To uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scientific publishing, the Editorial Board establishes this Publication Ethics Policy, which applies to all authors, reviewers, and editors. This policy is aligned with internationally recognized best practices and aims to ensure that every published work adheres to the highest standards of scientific rigor and ethical conduct. The following five core principles must be observed throughout all stages of the publication process:
No Simultaneous Submissions
Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is strictly prohibited. Such a practice disrupts the peer-review process, causes unnecessary duplication of editorial work, and may lead to copyright infringement. Authors must declare that the submitted manuscript is not under consideration or review by any other journal, either in whole or in part.
No Duplicate Publication
Republishing the same manuscript or one that substantially overlaps with a previously published work without proper disclosure is strictly prohibited. Duplicate publication misleads readers, may distort the evidence in scientific literature (including meta-analyses), and undermines the credibility of research. Manuscripts must be original, not previously published, and all related publications must be fully disclosed and explicitly cited.
Preprint Posting Policy
Authors are allowed to post a preprint version of their manuscript before or during the submission process, provided that full transparency is maintained. Each preprint version must be disclosed at the time of submission and updated with the final publication details once the article is published. The existence of a preprint does not influence the editorial decision, as long as transparency and honesty are properly maintained.
Acceptable Secondary or Translated Publication
A secondary or translated publication of a previously published article is permitted only if the following conditions are met:
- It is intended for a different audience,
- Permission has been obtained from the original publisher, and
- A clear reference to the original version is provided.
The secondary publication must faithfully preserve the scientific content of the original article and must not mislead readers into believing it represents a new or original work.
Multiple Papers from the Same Dataset
Publications that utilize the same dataset in multiple articles must demonstrate distinct and significant scientific contributions in each manuscript. Excessive fragmentation of data (salami publication) that does not provide new value is considered unethical. Authors are required to disclose all other publications derived from the same or related datasets and to clearly explain the novelty and added value of the submitted manuscript.
Enforcement and Sanctions
In the event of a violation of the above principles, the following sanctions may be imposed:
- Rejection of the manuscript or cancellation of publication,
- Retraction of the article if it has already been published,
- Notification to the author’s affiliated institution, and/or
- Suspension of the author’s submission privileges for a specified period.