Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

This journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. Authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers are expected to adhere to ethical standards based on the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing.

The publication of an article in this journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected body of knowledge. Therefore, ethical behavior is expected from all parties involved in the publication process.

Duties of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original. If authors have used the work or words of others, these must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is considered unethical behavior.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide the raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and should be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

Authorship of the Manuscript

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.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors should disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, the author must promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate to retract or correct the paper.

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, 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 author's explicit written consent.

Handling of Ethical Complaints

Editors will take responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper. Every reported act of unethical publishing behavior will be investigated, even if discovered years after publication.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and may also help authors improve their manuscripts.

Promptness

Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that a prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and decline the review invitation.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity

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

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, institutions, or organizations connected to the paper.

Duties of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editors and editorial board in maintaining the integrity of the academic record. The publisher is committed to ensuring that commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions and that ethical standards are upheld throughout the publication process.

Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

Plagiarism
Data fabrication
Data falsification
Citation manipulation
Duplicate publication
Improper authorship attribution

When misconduct is suspected, the editorial team will investigate the matter according to established ethical guidelines. Appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, publication correction, article retraction, and notification to the author's institution.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right of first publication. Published articles may be distributed under the journal's licensing policy. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material included in their manuscripts.

Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, animals, personal data, or sensitive materials must comply with relevant ethical standards and regulations. Authors may be required to provide evidence of ethical approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board.