Dermatology Journal Advisory Boards and editorial independence

Dermatology journals play an essential role in the distribution and promotion of scientific and medical information. Despite this, there are little data on governance structure with respect to its editors, owners, and journal boards that oversee the day-to-day operations for these entities.

This study aimed to explore the current governance structure of dermatology journals and best practice recommendations.

The editors-in-chief of the major dermatology journals participated in an online survey of 29 questions to examine general statistics of each journal, open access model, governance structure, and process for editor selection or dismissal.

Of the 52 journal responses, 29 (55.8%) are society-owned journals with 19 (65.5%) primarily governed by a society board, while 18 (34.6%) have an advisory committee or alternative body. Most editor(s)-in-chief (56.9%) serve between 3- and 5-year terms, while 84.6% have the option of at least one renewal. Even though the selection, evaluation, and dismissal processes differed between the journals, generalized best practice recommendations were developed to help improve their overall organization and management.

The oversight structure of dermatology journals varies, and some do not follow current best practice recommendations. Transparency regarding leadership, governance, and due process is needed to maintain editorial independence and integrity.