Publication Ethics Statement
The journal and its editorial board fully adhere to and comply with the policies and principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).Duties of Editors
Publication decisions
The editorial board of the journal is responsible for determining which submitted articles should be published. Board members consult with reviewers and consider their recommendations while adhering to legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editorial decisions are made impartially and are not influenced by the manuscript's origins, including the authors' nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion.
Confidentiality, disclosure, and conflicts of interest
During the review process, editors must keep information about a submitted manuscript confidential, sharing it only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and other editorial advisers. Unpublished material from a submitted manuscript must not be used in the editor’s, reviewer’s, or any other reader’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Additionally, readers should be informed about the funding sources for the research or scholarly work and whether the funders played any role in the research or its publication, including details of their involvement if applicable.
Author relations
Editors are committed to ensuring that the peer review process at the journal is fair, unbiased, and timely. The journal has implemented policies to handle submissions from editorial board members in a way that maintains impartiality. Additionally, author instructions offer guidance on the criteria for authorship.
Reviewer relations
The journal encourages reviewers to address ethical concerns and potential misconduct in submissions, such as unethical research design or inappropriate data manipulation, and to be vigilant for issues like redundant publication and plagiarism. Reviewers' comments should be provided to authors in full, except when they contain offensive or defamatory remarks. The journal regularly acknowledges the contributions of reviewers and will discontinue the use of reviewers who consistently provide discourteous, low-quality, or late reviews.
Quality assurance
Editors should take all reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the material they publish, understanding that different sections may have varying aims and standards. They should seek confirmation that the research has been approved by an appropriate body, such as a research ethics committee or institutional review board, where applicable. Editors must be vigilant about intellectual property issues and collaborate with their publishers to address any potential breaches of laws and conventions. Any errors, inaccuracies, or misleading statements must be corrected promptly and prominently.
Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to editorial decisions
Reviewers assist the editorial board in making editorial decisions. Reviews should be conducted objectively, with observations clearly articulated and supported by arguments, allowing authors to use them to improve their manuscript. Personal criticism of the author is not appropriate.
Qualification of reviewers
Any referee who feels unqualified to review the research in a manuscript or is unable to complete the review promptly should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process. Reviewers should also avoid reviewing manuscripts if they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Information or ideas gained through peer review are privileged and must be kept confidential, not used for personal advantage.
Acknowledgment of sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that the authors have not cited. References to others' ideas should be properly cited. Additionally, reviewers should inform the editor of any significant similarity or overlap between the manuscript and any other published papers they are personally aware of.
Duties of Authors
Reporting standards
Authors of original research reports should provide an accurate account of their work and offer an objective discussion of its significance. The data presented in the paper must be represented accurately. Authors should be prepared to make raw data publicly accessible in connection with the paper and retain this data for at least two years after publication. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are considered unethical and unacceptable.
Originality, plagiarism, and concurrent publication
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and that any contributions or words from others are properly acknowledged. Plagiarism in all its forms is considered unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Additionally, submitting essentially the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is also deemed unethical and unacceptable.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
All authors must disclose any financial or other substantial conflicts of interest in their manuscript that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their work. Additionally, all sources of financial support for the project should be clearly stated.
Authorship of the paper
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included in the paper and that no inappropriate co-authors are listed. All co-authors must have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper and agreed to its submission for publication. Those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors, while others who have participated in substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.
Fundamental errors in published works
If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, it is their responsibility to promptly inform the journal editor and collaborate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
