Publication Ethics

In all matters regarding publication ethics, also not mentioned below, the editorial office follows the guidelines of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).

Authorship Criteria 

  • Authors should have made substantial contributions to the conception, execution, or interpretation of the research study.
  • All authors must have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.
  • Authorship credit should accurately reflect the individual’s contribution to the intellectual content of the manuscript.
  • Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have contributed to the study in other ways should be acknowledged appropriately in the manuscript.
  • The order of authors should be determined based on the relative significance of their contributions to the research project.
  • In cases where authors have contributed equally, or their contributions are of similar importance, alphabetical order may be used.
  • Any changes in authorship, including additions, deletions, or changes in author order, must be approved by all authors involved.
  • Requests for changes in authorship should be submitted in writing via email to the journal editor, along with an explanation of the reason for the change.
  • Authors should adhere to ethical guidelines and standards relevant to their research, including those related to plagiarism, data fabrication, and research misconduct.
  • The authors provide their text on an Open Access basis under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This permits the processing, copying, and distribution of original texts in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, provided proper attribution is given. The reuse provisions of the Creative Commons license do not extend to content that is not original to the Open Access publication in question (e.g., charts, graphics, drawings, photographs, documents, reproductions of works, quotations, etc.). In such instances, obtaining permission from the rights holder may be necessary. It is the responsibility of the user to acquire the requisite information and consent.

Complaints and appeals 

  • Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are expected to familiarize themselves with and comply with the journal’s policies on authorship  and ethical standards.
  • Failure to adhere to these policies may result in rejection of the manuscript.
  • Complaints can be submitted by authors, reviewers, editors, or any other stakeholders involved in the journal’s processes.
  • Complaints should be submitted in writing via email to the journal’s editorial office.
  • The complaint should include a clear description of the issue, along with any relevant supporting documentation.
  • Upon receipt of a complaint, the editorial office will conduct an initial assessment to determine the nature and severity of the issue.
  • Complaints related to editorial decisions, manuscript handling, or ethical concerns will be thoroughly reviewed by the editorial team.
  • Depending on the nature of the complaint, an investigation may be conducted by the editorial team, involving consultation with relevant parties, such as authors, reviewers, or external experts.
  • The investigation will aim to gather all relevant information and perspectives to reach a fair and informed resolution.
  • After completing the investigation, the editorial team will determine an appropriate resolution to address the complaint.
  • Possible resolutions may include:
    • Reevaluation of editorial decisions or manuscript handling procedures.
    • Corrections, retractions, or other editorial actions to address ethical concerns or errors in published content.
    • Clarifications or explanations provided to stakeholders regarding the journal’s policies or procedures.
  • All complaints and appeals will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, with information shared only with those directly involved in the resolution process.

Journal policies on conflicts of interest / competing interests: 

  • Authors, referees, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could impact the interpretation, presentation, analysis, and reception of research findings.
  • Conflicts of interest may involve financial matters, professional affiliations, or personal relationships that could influence research outcomes, potentially undermining both the authors’ credibility and the integrity of the journal.


Journal’s policy on ethical oversight and policy on intellectual property: 

  • Authors are expected to conduct research in accordance with ethical principles and guidelines relevant to their discipline.
  • Plagiarism, including the verbatim or near-verbatim copying of text, ideas, or data without proper attribution, is strictly prohibited.
  • Authors should ensure that their manuscript contains original work and properly cite sources to avoid plagiarism.
  • Authors should provide appropriate citations to the original data sources when utilizing publicly available datasets in their research.
  • In-text citations and references to data sources should be included in the manuscript’s bibliography.
  • When reproducing or building upon previously published results, authors should provide appropriate citations to the original work.
  • Manuscripts submitted to the journal should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere simultaneously, nor should they have been published previously in whole or in part.

Journal’s options for post-publication discussions and corrections:

  • In cases where errors, inaccuracies, or omissions are identified in published articles, the journal will consider issuing corrections or errata.
  • In cases of serious ethical misconduct or research misconduct  the journal may consider issuing a retraction of the published article.
  • All requests for post-publication discussions, corrections, or updates should be submitted to the journal’s editorial office in writing, along with supporting documentation or evidence.
  • The editorial team will assess the validity and significance of the request, consulting with relevant stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, and editorial board members, as necessary.