Reporting standards Authors should present accurate original articles regarding the work process performed and provide an objective discussion. In the article, data must be presented accurately. The article should contain sufficient detail and references to enable others to develop the research. Deliberate false or inaccurate statements constitute unethical and unacceptable behavior.
Data Access and Retention In certain conditions, upon request from the editor, authors are required to provide raw data in connection with the review process. Authors must be prepared to provide the editor with access to such data.
Originality and Plagiarism Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and if the author has used the work and/or words of others, these have been appropriately cited or quoted.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication An author should not publish manuscripts that descriptively describe the same research in more than one journal or other publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgment of Sources Authors should always acknowledge the work of others. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the submitted article.
Authorship of the Article Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported research. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as authors. Where others have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author with the editor should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the article and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the article and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Conflict of Interest All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the manuscript.
EDITOR'S DUTIES
Fairness An editor at all times evaluates manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the race, gender, religion, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political affiliation of the authors.
Confidentiality Editors and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, editorial board, and other publishers.
Conflict of Interest Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
Publication Decisions The journal editor is responsible for determining which articles are to be published. The editors may seek input from the journal's editorial board and available tools to address copyright infringement and plagiarism issues. The editors may confer with other editors or reviewers in making these decisions.
Manuscript Review The editor must ensure that each manuscript is evaluated by the editor for originality. The editor should organize and use reviewers fairly and wisely. The editor should explain the peer review process as information for authors and also indicate which parts of the journal are reviewed by reviewers. The editor should use appropriate peer reviewers for articles considered publishable by selecting individuals with adequate expertise and avoiding conflicts of interest.
REVIEWER'S DUTIES
Contribution to Editorial Decisions Reviewers assist the editor in making editorial decisions. Through communication between the editor and the author, reviewers may also assist authors in improving the article.
Promptness Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review a manuscript should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Standards of Objectivity The review process should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Confidentiality Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Privileged information or new ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should work professionally and set aside conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the article.
Acknowledgment of Sources Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that is an observation, derivation, or argument that has been previously published should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also discuss with the editor any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published article.