Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of an article in this journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected body of knowledge. It reflects the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Therefore, ethical behavior is expected from all parties involved in the publishing process.

Duties of Authors

Authors who submit manuscripts to this journal are required to adhere to the following ethical principles:

  1. Originality and Plagiarism
    Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If the work or words of others have been used, they must be appropriately cited or quoted.

  2. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
    An author should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.

  3. Authorship of the Manuscript
    Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study.

  4. Data Access and Retention
    Authors may be asked to provide the raw data related to a paper for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data if practicable.

  5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
    All authors should disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.

  6. Acknowledgement of Sources
    Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.

  7. Fundamental Errors in Published Works
    When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. In carrying out this responsibility, editors should adhere to the following principles:

  1. Publication Decisions
    Decisions are based on the validity of the work and its importance to researchers and readers.

  2. Fair Play
    Editors evaluate manuscripts without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

  3. Confidentiality
    Editors must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.

  4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
    Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript in their own research without the author’s explicit written consent.

Duties of Reviewers

Peer reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and help authors improve their manuscripts. Reviewers are expected to:

  1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
    Provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews.

  2. Confidentiality
    Treat manuscripts received for review as confidential documents.

  3. Standards of Objectivity
    Reviews should be conducted objectively, without personal criticism of the author.

  4. Acknowledgement of Sources
    Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

  5. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
    Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Duties of the Publisher

The publisher is committed to ensuring that commercial interests do not compromise editorial decisions and supports editors in maintaining ethical publishing practices.

Handling of Ethical Issues

In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the journal will take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidelines. This may include issuing corrections, retractions, or other necessary actions.