General Principles
The journal adheres to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to maintaining academic integrity. All submissions are screened for originality, and cases of plagiarism, duplicate submission, citation manipulation, data fabrication, or falsification are considered serious violations of publication ethics.
Duplicate Submission
Authors must submit only original manuscripts that are not under consideration elsewhere. Duplicate submission or redundant publication, including partial or paraphrased duplication, will result in immediate rejection and may lead to sanctions.
Citation Manipulation
Manuscripts containing deliberate attempts to artificially increase citations to specific authors or journals will be rejected.
Data Fabrication and Falsification
Submission of manuscripts containing fabricated or falsified data, including image manipulation, will result in rejection and may lead to further action.
Procedures for Handling Misconduct
Suspected cases of misconduct are investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts and best practice guidelines. Authors are given the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised.
- rejection of the manuscript during the review process;
- publication of a correction;
- retraction of the article.
Corrections
Corrections may be initiated by authors, editors, or readers. Following evaluation, the editorial board decides on the appropriate course of action:
Correction: issued in cases of significant errors affecting the scientific content.
Erratum: used for errors introduced by the publisher.
Corrigendum: used for errors introduced by the authors.
All corrections are published as separate documents with their own DOI and are linked to the original article.
Retraction
Retraction is applied in cases where:
- the findings are unreliable due to misconduct or error;
- the work constitutes redundant or duplicate publication without proper attribution;
- plagiarism or fraudulent authorship is identified;
- the peer review process has been compromised;
- the research was conducted in violation of ethical standards.
Retraction decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief or a delegated editor following investigation and consultation with authors and, where appropriate, external experts.
In cases of retraction:
- the article is clearly marked as “Retracted”;
- the title is updated to indicate “Retraction: [Article Title]”;
- a retraction notice is published with its own DOI and linked to the original article.
Author Withdrawal
Authors may withdraw a manuscript prior to publication by submitting a written request signed by all co-authors, providing a clear explanation. The manuscript will be removed from the editorial system, while authors retain copyright.
Additional Provisions
Paper Mills and Systematic Manipulation
If an article is identified as part of a group of submissions affected by systematic manipulation (e.g., paper mills), the journal may retract the article as part of a broader investigation. Retraction notices will clearly indicate such cases.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Undisclosed use of artificial intelligence tools for generating text, images, or data is considered a serious ethical violation and may result in retraction. Authors must transparently disclose any use of such tools. The journal reserves the right to screen submissions using automated tools, expert review, and author queries.
Authorship Misconduct and Identity Fraud
Articles may be retracted in cases of false authorship, identity misuse (e.g., name, ORCID), or undisclosed or coercive authorship practices.
Expression of Concern
Where serious concerns arise regarding the integrity of a publication but conclusive evidence is not yet available, the journal may issue an Expression of Concern. This notice will be linked to the original article, assigned a DOI, and remain in place until the investigation is completed.
Timeliness of Actions
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions are issued promptly once significant issues are confirmed. If agreement with authors cannot be reached, the journal reserves the right to proceed in order to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Availability of Retracted Articles
Retracted articles remain accessible in the journal archive and databases with clear identification as “Retracted”. Removal of content is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements, privacy concerns, or copyright violations.
