Publication Ethics (Based on Elsevier recommendations and COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors)

Ethical guidelines for journal publication

Duties of authors

Reporting standards

Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. Review and professional publication articles should also be accurate and objective, and editorial 'opinion' works should be identified as such.

Data access and retention

Authors may be asked to provide the raw data with a paper for editorial review. They should, in any event, be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and plagiarism

The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works and if the authors have used the work or words of others, this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism takes many forms, from 'passing off' another's paper as the author's paper, copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another's paper (without attribution), and claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Publications that are duplicated, redundant, or concurrent

In general, an author should avoid publishing manuscripts that essentially describe the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is unethical and unacceptable publishing behavior. In general, an author should not submit a previously published paper for consideration in another journal.

Source citations

Appropriate acknowledgment of others' work must always be given. Authors should cite publications that influenced the reported work's nature. Without the source's explicit, written permission, information obtained privately, such as through conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported. Without the author's explicit written permission of the work involved in these services, information obtained during confidential services such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications may not be used.

The paper's authorship

Authorship should be restricted to those who substantially contributed to the study's conception, design, execution, or interpretation. Co-authors should include everyone who made a significant contribution. Where others have contributed to the research project's substantive aspects, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have consented to its publication.

 

Dangerous substances and human or animal subjects

If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that contain any unusual hazards, the author must identify them in the manuscript. Suppose the work involves the use of animals or humans. In that case, the author should ensure that the manuscript includes a statement stating that all procedures were carried out under applicable laws and institutional guidelines and were approved by the appropriate institutional committee(s). The authors should include a statement in the manuscript stating that informed consent was obtained for human subject experimentation. Human subjects' privacy rights must always be respected.

Conflicts of interest and disclosure

All authors should disclose any financial or another material conflict of interest that could be construed as influencing the results or interpretation of their manuscript in their manuscript. All funding sources for the project should be disclosed. Employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding are all examples of potential conflicts of interest that should be disclosed. Conflicts of interest should be disclosed as soon as possible.

Errors fundamental to published works

When an author discovers a material error or inaccuracy in his or her published work, it is the author's responsibility to notify the journal editor or publisher promptly and cooperate with the editor in retracting or correcting the paper. Suppose an editor or publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error. In that case, the author must promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor establishing the original paper's correctness.

Editors' responsibilities

Decisions regarding publication

The editor of a peer-reviewed journal is responsible for deciding which articles should be published in the journal, frequently collaborating with the relevant society (for society-owned or sponsored journals). Such decisions must always be motivated by validating the work in question and its significance to researchers and readers. The editor may be guided by the journal's editorial policies and constrained by any applicable legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism at the time. This decision may be made in consultation with other editors, reviewers, or society officers.

Honesty

Without regard for the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy, an editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content.

Confidentiality

As applicable, the editor and any editorial staff are not permitted to disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher

Conflicts of interest and disclosure

Without the author's express written consent, an editor may not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for his or her research. Peer-reviewed information and ideas must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Editors should recuse themselves from reviewing and considering manuscripts in which they have competing, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions associated with the papers. Editors should require all contributors to disclose material competing interests and to publish corrections in the event of a conflict.