publication Ethics

General Principles
This journal adheres to the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm they have reviewed and accepted the policies and that their submission complies with the journal’s standards.

Author Affiliations
All authors must provide complete and accurate affiliations. For non-research submissions, the current institution should be listed. If an author changes institutions before publication, the affiliation relevant to the research should be stated along with the current one. Independent scholars must declare their status.

Appeals and Complaints
Appeals against editorial decisions and complaints about the peer review process are handled according to COPE standards. Appeals are welcome when supported by strong evidence or new information that directly addresses editor or reviewer feedback.

Acknowledgments
Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria, as well as organizations providing financial or technical support, must be properly acknowledged.

Authorship
Authorship should only be granted to those who significantly contributed to the research design, execution, analysis, or interpretation, as well as drafting or revising the manuscript. All authors must approve the submitted and final versions. Any changes to authorship require unanimous agreement and formal documentation. Authorship credit is based on three factors: (1) substantial contributions to the study design and analysis, (2) active involvement in writing or revising, and (3) final approval of the manuscript. Order of authorship should reflect the extent of contributions.

Citations
All claims must be supported by relevant, reliable, and recent references, preferably from peer-reviewed sources. Authors should avoid excessive self-citation, citation manipulation, or biased referencing.

Conflicts of Interest
All potential conflicts, financial or otherwise, must be disclosed, including ties to institutions, organizations, or products that could influence the research outcomes.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

• Corrections address errors that do not undermine the overall validity of the article.

• Retractions are issued when results are invalid due to errors or misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication).

• Expressions of Concern are published when investigations into potential issues are ongoing.

• Removals are rare and only occur when legal or ethical violations cannot be resolved through correction or retraction.

Consent for Publication
When a manuscript includes identifiable personal data, written informed consent must be obtained from the individual (or their legal guardian). Consent is also required for minors or deceased individuals via the closest relative. Authors are responsible for securing and archiving consent forms.

Confidentiality
All submissions are treated as confidential and shared only with those involved in the editorial process. If misconduct is suspected, manuscripts may be referred to appropriate bodies for investigation.

Data Integrity
Authors must ensure accuracy and reliability of their data, retain original data, and provide it upon request. Data fabrication or falsification is strictly prohibited.

Desk Rejection Policy
Manuscripts may be rejected without peer review if they fall outside the journal’s scope, contain ethical issues, plagiarism (similarity index above 20%), methodological flaws, lack clarity, or fail to follow submission guidelines.

Duplicate Submission/Publication
Submitting the same work to more than one journal is unethical. Translations or secondary publications are only acceptable with prior permissions and must clearly reference the original work.

Funding Disclosure
All financial support must be disclosed, including the sponsor’s role in the study. Transparency in funding ensures accountability.

Images and Figures
Patient images require consent. Alterations to images must be minimal, clearly described, and must not mislead. Reuse of published images requires permission and proper attribution.

Research Misconduct
Misconduct includes plagiarism, falsification, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, and unethical research practices. Such cases will be investigated following COPE protocols, with sanctions applied as necessary.

Editorial Duties
Editors must ensure fair, objective, and ethical decision-making, maintain confidentiality, and disclose conflicts of interest.

Reviewer Duties
Reviewers must provide objective, constructive feedback, maintain confidentiality, acknowledge relevant sources, and disclose conflicts of interest.

Author Duties
Authors must ensure originality, accurate reporting, proper citation, and transparency about conflicts of interest. They are responsible for correcting significant errors in published work.

Peer Review Process
Manuscripts undergo initial editorial screening followed by single-blind peer review with at least two reviewers. Authors must respond to feedback, after which the editorial board makes a final decision.

Plagiarism Policy
The journal rejects any form of plagiarism or redundant publication. Manuscripts are screened with plagiarism-detection software. Preprints are permitted but must be properly linked after acceptance.

Preprint Policy
Authors may share preprints on repositories (e.g., arXiv). Once published, preprints should link to the final DOI.

Research Ethics
Studies involving humans, animals, or plants must follow international ethical standards and secure proper approvals. Details of approvals must be provided in the manuscript.

Use of Third-Party Material
Permission must be obtained for third-party content not covered under fair use. Proper attribution is always required.

Use of AI in Writing and Review
AI tools may be used only to improve readability and language, under human oversight. They must not replace critical author responsibilities or peer-review judgment. Authors must disclose AI use, but AI cannot be listed as an author. Manuscripts must not be uploaded into AI systems during review to preserve confidentiality.

Commitment to Ethical Standards
Authors, reviewers, and editors must follow COPE, ICMJE, and WAME guidelines. The journal is committed to investigating and addressing all ethical concerns to uphold academic integrity.

Closing Statement
By adhering to these principles, the journal ensures integrity, fairness, and transparency in scholarly publishing, promoting accountability and trust across the research community.