Publication Ethics and Malpractice
Our principles of conduct derive from COPE's Recommended Practices for Journal Editors.
Decision-making for Publications
The decision on whether to publish submitted articles in the journal lies with the editor. This decision is informed by the journal's editorial board policies and the prevailing legal stipulations regarding defamation, copyright violation, and plagiarism at the time. Consultations with fellow editors or reviewers are part of the decision-making process.
Equitable Treatment
Manuscripts are assessed solely on their scholarly merit without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, sexual preference, religious beliefs, ethnic background, nationality, or political views.
Privacy and Interest Conflicts
The editor and editorial team are obligated to keep information about a manuscript confidential, sharing details only with the author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial consultants, and the publisher when necessary.
Editors must not utilize unpublished information from manuscripts for their own research without the author's explicit permission.
Reviewer Responsibilities
Enhancing Editorial Judgments
The peer review process supports the editor in decision-making and may aid the author in enhancing their manuscript through editorial feedback.
Timeliness
Referees unable to review the manuscript or those anticipating delays should inform the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review should be considered confidential and not disclosed or discussed outside the authorized context set by the editor.
Objective Evaluation
Reviewers should maintain an objective stance. Personal critiques of the author are deemed inappropriate. Comments should be clear and supported by arguments.
Recognition of References
Reviewers are expected to identify significant works not cited by the authors. They should point out any previously reported observation, derivation, or argument with the appropriate citation and alert the editor to any significant resemblance or duplication with other published works they know of.
Reviewer Transparency and Conflict of Interest
Information or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal benefit. Reviewers should decline from evaluating manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Author Obligations
Standards of Reporting
Authors must accurately present their research findings and objectively discuss the significance of their work. Data must be accurately represented in the manuscript. The document should include enough detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Deliberately misleading or false statements are unethical and unacceptable.
Innovation and Plagiarism
Authors should ensure their work is original and properly cite or quote the work and words of others.
Exclusive Submission
Generally, an author should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Concurrent submissions of the same manuscript to multiple journals are unethical and prohibited.
Citing Sources
Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others and cite influences on the reported work.
Paper Authorship
Authorship should be limited to those who have significantly contributed to the concept, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All significant contributors should be listed as co-authors. Those who have taken part in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be recognized or listed as contributors.
The primary author must ensure the inclusion of rightful co-authors and the exclusion of inappropriate ones, confirming that all co-authors have approved the final version and agreed to its publication.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript in their submission. All financial support for the project should be noted.
Corrections to Published Works
If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their duty to promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and work with them to retract or correct the paper.