Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

This journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. All parties involved in the publication process (authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher) must adhere to ethical standards. Our policies are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the work. All authors must meet the following criteria (based on ICMJE recommendations):

  1. Substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
  2. Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content
  3. Final approval of the version to be published
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Author Responsibilities

All authors are expected to:

  • Ensure the originality of their work
  • Properly cite the work of others
  • Obtain necessary permissions for reproducing copyrighted material
  • Disclose all sources of funding
  • Declare all conflicts of interest
  • Report ethical approval for human and animal research
  • Ensure informed consent was obtained from all research participants
  • Respond promptly to requests for data or clarifications
  • Be prepared to provide raw data if requested
  • Correct errors or inaccuracies discovered after publication

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Ensuring all co-authors have approved the manuscript before submission
  • Acting as primary contact with the editorial office
  • Coordinating revisions and responses to reviewers
  • Ensuring all co-authors approve the final version

Originality and Plagiarism

Original Work

  • Submitted manuscripts must represent original work
  • Work should not be under consideration elsewhere
  • Previously published work cannot be submitted (exceptions for preprints)

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable:

  • Verbatim plagiarism: Copying text without quotation marks and citation
  • Mosaic plagiarism: Mixing copied phrases with original writing
  • Self-plagiarism: Republishing one's own previously published work without disclosure
  • Idea plagiarism: Using others' ideas or data without proper attribution

Plagiarism Detection: All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with significant similarity will be rejected or require substantial revision.

Conflicts of Interest

Author Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial and personal relationships that could bias their work:

  • Employment or consultancy with commercial entities
  • Stock ownership or equity interests
  • Honoraria, grants, or funding received
  • Patents or patent applications
  • Personal relationships with stakeholders

Reviewer Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must decline if they have:

  • Recent collaboration with any author
  • Financial interest in the research outcome
  • Personal relationships that could affect objectivity
  • Competitive research interests

Editor Conflicts of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist and assign an independent editor.

Research Ethics

Human Subjects Research

  • Must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki
  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee approval required
  • Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants
  • Patient anonymity and confidentiality must be maintained
  • Vulnerable populations require additional ethical considerations

Animal Research

  • Must comply with institutional and national guidelines
  • Ethics committee approval required
  • Follow ARRIVE guidelines for reporting
  • Minimize animal suffering and use alternatives when possible

Clinical Trials

  • Must be registered in a recognized registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov)
  • Registration number must be included in the manuscript
  • Follow CONSORT guidelines
  • Report all outcomes specified in the trial registration

Data Management and Reproducibility

  • Authors should retain raw data for at least 5 years after publication
  • Data should be made available upon reasonable request
  • Deposition of data in public repositories is encouraged
  • Data falsification or fabrication will result in rejection and potential retraction
  • Image manipulation that obscures, adds, or removes features is prohibited

Peer Review Ethics

For Reviewers

  • Maintain confidentiality of the review process
  • Disclose conflicts of interest
  • Provide objective, constructive feedback
  • Complete reviews in a timely manner
  • Do not use knowledge from manuscripts for personal benefit
  • Alert editors to ethical concerns or suspected misconduct

For Editors

  • Make decisions based on scientific merit
  • Ensure fair and unbiased peer review
  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Disclose conflicts of interest
  • Investigate allegations of misconduct
  • Publish corrections, clarifications, and retractions when necessary

Misconduct Investigation

Types of Research Misconduct

  • Fabrication: Making up data or results
  • Falsification: Manipulating data or results
  • Plagiarism: Using others' work without proper attribution
  • Duplicate submission: Submitting to multiple journals simultaneously
  • Redundant publication: Republishing substantially similar work
  • Inappropriate authorship: Including or excluding authors inappropriately

Investigation Process

When misconduct is suspected:

  1. The editor conducts an initial investigation
  2. Authors are given opportunity to respond
  3. Independent experts may be consulted
  4. Decisions follow COPE guidelines
  5. Institutions may be contacted if necessary

Consequences of Misconduct

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript
  • Notification to authors' institutions
  • Ban from future submissions (1-5 years or permanent)
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Public announcement of misconduct
  • Notification to indexing services

Corrections and Retractions

Corrections (Errata)

For minor errors that do not affect the conclusions:

  • Correction notice published and linked to original article
  • Original article marked as corrected
  • Correction indexed in databases

Retractions

For serious errors, misconduct, or unreliable findings:

  • Retraction notice published explaining reasons
  • Original article marked as retracted (not removed)
  • Retraction indexed in databases
  • Follow COPE retraction guidelines

Post-Publication Discussions

The journal welcomes post-publication comments and discussions:

  • Readers can submit Letters to the Editor
  • Concerns about published articles should be reported to the editorial office
  • All concerns are investigated promptly and fairly

Reporting Ethical Concerns

If you suspect research misconduct or ethical violations, please contact:

  • Editor-in-Chief: editor@[journaldomain].com
  • Publisher: ethics@[journaldomain].com

All reports will be treated confidentially and investigated according to COPE guidelines.

Compliance Resources