Publication Ethics

The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, publication ethics, transparency, and academic responsibility. The Journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing, including the guidance and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The Journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and the Publisher to uphold honesty, fairness, confidentiality, transparency, and accountability throughout the publication process.

1. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

· the submitted manuscript is original and has not been published elsewhere;

· the manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal;

· all sources, ideas, data, and contributions from others are appropriately acknowledged;

· the research has been conducted in accordance with applicable ethical standards;

· data and research findings are reported accurately and transparently;

· authorship accurately reflects substantial contributions to the work;

· all listed authors have approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission;

· conflicts of interest are disclosed;

· funding and other relevant support are appropriately reported; and

· significant errors discovered after publication are promptly reported to the Journal.

Authors must not engage in fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship practices, citation manipulation, or other forms of research or publication misconduct.

Detailed requirements concerning plagiarism, AI use, data availability, and post-publication issues are addressed in the Journal's respective policies.

2. Editors' Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic quality and integrity of the Journal.

Editors should:

· evaluate manuscripts fairly and objectively;

· make editorial decisions based on scholarly merit and relevance;

· maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;

· ensure appropriate and independent peer review;

· manage actual or potential conflicts of interest appropriately;

· protect the integrity of the editorial and peer-review process;

· respond appropriately to allegations of research or publication misconduct; and

· correct or address the published record when necessary.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by an author's nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, or other irrelevant personal characteristics.

Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal or professional advantage.

3. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing.

Reviewers should:

· provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations;

· maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and review materials;

· disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest;

· decline a review assignment when they are not sufficiently qualified or cannot provide an impartial assessment;

· complete reviews within the agreed timeframe where possible;

· identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited, where applicable; and

· promptly inform the editor of any suspected ethical or research-integrity concerns.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal, professional, or competitive purposes.

The Journal's peer-review procedures are described separately in the Peer Review Process policy.

4. Publisher's Responsibilities

The Publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining the integrity and independence of the Journal.

The Publisher is responsible for providing an appropriate publishing environment and supporting procedures for:

· research and publication ethics;

· correction of the scholarly record;

· investigation of ethical concerns;

· retraction and other post-publication actions; and

· preservation and accessibility of published content.

The Publisher does not interfere with editorial decisions concerning the academic evaluation or acceptance of manuscripts.

5. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should be based on substantial intellectual or scholarly contributions to the work.

All authors should:

· make a meaningful contribution to the research or manuscript;

· participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript;

· approve the final version; and

· accept responsibility for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors.

Changes to authorship after submission require an appropriate justification and the agreement of all affected authors.

6. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could reasonably influence the research, review, or editorial decision.

The Journal will take appropriate measures to manage disclosed conflicts and protect the independence of the editorial process.

7. Research Misconduct

The Journal considers the following to be serious forms of research or publication misconduct, among others:

· fabrication of data or results;

· falsification or manipulation of research;

· plagiarism;

· duplicate or redundant publication;

· inappropriate authorship;

· manipulation of citations;

· manipulation of the peer-review process; and

· unethical research practices.

When concerns arise, the Journal may request explanations or supporting documentation and may conduct an appropriate investigation in accordance with relevant ethical procedures.

Where necessary, the Journal may consult or cooperate with the authors' institutions or other appropriate organizations.

8. Handling Ethical Concerns

Concerns regarding research or publication misconduct may be reported to the Journal's editorial office.

Reports should provide sufficient information and supporting evidence to allow the Journal to assess the concern appropriately.

The Journal will handle allegations as confidentially and fairly as reasonably possible.

Depending on the circumstances, editorial action may include:

· requesting clarification or additional information;

· requiring correction or revision;

· rejecting a submitted manuscript;

· issuing an Expression of Concern;

· publishing a correction; or

· retracting a published article.

Further information is provided in the Journal's Retraction & Correction Policy.

9. Confidentiality

All unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial communications, and other information obtained during the editorial process must be treated as confidential.

Such information must not be disclosed to unauthorized persons or used for purposes unrelated to the editorial and peer-review process.

10. Corrections and Integrity of the Scholarly Record

The Journal is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

When errors or integrity concerns are identified after publication, the Journal may publish an appropriate correction, Expression of Concern, retraction, or other notice depending on the circumstances.

Post-publication actions are taken to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and are not intended as punitive measures.