Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Our key expectations of authors, peer-reviewers and editors, and penalty for malpractice are as follows:
For Authors:
- Originality: Must submit original work; no plagiarism, data fabrication, or redundant publication (submitting the same work to multiple places).
- Accuracy: Present work accurately, discuss significance objectively, and provide enough detail for replication.
- Data: Provide accurate data, share datasets when possible, and store data for future access.
- Citations: Properly cite all sources; failure to do so is unethical.
- Conflicts of Interest (COI): Disclose any financial or other interests that could bias the work.
- Human/Animal Subjects: State approval from ethics committees (IRB) and adherence to guidelines (e.g., Declaration of Helsinki).
For Reviewers:
- Confidentiality: Treat manuscripts as confidential.
- Objectivity: Conduct reviews objectively and disclose any COIs.
- No Exploitation: Don’t use insights from review for personal gain.
For Publishers/Editors:
- Integrity: Uphold editorial independence and prevent interference.
- Process: Have fair procedures for handling complaints and investigating misconduct.
- Transparency: Use platforms for transparency and ensure archiving (like DOIs).
- Enforcement: Pursue accusations of misconduct, with sanctions including informing employers or retraction.
Consequences of Malpractice:
- Manuscript rejection or published article retraction.
- Sanctions against authors, reviewers, or editors.
- Maintaining the integrity of the published record.