Publication Ethics

This statement outlines the ethical standards expected of all parties involved in the publication process of this journal, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

The journal’s ethical principles are informed by COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for journal editors and scholarly publishing.

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions
The editor is responsible for determining which manuscripts submitted to the journal are suitable for publication. Editorial decisions are guided by the journal’s policies, academic merit, originality, relevance, and the legal requirements in force concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. In making such decisions, the editor may consult with other editors or reviewers.

Fair Play
Manuscripts shall be evaluated solely on the basis of their intellectual content, academic quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality
The editor and editorial staff must not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with authors, may also assist authors in improving the quality and clarity of their manuscripts.

Promptness
Any invited reviewer who considers themselves unqualified to evaluate the manuscript, or who knows that a timely review will not be possible, should promptly notify the editor and decline the invitation.

Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity
Reviews must be conducted objectively and professionally. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly, constructively, and with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers should also alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published or unpublished work of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, institutional, or other relationships with any of the authors, organizations, or institutions connected to the work.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards
Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed, together with an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. Where the work or words of others have been used, these must be appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing substantially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature and context of the reported work.

Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All individuals who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged appropriately.

The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript, that no inappropriate co-authors are listed, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed as influencing the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of financial support for the project should also be clearly disclosed.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate fully with the editor to retract, revise, or correct the article as appropriate.