Misconduct
This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to be fully aware of best practices in scholarly publishing.
Any form of research or publication misconduct is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, issues such as ghost authorship, guest authorship, gift authorship, and other inappropriate authorship practices. Authors are required to retain original data, source files, and supporting materials after manuscript submission, as these may be requested during the editorial or peer review process. Failure to provide such materials may result in suspension of the review process until the issue is resolved.
Reviewers and editors must treat all manuscripts as confidential and evaluate them fairly and impartially. They are also required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
The journal will investigate all allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously. Any suspicion of unethical behavior by authors, reviewers, or editors may result in action before or after publication.
For published articles, concerns raised at any time—including after publication—will be investigated in accordance with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The individuals involved may be asked to provide explanations and supporting documentation. The Editor reserves the right to assess the originality and integrity of any submitted or published work and may escalate concerns to relevant institutions or authorities where appropriate.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited in submissions to this journal. Authors must not use words, ideas, images, or data from other sources without proper attribution.
All sources must be clearly cited at the point of use. Any reused text must be appropriately quoted or paraphrased with clear acknowledgment. Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work.
All submitted manuscripts are screened for similarity against published literature using plagiarism detection tools (e.g., Crossref Similarity Check / iThenticate). Figures and images may also be checked for duplication or manipulation.
Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected if unpublished, or retracted if already published.
Duplicate and Redundant Publication
This journal considers only original manuscripts that have not been published elsewhere in any language and are not under consideration by other journals.
Simultaneous submission of the same or substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals is considered unethical.
If authors build upon previously published or submitted work, they must clearly cite the earlier work and explain the differences in the new submission.
Self-plagiarism, including reuse of text, figures, or substantial content without proper attribution, is not permitted. Reuse of copyrighted material may require permission from the copyright holder, which is the responsibility of the authors.
Manuscripts derived from conference proceedings must be clearly declared and must include proper citation and substantial extension beyond the original version.
Salami slicing (fragmenting one study into multiple submissions with overlapping data or methods) is not acceptable.
Fabrication and Falsification
Fabrication, falsification, data manipulation, or inappropriate image editing are strictly prohibited.
If evidence of such misconduct is identified in submitted or published manuscripts, the journal will take appropriate action, which may include rejection, correction, or retraction.
Investigations and Sanctions
All suspected breaches of publication ethics will be investigated by the journal’s ethics committee or editorial team, in accordance with COPE guidelines.
During an investigation, authors may be required to provide raw data, images, ethics approvals, and other supporting documentation, and to respond to editorial queries.
Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:
- Rejection of the manuscript under consideration
- Publication of a correction or erratum
- Retraction of a published article
In cases of serious or repeated misconduct, additional sanctions may be applied, including:
- Refusal to consider submissions from the author(s) for a defined period (e.g., 1–3 years)
- Prohibition from serving as a reviewer or editor for the journal
- Notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions or relevant authorities
The journal reserves the right to take appropriate action both before and after publication when ethical concerns are identified.