The journal adopts ethical standards aligned with COPE, ICMJE and CSE guidelines.
Editorial Independence and Impartiality
Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and remain independent of institutions, sponsors, and advertisers.
Editors recuse themselves from handling submissions where conflicts of interest exist.
Peer Review (Double-Blind) and Confidentiality
All submissions undergo double-blind peer review.
Review reports are confidential and must not be shared without permission.
Reviewers accept assignments within their expertise and provide timely, evidence-based feedback.
Authorship Criteria and CRediT Statement
Authorship follows ICMJE criteria (substantial contribution, drafting/revision, final approval, accountability).
Contributor roles are disclosed using the CRediT taxonomy.
Acknowledgements and funding are reported transparently.
Originality, Redundancy and Salami Publishing
Submissions must be original; concurrent submissions and redundant/overlapping publications are prohibited.
“Salami slicing” practices are not permitted.
Plagiarism and Research Misconduct
Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and image/data manipulation lead to rejection; if detected post-publication, correction/retraction procedures apply.
Similarity checks are conducted using appropriate software.
Conflicts of Interest and Funding Transparency
Authors, reviewers and editors disclose all financial and personal conflicts.
The role of funders is stated explicitly.
Research Ethics (Human/Animal) and Consent
Human studies require ethics approval and informed consent; privacy/data-protection laws must be observed.
Animal studies must comply with relevant welfare standards.
Clinical trials should be prospectively registered in a recognised registry.
Reporting Standards and Methodological Transparency
Manuscripts should follow appropriate reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE) and ensure reproducibility.
Limitations and potential sources of bias must be disclosed.
Data, Code and Materials Availability
Authors provide a data/code availability statement and, where possible, deposit materials in trusted repositories.
Legal, ethical and commercial restrictions must be clearly stated.
Use of AI and Automated Tools
AI tools cannot be listed as authors; any use must be transparently described in Methods/Contributions.
Fabrication of content, references or data via generative tools is unacceptable; authors retain full responsibility.
Preprints and Versioning
The journal’s stance on preprints is specified in the author guidelines; if permitted, citation and version policies apply.
Authors must notify the editor of substantive preprint updates during review.
Complaints, Appeals and Disputes
Reasoned appeals to editorial decisions may be submitted in writing; all complaints follow COPE flowcharts and are handled transparently.
Corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retractions
Post-publication issues are addressed through errata/corrigenda, expressions of concern, or retractions, with a permanent, transparent record.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Information obtained during submission and peer review is confidential and not used for purposes unrelated to editorial evaluation.
Fees, Sponsorship and Advertising Transparency
If applicable, article processing charges (APCs), sponsorship and advertising policies are disclosed and do not influence editorial decisions.
Language Accuracy and Citation Ethics
References must be accurate, verifiable and relevant; coercive or excessive self-citation practices are not allowed.
Traceability of Editorial Processes
Editorial decisions, revisions and communications are recorded to ensure accountability and auditability.