Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
1. Duties of the Editorial Board
Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the journal will be published. The decision is based on the paper’s importance, originality, and clarity, as well as its relevance to the journal’s scope.
Fair Play and Confidentiality
Objectivity: Manuscripts are evaluated for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Secrecy: The editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher.
Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations
Editors should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper.
2. Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communication with the author, may also assist the author in improving the paper.
Promptness and Standards of Objectivity
Timeframe: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the process.
Neutrality: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
Privileged Information: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
Disclosure: Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the papers.
3. Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper.
Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Note: Any form of plagiarism—from "passing off" another’s paper as the author’s own to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper without attribution—constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Multiple or Concurrent Publication
An author should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical.
4. Dealing with Unethical Behavior
Identification of Unethical Behavior
Misconduct and unethical behavior may be identified and brought to the attention of the editor and publisher at any time, by anyone.
Investigation and Consequences
Evidence: The editor should gather evidence while avoiding spreading allegations beyond those who need to know.
Minor Breaches: Minor misconduct might be dealt with without the need to consult more widely. In any event, the author should be given the opportunity to respond to any allegations.
Serious Breaches: Serious misconduct might require the notification of the employers of the accused. The editor, in consultation with the publisher or COPE, should make the decision whether or not to involve the employers and relevant agencies.
References
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2011, March 7). Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Retrieved from http://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors_Mar11.pdf
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