Publication Ethics

Ethical Standards

We follow the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Core Practices and the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) recommendations. All stakeholders — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher — are expected to uphold these standards.

1. Authorship & Contributorship

All listed authors must meet these criteria: (a) substantial contributions to conception, design, data acquisition, or analysis; (b) drafting or critically revising the manuscript; (c) final approval of the published version; and (d) accountability for all aspects of the work. Individuals who contributed but do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged.

2. Plagiarism & Originality

All submissions undergo plagiarism screening. Plagiarism in any form — direct copying, paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism of previously published work without citation — is unacceptable. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected or retracted.

3. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest. Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from manuscripts where they have a conflict. COI statements are published alongside accepted articles.

4. Data Integrity & Fabrication

Data fabrication, falsification, and image manipulation are serious ethical violations. Authors must retain raw data and make it available upon request. Suspected fabrication is investigated per COPE guidelines.

5. Peer Review Integrity

Reviewers must: treat manuscripts confidentially, provide objective and constructive feedback, disclose conflicts of interest, and not use unpublished information for personal advantage. Reviewer coercion and fake peer review are strictly prohibited.

6. Corrections & Retractions

Errata: Minor errors that do not affect conclusions are corrected with a published erratum notice.
Corrigenda: Author-introduced errors are corrected with notice.
Retractions: Articles with major flaws, fabrication, or ethical violations are retracted with a clear retraction notice. The original article remains accessible but is watermarked as retracted.
Expressions of Concern: Issued while investigations are ongoing.

7. Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

Research involving human participants must have institutional ethics committee (IRB) approval and informed consent. Research involving animals must comply with institutional and national guidelines. Ethics approval statements must be included in the manuscript.

8. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations are investigated promptly and confidentially per COPE flowcharts. Investigations may involve the authors' institution. Outcomes range from correction to retraction, with sanctions including temporary or permanent submission bans.