Publication ethics

Originality and plagiarism

Submitted manuscripts must be original independent work. Borrowed ideas, data, text, and other materials must be accompanied by accurate citations of the original source.

Plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, manipulation of results, and other forms of research misconduct are not permitted.

Duplicate and concurrent publication

A manuscript must not have been published previously in another scholarly journal and must not be under consideration elsewhere at the same time. Substantial reuse of previously published results must be clearly identified and justified.

Authorship and contribution

Only those who made a substantial contribution to the study design, data acquisition or interpretation, manuscript preparation, and approval of the final version should be listed as authors.

All authors must be familiar with the manuscript and agree to its submission. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged with their consent.

Conflicts of interest and funding

Authors must disclose financial, professional, or other circumstances that could be perceived as influencing the study results or their interpretation.

Sources of research funding and the sponsor’s role, if any, must be stated in the manuscript.

Research involving humans

Research involving humans must comply with applicable ethical requirements. The manuscript should state approval by the relevant ethics body when such approval is required.

When personal medical data, images, or other identifying information are used, appropriate informed consent and patient confidentiality must be ensured.

Data integrity and retention

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data presented and should retain original research materials to the extent needed to substantiate the results, in line with applicable requirements.

Reviewer responsibilities

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, confidentially, and within their scientific competence. Personal remarks directed at the author are not acceptable.

If there is a conflict of interest or independent assessment cannot be ensured, the reviewer must decline the review and notify the editorial office.

Editorial responsibilities

The editorial office ensures independent editorial decisions, manuscript confidentiality, and equal treatment of authors regardless of affiliation, position, citizenship, or other factors unrelated to scholarly content.

Publication decisions are based on scholarly quality, peer-review outcomes, relevance to the journal’s scope, and editorial policy.

Corrections, retractions, and withdrawal

If a substantial error is identified after publication, the editorial office considers issuing a correction, clarification, retraction, or withdrawal, depending on the nature and significance of the problem.

Complaints and appeals

Authors and other interested parties may submit a reasoned inquiry regarding an editorial decision, peer review, or publication ethics. Such inquiries are considered in light of the materials and the principles of independent editorial review.