EDITORIAL ETHICS  

Publication decision:
The editor is responsible for deciding which articles to submit to journals should be published. Editors may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and limited by legal requirements that will apply regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Fair play:
An editor at any time evaluates manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political philosophy of the author.

Confidentiality:
Editors and editorial staff must not disclose information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the appropriate authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisors, and publishers.

Disclosure and conflict of interest:
Unpublished material disclosed in submitted manuscripts may not be used in the editor's research without written consent from the author.

 

  REVIEWER ETHICS  

Contribution to Editorial Decisions:
Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communication with authors, can also assist authors in improving papers.

Speed:
Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communication with authors, can also assist authors in improving papers.

Confidentiality:
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They may not be shown or discussed with others except as permitted by the editors.

Objectivity Standards:
Reviews must be carried out objectively. The author's criticism is inappropriate. Reviewers must express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Source Acknowledgment:
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that the author still needs to cite. Each statement of observation, derivation, or argument previously reported must be accompanied by an appropriate citation. Reviewers should also call the editor's attention to any similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under consideration and other published papers of which they are personally aware.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest:
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be confidential and not used for personal gain. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any author, company, or institution associated with the paper.

 

  AUTHOR ETHICS  

Reporting standards:
Authors of original research reports must present an accurate account of the work performed and objectively discuss its significance. The underlying data must be presented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to enable others to replicate the work. Statements that are deceptive or intentionally inaccurate constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism:
Authors should ensure that they have written entirely original work, and if authors have used the work or words of others, these have been appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication:
An author may only generally publish manuscripts describing the same research in one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable publishing behaviour.

Source Acknowledgment:
Proper recognition of the work of others should always be given. Authors should cite publications that are influential in determining the nature of the work reported.

Paper Authorship:
Writing should be limited to those who have contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study being reported. All persons who have made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors. If other people have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they must be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The associated author must ensure that all suitable co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on top of the paper and that all co-authors have viewed and approved the final version of the article and submitted it for publication.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest:
All authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that could be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works:
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his published work, the author should immediately notify the journal's editor or publisher and work with the editor to retract or correct the paper.