Author Responsibilities

Authors must not contact individuals involved in the evaluation process during or before the manuscript evaluation.
They are expected to carefully consider the list and order of authors before submission and to provide a definitive list at the time of the original submission. Only individuals who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors. No author names may be added after submission. Those who have contributed to certain aspects of the paper (e.g., language editing or technical support) should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.

If there is any conflict of interest regarding the study, the procedures outlined under the Conflict of Interest policy must be followed.

Articles submitted to this journal must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. Citations from other sources must be clearly indicated. Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original, and if the work of others has been used, it must be appropriately cited and/or permission must be obtained.

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Private information or communications may not be used without explicit written permission from the source.

Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable. This includes copying or paraphrasing substantial portions of another’s work or presenting others’ results as one’s own.

Authors may be required to provide raw data during the review process. They are also responsible for obtaining necessary permissions from relevant individuals or institutions.

Manuscripts must not be submitted to more than one journal simultaneously. If the work involves human or animal subjects, it must comply with relevant institutional and legal guidelines. Statements confirming ethical approval and informed consent must be included.

Authors must follow ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki for human studies and the ARRIVE guidelines for animal research. Written consents for case details or personal information must be retained and available upon request by this journal.

Conflicts of interest, as defined by WAME, must be disclosed, including all financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the work. Funding sources and their roles in the research must be clearly disclosed. If none, this must also be stated.

When an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in the correction or retraction process.

Ethical Appropriateness Checklist

• Have you obtained official permissions for data collection/use?

• Have you received copyright permissions for any copyrighted materials used?

• Have you appropriately cited all external data, tools, and procedures?

• Have you obtained consent letters from participants or are ready to respond to editorial inquiries?

• Have you followed ethical procedures for animal research (if applicable)?

• Have you protected the confidentiality and safety of your participants?

• Have all listed authors agreed to the final manuscript?

Editor’s Responsibilities

Editors are solely responsible for deciding which submitted articles are to be published. Decisions are guided by the editorial policies of the journal and relevant legal requirements. Editors may consult reviewers and other editors when necessary.

This journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

The peer review process is managed fairly, impartially, and promptly. Editors select qualified, unbiased reviewers and ensure manuscripts are evaluated on academic merit alone. Reviewers’ identities remain confidential.

Editors must not influence metrics by requiring citation of their own works or journal content unless academically justified. They must protect the confidentiality of all submissions and use submitted material only with author consent.

Editors must declare conflicts of interest to the publisher. Editors cannot be involved in decisions on their own submissions or those of close associates. These submissions must undergo independent peer review.

Editors must act on evidence of misconduct, support corrections or retractions where needed, and ensure editorial records are properly stored.

Reviewer’s Responsibilities

Reviewers must accept assignments only for manuscripts relevant to their expertise and must not know the identity of the authors. If they become aware of the author’s identity, they must withdraw from the review.

Reviews must be conducted objectively and confidentially. Personal criticism is inappropriate. Reviewer recommendations for citations must be scientifically justified.

If a reviewer perceives a conflict of interest, they must decline the review and notify the editor. Reviewers must not use information from unpublished manuscripts for personal gain.

Review decisions should be based on the content, not the authors’ personal attributes. Reviewers must maintain a constructive tone and meet deadlines.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

The publisher supports the autonomy of the editorial team and guarantees their independence in decision-making. The publisher owns the copyright of published content and maintains archival responsibility.

It ensures the integrity of the publication process by preventing plagiarism and misconduct. The publisher supports ethical publishing by promoting COPE membership and ensuring compliance with best practices across all roles