Publication Ethics

1. Introduction:

  • Briefly state the journal's commitment to ethical research and publication practices.
  • Acknowledge relevant international guidelines and codes of conduct, such as those from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Author Responsibilities:

  • Originality and Authorship: Define authorship criteria, address ghostwriting and guest authorship, and emphasize the importance of disclosing funding sources and potential conflicts of interest.
  • Data and Research Conduct: Outline responsible research practices, data management, and adherence to ethical research principles concerning human and animal subjects.
  • Submission Process: Explain manuscript formatting, submission procedures, and the review process (e.g., double-blind, open peer review).
  • Post-Publication Responsibilities: Address errata, corrections, and retractions, including procedures for reporting research misconduct.

3. Reviewer Responsibilities:

  • Confidentiality and Fairness: Emphasize the importance of reviewer anonymity, impartiality, and constructive feedback.
  • Expertise and Timeliness: Highlight the value of expert reviews and adherence to deadlines.
  • Declaration of Conflicts of Interest: Encourage reviewers to disclose any potential conflicts that could impact their objectivity.

4. Editor Responsibilities:

  • Editorial Decision-Making: Describe the process for selecting reviewers, making editorial decisions, and managing potential conflicts of interest.
  • Manuscript Handling and Communication: Outline procedures for handling submissions, ensuring communication clarity and fairness with authors throughout the process.
  • Retraction and Correction Policies: Define clear guidelines for retracting articles due to misconduct or substantial errors and correcting minor ones.

5. Plagiarism and Misconduct:

  • Define plagiarism and other forms of research misconduct.
  • Explain the journal's procedures for detecting and addressing misconduct, including consequences for violators.

6. Appeals:

  • Describe the process for authors to appeal editorial decisions.

7. Data Sharing and Availability:

  • Outline the journal's policy on data sharing and availability, encouraging authors to make their data accessible whenever possible.

8. Open Access Policy:

  • Clearly state whether the journal is open access and, if so, the specific model used (e.g., author-paid fees, institutional subscriptions).

9. Amendments:

  • Describe the process for amending the publication ethics guidelines as needed.