Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics, Research Integrity, and Malpractice Policy

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and scholarly integrity. All editorial activities are conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and World Association of Medical Editors. The journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher to uphold the principles of honesty, transparency, accountability, scientific rigour, and academic responsibility throughout the publication process.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal must ensure that the submitted work is original, scientifically sound, and has not been published previously except in the form of abstracts, theses, dissertations, or conference presentations. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal is strictly prohibited.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, authenticity, and integrity of all data presented in the manuscript. All sources, references, and previously published materials must be appropriately cited and acknowledged. Permission must be obtained for the use of copyrighted materials whenever required. The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism in all forms, including direct copying, paraphrasing without acknowledgment, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and inappropriate image manipulation.

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual or scientific contributions to the study. Contributors with limited involvement should be acknowledged appropriately. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Authors are also required to disclose all sources of funding, financial support, and any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or presentation of the research findings. Studies involving human participants, animals, or biological materials must comply with institutional, national, and international ethical standards and must have received appropriate ethical approval from relevant ethics committees or review boards.

If authors identify significant errors, inaccuracies, or ethical concerns in their published work, they are expected to notify the editorial office promptly so that corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions can be issued when necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, objective, and confidential editorial process. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, religion, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and protect the anonymity of reviewers during the peer-review process. They are responsible for selecting qualified, independent, and unbiased reviewers with relevant expertise. Editorial decisions should be based on reviewers’ evaluations, scientific validity, ethical considerations, and journal policies.

Editors must avoid conflicts of interest and should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which personal, professional, institutional, or financial conflicts may exist. They are also expected to take appropriate measures to identify and prevent unethical publishing practices, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, and data falsification.

Where necessary, editors may issue corrections, errata, expressions of concern, or retractions in order to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record. Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests and external influence.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality, reliability, and credibility of scientific publishing. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, evidence-based, and timely evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all manuscript content and unpublished data and should not use privileged information for personal, professional, or financial benefit. If reviewers feel unqualified to assess a manuscript or are unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe, they should promptly inform the editor.

Reviewers are encouraged to identify relevant published work that has not been cited and to alert editors regarding concerns related to plagiarism, duplicate publication, ethical misconduct, substantial overlap with published literature, or questionable research practices. Reviewers must avoid evaluating manuscripts in situations where conflicts of interest may compromise impartiality.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining high standards of ethical publishing and editorial independence. The publisher is committed to promoting transparency, scientific integrity, and responsible publishing practices.

In cases involving suspected ethical misconduct, the publisher cooperates with editors, reviewers, and institutions in conducting investigations and implementing appropriate corrective actions. These actions may include corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other measures necessary to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scientific record. The publisher also supports the long-term preservation and accessibility of published scholarly content.

Plagiarism and Unethical Practices

The journal maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and unethical research conduct. All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism screening using similarity detection software before peer review and publication.

Unethical practices include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, fabricated or falsified data, misleading reporting, unethical experimentation, and inappropriate image processing or manipulation. Manuscripts containing substantial ethical violations may be rejected immediately, and published articles may be retracted if misconduct is identified after publication.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors, editors, and reviewers are required to disclose any financial, institutional, personal, academic, or professional relationships that could potentially influence the evaluation, interpretation, or publication of research findings. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the manuscript or published article.

Research Misconduct and Investigations

Research misconduct includes plagiarism, authorship manipulation, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, ethical approval violations, data fabrication, data falsification, and other forms of scientific misconduct. Allegations of misconduct will be investigated according to internationally accepted ethical guidelines and established editorial procedures.

Depending on the severity of the violation, corrective actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections or retractions, notification of authors’ institutions or funding agencies, suspension of submission privileges, or other appropriate measures.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to preserving the integrity and reliability of the scholarly literature. Minor errors that do not affect the scientific validity of an article may be corrected through corrigenda or errata. Major ethical violations, unreliable findings, or serious scientific errors may result in article retraction.

Expressions of concern may be issued when investigations are ongoing and conclusive evidence is not yet available. Retraction notices and correction statements will remain permanently linked to the original article to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the academic record.

Data Availability and Research Transparency

Authors are encouraged to maintain accurate records of research data and experimental procedures and to provide access to supporting data whenever appropriate and feasible. Research findings should be reported transparently, accurately, and in sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility, verification, and scientific reliability.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts do not infringe upon copyright laws or intellectual property rights. Any copyrighted material included in the manuscript must be used with appropriate permission and acknowledgment. Published articles may be distributed according to the copyright and licensing policies adopted by the journal.

Ethical Compliance and Final Authority

The journal reserves the right to request ethical approval documents, informed consent statements, raw data, clinical trial registration details, or additional supporting information at any stage of the editorial or publication process. Manuscripts that fail to comply with ethical standards may be rejected, and published articles may be corrected or retracted in cases of proven misconduct.

Through these policies and practices, the journal continuously strives to uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, ethical responsibility, transparency, and excellence in scholarly publishing.