The editorial board is committed to maintaining ethical conduct throughout the editorial process. The journal adheres and implements ethical publishing standards based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as outlined in the following:
• Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Journal Editors;
• COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers;
• Good Practices in Review Procedures in Science developed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Guidelines for Editorial Board Members
1. Continuous Improvement of Journal Standards
The editorial board makes every effort to improve the journal's standards. This is achieved through collaborations with the Scientific Council, authors, reviewers, readers, as well as academic institutions and publishers.
2. Monitoring Compliance with Ethical Standards
The editorial board ensures adherence to ethical standards in the publication of texts and actively combats practices that deviate from accepted principles.
3. Impartiality and Fair Play
Submitted manuscripts undergo an initial evaluation of content quality and relevance to the journal's scope. This evaluation is objective and is not influenced by the author’s origin, nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or political beliefs.
4. Confidentiality
Editorial members do not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to unauthorized parties. Access is granted only authors, their reviewers, authorized editors, and the publisher. The editorial board ensures that excerpts or information obtained during the review process are not used without the explicit consent of the author.
5. Preventing Conflicts of Interest
The editorial board ensures a fair review process by preventing conflicts of interest. Manuscripts are not assigned to reviewers who have direct professional or personal relationships with the authors that could affect the objectivity of the review.
6. Scientific Integrity
Editorial members strive to ensure that published articles meet the highest scientific standards. In agreement with the author, the editorial team works to eliminate errors, inaccuracies, and editorial deficiencies.
7. Addressing Misconduct and Collaborating in Investigations
In cases of suspected unethical practices (e.g., plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data falsification) or issues such as ghost authorship, guest authorship, or honorary authorship, the editorial board suspends the editorial process and takes appropriate actions.
Guidelines for Authors
1. Originality of Manuscripts
Only original work, not previously published, are eligible for submission. The content must not infringe on third-party copyright. Manuscripts submitted to the editorial board must not be concurrently submitted elsewhere.
2. Authorship of the Article
Authors are those who have made substantial contributions to the manuscript, including conception, research design, data analysis, interpretation of results, and writing. Co-authors must be properly credited, with their contributions detailed in a signed statement.
Authors receive the results of reviews and editorial corrections from the secretary and are obliged to respond to them.
Must declare that they have avoided unethical practices, such as:
• “Ghost writing”: failing to credit individuals who contributed significantly to the manuscript.
• “Ghost authorship” or “honorary authorship”: including individuals as authors who did not contribute meaningfully.
• Plagiarism: copying someone else's work and presenting it as one’s own.
• Self-plagiarism: republishing one's own work or part of it without proper disclosure.
3. Acknowledgments
Contributors who assisted in the development of the manuscript but are not authors may be acknowledged with their consent.
4. Disclosure of Funding Sources
Authors are required to disclose all funding sources and their role in the research and publication process.
5. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors must disclose any significant conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation and interpretation of their article.
6. Scientific Rigor
The author of the text is obligated to accurately describe the conducted research and provide its results. The article should include precise information about the sources used and bibliographic references.
Authors must accurately describe the conducted research and report its findings. Manuscripts must include complete and accurate references and source citations.
Violations of these ethical principles will result in the suspension of the editorial process and rejection of the manuscript.
Constitute grounds for suspending the editorial process and denying publication of the article.
Guidelines for Reviewers
1. Confidentiality
Reviewers must not disclose or se the content of manuscripts for personal purposes. Review outcomes and comments are shared only with the editorial board.
2. Objectivity:
Reviewers should only accept assignments in their areas of expertise. Reviews must be objective, ethical, and aimed solely at enhancing the scientific value of the manuscript.
3. Anonymity
The review process is conducted anonymously (double-blind peer review), ensuring that reviewers do not know the authors and vice versa.
4. Verification of Originality and Ethical Compliance
If a reviewer suspects the manuscript violates ethical standards, particularly in terms of authorship, they must inform the editorial board immediately.
5. Avoiding Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts if they have conflicts of interest with the authors.