

  • Editorial correspondence;

  • Editorial decisions; and

  • Other information associated with the submission.

Information will only be shared between the relevant SIRG editorial teams when necessary for the legitimate administration of the internal transfer process and in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements.

15. Editorial Records and Audit Trail

SIRG and the relevant journals maintain appropriate internal records of manuscript transfers.

Transfer records may include:

  • Original journal;

  • Receiving journal;

  • Manuscript identification numbers;

  • Date of transfer;

  • Reason for transfer;

  • Author consent;

  • Peer-review status;

  • Relevant editorial correspondence; and

  • Editorial decisions.

These records support:

  • Editorial accountability;

  • Quality assurance;

  • Publication-ethics investigations;

  • Internal auditing; and

  • Compliance with applicable scholarly publishing standards.

16. Relationship Between SIRG and Its Journals

The Scientific Innovation Research Group (SIRG) provides the publishing infrastructure and overarching publishing framework for its journals.

However, each SIRG journal maintains its own editorial identity and responsibilities, including:

  • Aims and scope;

  • Editorial board;

  • Peer-review procedures;

  • Editorial decision-making;

  • Publication ethics policies; and

  • Journal-specific publication policies.

Therefore, an internal manuscript transfer does not merge or override the editorial policies of the original or receiving journal.

Once a manuscript enters the receiving journal's editorial process, the receiving journal's applicable policies govern its evaluation.

17. Appeals and Complaints

Authors who have concerns regarding an internal transfer should first contact the editorial office of the relevant journal.

Concerns relating to:

  • Editorial conduct;

  • Publication ethics;

  • Conflicts of interest;

  • Peer review;

  • Editorial decisions; or

  • The application of this policy

may be addressed through the applicable SIRG Appeals and Complaints Policy and Publishing Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

An appeal or complaint will not affect an author's right to submit the manuscript elsewhere when the original journal has formally declined the manuscript and no active submission remains.

18. Policy Review and Updates

SIRG periodically reviews its publishing policies to ensure that they remain consistent with developments in scholarly publishing, publication ethics, editorial best practices, and the requirements of relevant indexing and abstracting services.

SIRG reserves the right to revise this policy when necessary.

Any revised version will be published on the official SIRG website with an updated effective date.

Publisher: Scientific Innovation Research Group (SIRG)
Policy: Internal Manuscript Transfer Policy
Publishing Model: Open Access — No APC
Effective Date: September 2026
Last Updated: September 2026