Our ethics statement is based on the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
Publication Decisions
The editor is responsible for deciding which of the submitted manuscripts are suitable for publication in the journal. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by applicable legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may also consult with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
Fair Play
Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and Conflicts 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Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
Reviewers' Responsibilities
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
The peer review process assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with the authors, may also help authors improve their manuscripts.
Promptness
Any reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that a timely review will not be possible should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. It must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly and support them with appropriate arguments.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers should also notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published work of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Information or ideas obtained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript.
Authors' Responsibilities
Reporting Standards
Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed and provide an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be presented accurately in the manuscript. A manuscript should contain sufficient detail and references to enable others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If the authors have used the work and/or words of others, these must be appropriately cited or quoted.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have significantly influenced the research reported in the manuscript.
Authorship of the Manuscript
Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All individuals who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors.
Others who have contributed substantially to specific aspects of the research project should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.
The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript, that no inappropriate co-authors are included, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of their research. All sources of financial support for the project should also be disclosed.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in retracting or correcting the manuscript.
