We follow COPE standards to ensure ethical publishing. Below are the key responsibilities of editors, authors and reviewers to help ensure high ethical standards in publishing.

Editor Responsibilities
• Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for selecting articles for publication based on academic merit, journal scope and ethical standards. Decisions must be free from personal, commercial, or political bias.
• Peer Review: Editors must ensure an objective and timely peer review process, using competent, impartial reviewers and addressing potential conflicts of interest.
• Fairness: All submissions must be evaluated solely on scholarly value, regardless of the authors’ background, race, gender or affiliations.
• Transparency: Editors must clearly communicate submission requirements, review procedures and allow for appeals when necessary.
• Citation Practices: Editors should not attempt to boost journal metrics through coercive citation practices.
• Confidentiality: Editors must treat manuscripts and reviewer identities as confidential and must not use unpublished materials for personal gain.

Reviewer Responsibilities
• Contribution to Decisions: Reviewers assist editors by evaluating manuscripts and offering feedback to improve clarity, rigor and scholarly impact.
• Ethical Review: Reviewers should assess the manuscript thoroughly, check for ethical concerns like plagiarism and verify proper citation of prior work.
• Professional Conduct: Feedback should be respectful, objective, and constructive free of personal bias or attacks.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts, including recent collaborations, shared affiliations, or personal relationships with authors.
• Citation Ethics: Reviewers may suggest citations only if they improve the work, not to boost their own citation count.
• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all materials as confidential and must not use any part of the content for their own research.

Author Responsibilities
• Accurate Reporting: Authors must submit truthful and complete accounts of their research, with data that is reliable and replicable.
• Data Availability: Authors should retain and be prepared to share data upon request in line with journal policies.
• Original Work: Submissions must be original. Proper credit must be given to others’ work through appropriate citation and permissions.
• No Simultaneous Submission: Authors must not submit the same work to more than one journal at the same time.
• Citation Integrity: Citations should be used appropriately to support claims, avoiding excessive or manipulative referencing.
• Confidentiality: Authors must ensure confidentiality of all personal information shared during the publication process.
• Authorship Criteria: Only contributors who made substantial input should be listed as authors. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript.
• Responsibility: Authors are accountable for the integrity and accuracy of their published work.

Misconduct Protocol
Misconduct refers to acts like data falsification, plagiarism, or unauthorized reuse of content. Reports of such violations should be submitted to the editorial board. All complaints will be thoroughly investigated while maintaining confidentiality. Confirmed misconduct may lead to rejection, retraction, bans and institutional notifications. Decisions are communicated clearly and can be appealed with valid justification.

Complaint Resolution Framework
Grievances related to editorial handling, reviews, or journal procedures must be submitted in writing with a proposed solution. Acknowledgment is provided within 10 business days and investigations are conducted fairly. Complainants will receive written feedback on the outcome and appeals may be made within 30 days. All feedback helps inform future improvements.

Conflict of Interest Declaration
Authors, reviewers and editors are required to declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest during the submission and review stages. If conflicts are discovered post-publication, the journal may correct or retract the article. Cases are handled individually and training is provided to prevent future issues.