Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Ethics and Best Practices Policy
The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is a crucial foundation for the advancement of knowledge and reflects the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. To maintain the integrity of the academic record, it is essential to establish and agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the publishing process: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer, and the publisher.
Our ethical guidelines are firmly grounded in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. All stakeholders are expected to adhere to these principles to ensure the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing.
Duties of Editors
1. Publication Decisions
The editor holds full responsibility for deciding which of the submitted manuscripts should be published. Decisions must be guided by the journal’s editorial policies, the recommendations of peer reviewers, and legal requirements such as those concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors may consult other editors or reviewers to inform their decisions.
2. Fair Play
Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their intellectual content, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
3. Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information about a manuscript must not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions involved.
5. Addressing Ethical Complaints
Editors must take prompt and appropriate action when ethical concerns are raised about a submitted or published manuscript. This includes investigating allegations of misconduct and issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as necessary.
Duties of Reviewers
1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review plays a critical role in assisting editors with editorial decisions and, through constructive feedback, in improving the quality of submitted manuscripts.
2. Promptness
Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or unable to provide a timely review should immediately notify the editor and decline the review request.
3. Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or discuss the manuscript with others except as authorized by the editor.
4. Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive feedback provided to authors. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers must express their views clearly, with supporting arguments.
5. Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. They must notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published work of which they are aware.
6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions involved.
Duties of Authors
1. Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. The manuscript should include sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
2. Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to make such data publicly available, where feasible, in line with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases. Authors must retain such data for a reasonable period following publication.
3. Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If the work or words of others are used, they must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
5. Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is mandatory. Authors must cite publications that have influenced the nature of their work.
6. Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All significant contributors should be listed as co-authors, while others who have participated in substantive aspects of the research should be acknowledged.
The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have seen and approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission for publication.
7. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
If your research involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, you must clearly identify these in the manuscript. If the research involves the use of human participants or animals, authors must ensure that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines.
