Reporting Standards

Authors must present an accurate account of the original research performed, along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately and, where applicable, be made available upon reasonable request.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted work is entirely original, and if the work or words of others have been used, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently, nor publish papers describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Proper acknowledgement of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of the Manuscript

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All contributors who meet the authorship criteria must be listed as co-authors, and those who do not meet the criteria should be listed in the acknowledgements.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate to retract or correct the paper.

Ethical Approval and Human/Animal Subjects

Research involving human participants or animal subjects must comply with relevant institutional and national ethical guidelines. Authors must state that appropriate ethics committee/institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained, where applicable.

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists the Editor-in-Chief in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communications with the author, may also assist the author in improving the manuscript.

Promptness

Any reviewer who feels unqualified to review the assigned manuscript, or knows that a prompt review will be impossible, should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process.

Confidentiality

Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document and must not be shown to or discussed with others, except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors, and should call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and any other published paper.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the manuscript.

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts should be published, guided by the editorial board and constrained by legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.

Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

Editors should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints are presented concerning a submitted manuscript or a published paper, including pursuing retraction, correction, or clarification as appropriate, in coordination with the publisher.