Publishing Ethics

Our Publication Ethics are based on COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Things to note as an Author are:

Reporting Standards:
Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed and discuss its significance objectively. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the article. Articles must contain sufficient detail and references to enable others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or deliberately inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Storage:
Authors are requested to provide raw data related to the article for editorial review, and must be prepared to provide public access to the data (in accordance with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if possible, and in any case must be prepared to store the data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism:
Authors must ensure that they have written a completely original work, and if they have used the work and/or words of others, this has been properly quoted or cited.

Dual, Repeated, or Simultaneous Publication:  
An author should generally not publish manuscripts describing the same research in more than one journal or major publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously constitutes unethical and unacceptable publishing behavior.  

Acknowledgment of Sources:  
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have influenced the nature of the reported work.

Paper Writing:  
Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. If others have participated in specific substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are listed and that no inappropriate co-authors are included, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to submit it for publication.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest:  
All authors must disclose in their manuscripts any financial or other substantial conflicts of interest that may be considered to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscripts. All sources of financial support for the project must be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works:  
If 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 with the editor to retract or correct the article.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects:  
If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that pose unusual hazards in their use, authors must clearly identify them in the manuscript.