Publication Ethics

For Authors

  • Reporting Standards: Authors must provide an accurate account of the original research conducted, accompanied by an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be represented precisely. Manuscripts should contain sufficient detail and citations to allow others to replicate the work. Knowingly presenting false or fraudulent statements constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
  • Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to supply raw research data alongside their submission for editorial review. Authors should be prepared to make this data publicly accessible where feasible and retain it for a reasonable duration following publication.
  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they have composed entirely original works. Any work, ideas, or words of other scholars must be appropriately cited or quoted.
  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: Submitting substantially the same research to more than one journal concurrently is considered unethical publishing practice. Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially identical findings across multiple primary publications.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of others' contributions must always be given. Authors should cite all publications that significantly influenced the reported work.
  • Authorship of the Paper: Authorship must be limited to individuals who made significant contributions to the study's conception, design, execution, or interpretation. All key contributors should be listed as co-authors, while minor contributors should be recognized in an acknowledgments section. The corresponding author must confirm that all listed co-authors have approved the final manuscript and consented to its submission.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that could be perceived to influence the results or interpretation of their work. All funding sources supporting the research must be explicitly stated.
  • Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author identifies a substantial error or inaccuracy in their published article, they are obligated to promptly notify the journal editors and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.
  • Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: If the research involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with inherent hazards, or involves human/animal participants, the author must explicitly detail all relevant safety compliance and ethical clearances in the manuscript.
Duties of Editors

  • Fair Play: Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts solely based on intellectual merit, without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
  • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts, disclosing information only to the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, and editorial advisers as necessary.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials contained within a submission must not be used in an editor’s personal research without explicit written permission from the authors.
  • Publication Decisions: The editorial board holds the responsibility of deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published, guided by the validity of the work, its scientific merit, and current legal requirements concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.
  • Peer-Review Oversight: Editors ensure that all submissions undergo unbiased, competent peer review by qualified experts. Editors must select reviewers who possess relevant domain knowledge while avoiding any conflicts of interest.
Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer reviewers assist editors in making informed publication decisions and provide constructive feedback to help authors enhance their manuscripts.
  • Promptness: Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to assess the manuscript or anticipates being unable to meet the review deadline should promptly notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
  • Standards of Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively and constructively. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate; reviewers should articulate their assessments clearly and support them with sound arguments.
  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts received for evaluation are confidential documents and must not be shared, discussed, or distributed without explicit authorization from the editors.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Information or insights acquired during the peer-review process must remain confidential and never be exploited for personal advantage. Referees must decline reviewing manuscripts with which they have competitive, collaborative, or other conflicting relationships.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should point out relevant published work that the authors have failed to cite. Any claim that an observation or argument has been previously reported must include the appropriate citation, and reviewers should promptly alert the editor to any substantial overlap with existing literature.