Publication Ethics

For a peer-reviewed journal, the publication of articles plays an essential role in the development of a coherent network of knowledge. It is essential that all publishers, editors, authors, and reviewers conduct themselves in accordance with the highest level of professional ethics and standards.

Note: You may also want to read about Conflicts of Interest.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)’s Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers (Core practices).

• The publisher is dedicated to supporting the vast efforts of the editors, the academic contributions of authors, and the respected volunteer work undertaken by reviewers.
• The publisher is responsible for ensuring that the publication system works smoothly and that ethical guidelines are applied to assist the editor, author, and reviewer in performing their ethical duties.

Editor’s Responsibilities

We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)’s Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (Core practices). Key points include:

• The editor should acknowledge receipt of submitted manuscripts within two working days and ensure an efficient, fair, and timely review process.
• The editor must ensure that submitted manuscripts are processed confidentially, and no content will be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher.
• The editor should recuse himself/herself from processing manuscripts if there is a conflict of interest with any of the authors or institutions.
• The editor should not disclose the names and details of the reviewers to a third party without the reviewers' permission.
• The editor holds the final decision on whether to accept or reject a manuscript based on significance, originality, clarity, and relevance.
• The editor must not oblige authors to cite his/her journal as a condition for acceptance, nor use any part of the submitted data for personal research prior to publication.
• The editor should respond promptly and take reasonable measures (including retraction or correction) when an ethical complaint occurs concerning a submitted or published paper.

Reviewer’s Responsibilities

We follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)’s Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers (Core practices). Key points include:

• Reviewers who feel unqualified or cannot meet the deadline should immediately notify the editor and excuse themselves from the process.
• Reviewers must inform the editor and recuse themselves if a conflict of interest exists, especially involving personal or academic relationships that could introduce bias.
• Reviewers must treat manuscripts confidentially and should not disclose or discuss them with others without the editor's authorization.
• The peer-review process must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is strictly unacceptable.
• Reviewers must not use any part of the submitted data for personal research.
• Reviewers should immediately notify the editor of any similarities with other published works or call attention to falsified data and plagiarized material.

Author’s Responsibilities

• Originality and Duplication: Authors should not submit concurrent manuscripts to multiple journals, nor submit any previously published paper. The submitted work must be entirely original.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Appropriate citations are required when using works or words of others.
• Data Integrity: Authors must honestly gather and interpret research data, presenting a precise and brief report. Authors should retain raw data and provide it upon request for editorial review.
• Transparency: Authors must explicitly indicate all funding sources that supported the research and declare any conflicts of interest.
• Authorship: Only those who have contributed significantly should be listed as co-authors. Authors must give due acknowledgment to all contributors. The corresponding author ensures all co-authors have approved the final version.
• Error Reporting: Authors must promptly inform the journal editor of any obvious error in their published paper and cooperate in its retraction or correction.