Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Statement on Publication Misconduct

Our publication ethics and statement on publication misconduct are largely based on the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (Committee on Publication Ethics, 2011).

 

Unpublished material disclosed in submitted manuscripts will not be used by the editor or members of the editorial board for their own research purposes without the authors’ written consent.

5. Self-Citation

An editor must not engage in any practice that requires authors to cite the journal, either as an implied or explicit condition of acceptance for publication. Any recommendations regarding articles to be cited in a manuscript must be based on direct relevance to the author’s article, with the aim of enhancing the final published research. Editors should direct authors to relevant literature as part of the peer review process; however, this should never include instructions to cite a specific journal.

6. Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

An editor must take appropriate and responsive measures when ethical complaints are raised regarding submitted manuscripts or published papers, in collaboration with the publisher (or the community). These steps generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving appropriate consideration to each complaint or claim made, but may also involve further communication with relevant research institutions and bodies, and, if the complaint is upheld, the publication of a correction, retraction, statement of concern, or other relevant note. Any reported instance of unethical publishing conduct must be investigated, even if it is discovered years after publication.

7. Publication Decisions

The journal’s Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which of the submitted articles should be published. The Editor-in-Chief may be guided by the journal’s Editorial Board policies and constrained by applicable legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor-in-Chief may consult with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

 

Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

The peer-review process assists the editor and the editorial board in making editorial decisions and can also help authors improve their manuscripts.

2. Integrity

Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or who knows that a timely review is not possible must notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

3. Confidentiality

Every manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. It must not be disclosed or discussed with others unless authorized by the editor.

4. Standard of Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate. Reviewers must express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

5. Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers must identify instances where relevant published works cited in the manuscript have not been included in the references section. They must indicate whether observations or arguments derived from other publications are accompanied by their respective sources. Reviewers will inform the editor of any substantial similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under consideration and other published papers of which they have personal knowledge.

6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Reviewers must not consider manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competition, collaboration, or other relationships or connections with the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper.

Authors’ Responsibilities

1. Reporting Standards

Authors of original research reports must present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data must be accurately represented in the paper. A paper must contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. False or intentionally inaccurate statements constitute unethical and unacceptable behavior.

2. Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide raw data from their studies along with the paper for editorial review and should be prepared to make the data publicly available if feasible. In any case, authors must ensure the accessibility of such data to other competent professionals for at least ten years after publication (preferably through an institutional or subject-based data repository or other data center), provided that participant confidentiality can be protected and that legal rights regarding proprietary data do not preclude its release.

3. Originality, Plagiarism

Authors shall submit only entirely original work and shall accurately cite or quote the works and/or words of others. Publications that have influenced the nature of the reported work must also be cited. Plagiarism takes many forms, ranging from “passing off” another person’s paper as one’s own, to copying or paraphrasing significant portions of another paper (without attribution), to claiming the results of research conducted by others. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical and unacceptable publishing behavior.

4. Duplicate, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

In general, papers describing the same underlying research should not be published in more than one journal. Submitting the same paper to more than one journal constitutes unethical and unacceptable publishing behavior. Manuscripts that have been published as copyrighted material elsewhere may not be submitted. Additionally, manuscripts currently under review by a journal must not be resubmitted to another publication for copyrighted publication.

5. Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of others’ work must always be provided. Authors must cite publications that have influenced the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately such as through conversations, correspondence, or discussions with third parties must not be used or reported without the explicit written permission of the source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as manuscript refereeing or grant applications, must not be used without written permission from the authors of the works involved in these services.

6. Paper Authorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported research. All those who have made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors.

The corresponding author ensures that all contributing co-authors are included in the author list and that no uninvolved individuals are listed. The corresponding author will also verify that all co-authors have approved the final version of this paper and have consented to its submission for publication.

 

References

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (March 7, 2011). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Retrieved from https://publicationethics.org/ 

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