Journals published on jrnls.org follow the core practices and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This statement sets out what we expect of everyone involved in publishing an article: authors, reviewers, editors and the publisher.
Responsibilities of authors
- Originality: Submit only original work that has not been published and is not under consideration elsewhere, and cite or quote every source you use.
- No redundant publication: Do not publish the same research in more than one journal. Redundant publication may lead to rejection or retraction.
- Accurate reporting: Report your methods and results honestly and in enough detail for others to repeat the work. Fabricated, falsified or manipulated data, including images, is serious misconduct.
- Authorship: List as authors only those who made a substantial contribution, and acknowledge everyone else who helped. The corresponding author makes sure all co-authors have approved the final version.
- Disclosure: Declare all funding and any conflict of interest, and report ethics approval and informed consent where they apply.
- Permissions: Obtain permission to reproduce any material you do not hold the rights to.
- Errors: If you find a significant error in your published article, tell the editors promptly and help correct or retract it.
Responsibilities of reviewers
- Review only manuscripts within your expertise that you can review in time, and decline when you have a conflict of interest.
- Treat every manuscript as a confidential document; do not share it or use its contents for personal advantage.
- Judge the work objectively, give clear reasons for your recommendations and avoid personal criticism of the authors.
- Tell the editor about any substantial similarity to other published work and any ethical concern about the research.
Responsibilities of editors
- Decide on manuscripts on the basis of their importance, originality, clarity and fit with the journal's scope, and nothing else, without regard to the authors' race, gender, religion, nationality or political views.
- Keep information about submitted manuscripts confidential, sharing it only with the authors, reviewers and editorial board as needed, and protect the anonymity of the review process.
- Do not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest, and never use unpublished material for their own research.
- Make sure research involving people or animals has the required ethics approval, and ask the authors for evidence where needed.
- Respond to suspected misconduct following COPE's guidance, and publish corrections, retractions or expressions of concern when needed.
Responsibilities of the publisher
- Keep editorial decisions independent of commercial interests.
- Support editors in investigating suspected misconduct and in publishing corrections and retractions.
- Keep the published record available and accurate, with clear notices for any correction or retraction.
Reporting misconduct
Anyone can raise a concern about plagiarism, data manipulation, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts or any other suspected misconduct, in a submitted manuscript or a published article. Write to us through the Contact Us page with the article details and the reason for your concern. Every report is investigated confidentially, following COPE's flowcharts.