Ethical Standards

Editorial Responsibilities

  • Ensuring Fair and Impartial Editorial Decision-Making
  • Maintaining Confidentiality
  • Disclosing Conflicts of Interest
  • Making Publication Decisions
  • Participating in Investigations and Cooperation

Author Responsibilities

  • Adhering to Reporting Standards
  • Ensuring Data Access and Retention
  • Upholding Originality and Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Avoiding Multiple, Duplicate, or Concurrent Submissions
  • Defining Authorship
  • Disclosing Conflicts of Interest
  • Acknowledging Sources
  • Engaging in Peer Review
  • Correcting Fundamental Errors in Published Works

 Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Handling Unethical Publishing Practices
  • Timeliness
  • Confidentiality
  • Objectivity
  • Source Acknowledgment
  • Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure

Publisher Responsibilities

  • Handling Unethical Publishing Practices
  • Maintaining Access to Journal Content

Editorial Responsibilities
A. Ensuring Fair and Impartial Editorial Decision-Making

  1. Manuscript Evaluation: Editors evaluate manuscripts based on their academic quality, considering factors such as significance, originality, validity, clarity, and alignment with the journal's scope.
  2. Equal Treatment: Manuscripts are reviewed fairly, without any influence from the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, citizenship, religious beliefs, political views, or institutional affiliation.
  3. Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of external influences, including government policies or agencies.
  4. Editorial Authority: The Editor-in-Chief has full control over the editorial content and the publication schedule.

B. Maintaining Confidentiality
Editors and staff maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, sharing information only with those involved in the review and publication process.

C. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  1. Editors will not use unpublished information from manuscripts for personal research without explicit written consent.
  2. Confidential information obtained during manuscript handling is kept private and not used for personal gain.
  3. The Editor-in-Chief may seek input from other editors or reviewers before reaching a final decision.

D. Making Publication Decisions

  1. All manuscripts undergo peer review by at least two experts.
  2. The Editor-in-Chief decides which manuscripts to publish, considering the research's validity, significance, reviewer feedback, and legal requirements.
  3.  The Editor-in-Chief may seek input from other editors or reviewers before reaching a final decision. 

E. Participating in Investigations and Cooperation

  1. Editors, along with the publisher, address ethical concerns rose about manuscripts or published papers.
  2. All reports of unethical publishing behavior are thoroughly investigated.
  3. If confirmed, the journal will issue a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or another relevant notice.

Author Responsibilities
A. Adhering to Reporting Standards

  1. Authors must present accurate accounts of their research and results, with objective discussion on their significance.
  2. Manuscripts should provide sufficient detail and references for replication.
  3. Review articles must be comprehensive and objective, while editorials and opinion pieces should be clearly labeled.
  4. Fraudulent or intentionally false statements are unethical and impermissible.

B. Ensuring Data Access and Retention

  1. Raw data may be requested from authors for editorial review, and they should be prepared for it to be made publicly available if possible.
  2. Data should be accessible to qualified professionals for a minimum of 10 years after publication, ideally stored in a repository, while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with legal requirements.

C. Upholding Originality and Avoiding Plagiarism

  1. Authors must submit only original works and properly cite others’ work or words.
  2. Influential publications must be cited.
  3. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is unethical and unacceptable.

D. Avoiding Multiple, Duplicate, or Concurrent Submissions

  1. Manuscripts should not be published in more than one journal or submitted to multiple journals concurrently.
  2. Secondary publication may be allowed if conditions are met, including agreement from authors and editors, with proper citation of the primary source.

E. Defining Authorship

  1. Only those who significantly contributed to the study and manuscript should be listed as authors.
  2. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
  3. Contributors not meeting authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.
  4. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all relevant co-authors are included and have given their approval for the submission.

F. Disclosing Conflicts of Interest

  1. Any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, must be disclosed by authors at the earliest stage.
  2. All sources of financial support should be disclosed.

G. Acknowledging Sources

  1. Authors must properly acknowledge others' work and cite influential publications.
  2. Privately obtained information should not be used without explicit permission.
  3. Confidential information from peer review or grant applications should not be utilized without prior permission.

H. Engaging in Peer Review
Authors must engage in the peer review process, respond to editors’ requests, and address reviewers’ comments when revisions are necessary.

I. Correcting Fundamental Errors in Published Works
Significant errors found in published work must be promptly communicated to the editors or publisher, and authors must work to correct or retract the paper as necessary.

Reviewer Responsibilities
A. Handling Unethical Publishing Practices

  1. Peer review assists editors in making decisions on manuscripts and helps authors improve their work through feedback.
  2. Reviewers are expected to participate fairly in the review process as part of their contribution to the scientific community.

B. Timeliness
Reviewers who feel unqualified or cannot promptly review a manuscript should inform the editors immediately, allowing them to find alternative reviewers without delay.

C. Confidentiality

  1. Manuscripts submitted for review are confidential and must not be shared or discussed with others, except when authorized by the Editor-in-Chief in exceptional cases.
  2. This confidentiality applies even to reviewers who decline the review invitation.

D. Objectivity

  1. Reviewers are expected to participate fairly in the review process as part of their contribution to the scientific community.
  2. The authors should not be personally criticized.

E. Source Acknowledgment

  1. Any relevant work that the authors have not cited should be identified by reviewers, and statements derived from previous publications should be properly cited.
  2. If significant similarity between the manuscript under review and another work is noticed, the reviewers should inform the editors.

F. Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure

  1. Reviewers with any conflict of interest should inform the editors immediately and decline the review to avoid bias.
  2. Reviewers must not use unpublished material from the manuscript in their own research without the authors' consent, and they must keep any information or ideas obtained during the review process confidential and not use them for personal gain. This also applies to reviewers who decline the review invitation.

Publisher Responsibilities
A. Handling Unethical Publishing Practices
The publisher, working with the editors, will take appropriate actions to address scientific misconduct, including fraudulent publication or plagiarism. These actions may involve issuing an erratum, providing clarification, or retracting the article.

B. Maintaining Access to Journal Content
The long-term availability and preservation of scholarly research is ensured by the publisher. Journal content is archived in the PKP Preservation Network to guarantee sustained accessibility.