Key Responsibilities of the Publisher
(1) Preservation of the Scientific Archive: The publisher plays a crucial role in supporting the work of editors and reviewers to maintain the integrity of the journal’s scientific archive. This includes providing resources, ensuring adherence to best practices in publishing, and upholding editorial standards.
(2) Protection of Editorial Independence: The publisher commits to preventing any external influence (financial or otherwise) on editorial decisions.
Key Responsibilities of Editors
(1) Decision-Making on Publication: The editor-in-chief holds full responsibility for deciding on the publication of articles, based on their significance and scientific value to researchers and readers.
(2) Peer Review Process: Editors ensure a fair, objective, and timely review process, selecting reviewers with appropriate expertise and promoting inclusivity and diversity.
(3) Fairness and Transparency: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific merit, with editorial policies transparently communicated.
(4) Confidentiality: Editors protect the confidentiality of all materials submitted to the journal and communications with reviewers.
(5) Conflict of Interest: Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed and considered when making editorial decisions.
Key Responsibilities of Reviewers
(1) Assisting Editorial Decisions: Reviewers provide constructive feedback to help editors make decisions and assist authors in improving their manuscripts.
(2) Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are treated as confidential and must not be shared with third parties.
(3) Ethical Standards and Independence: Reviewers must evaluate submissions objectively, avoiding personal bias or conflicts of interest.
Key Responsibilities of Authors
(1) Accountability and Standards: Authors must accurately present their research, providing detailed and reliable data that can be reproduced.
(2) Data Access and Retention: Authors should provide data upon request and ensure it is securely stored for verification.
(3) Originality and Source Attribution: Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work, properly citing prior research, and avoiding plagiarism. Manuscripts must not duplicate previous publications, except for conference abstracts or theses.
(4) Authorship Criteria: Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
(5) Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Manuscripts must include disclosures of any relationships that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest.
(6) Notification of Errors: If a significant error or inaccuracy is found in a published work, authors must promptly notify the editor and cooperate to correct or retract the article.
Principles of Academic Freedom and Responsibility
Researchers are entitled to freely conduct research and share their findings without censorship, while adhering to principles of intellectual honesty and avoiding harm to individuals, society, or the environment.
Positive and Negative Impact of Research
Research must respect the dignity and rights of subjects and communities, as well as material and intangible heritage, natural resources, and the environment. Indirect harm, such as stigmatization of vulnerable groups or misuse of findings, must be considered.
Ethical Review for Human Studies
Studies involving human participants require informed consent and ethical committee approval. Statements confirming adherence to ethical standards must be included in the manuscript.
Editorial Independence
The journal ensures editorial decisions are based solely on scientific criteria, free from commercial or external influences. This includes decisions on peer review, acceptance, rejection, and publication.
Appeal Policy
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written request within one month of receiving the decision. Appeals are considered only for manuscripts that underwent peer review. Appeals must include detailed responses to editorial and reviewer comments, supported by evidence.
Authorship
Each author must contribute significantly to the work’s conception, execution, or interpretation. The corresponding author ensures all co-authors have approved the manuscript and takes responsibility for communications with the journal.
Acknowledgment of Contributions
The journal supports transparency by publishing statements detailing each author’s contribution using the CRediT taxonomy.
Author Identification
Authors are required to provide an ORCID identifier to enhance transparency in the publication process.
