Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics

Authors are expected to observe the standards of academic integrity, including accurate citation and acknowledgment of sources. Where applicable, the title page must state the ethics approval (see Title Page Statements), and the manuscript must describe the ethical treatment of human and animal research participants and the gathering of informed consent. All conflicts of interest, or none, must be declared on submission. Manuscripts must not contain defamatory or otherwise unlawful statements. Reviewers assess manuscripts objectively and confidentially and declare any conflict of interest. Editors decide on the basis of scholarly merit alone, keep all submissions confidential, and do not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. The publishers support the editors in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and do not interfere in editorial decisions. Suspected misconduct, such as plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, citation manipulation, duplicate publication, or undisclosed conflicts of interest, is handled in accordance with COPE guidance and may lead to rejection, correction, or retraction. The journal follows the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing of COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME (https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/).

Sources and Data

Authors should cite primary and archival sources in a way that allows readers to locate them. Where an article relies on unpublished documents, interviews, or data, the author should state where and under what conditions these materials can be consulted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI tools cannot be credited as authors, since they cannot take responsibility for the work, and they cannot be cited as sources. Generative AI may not be used to produce or rewrite the content of a manuscript, including its arguments, analyses, and images. AI-assisted translations of sources are permitted only if they are disclosed on the title page and verified by the author. AI-assisted tools may also be used for language correction (spelling, grammar, and style), provided they do not change the content or meaning of the text; any such use beyond standard spelling and grammar checkers must be disclosed on the title page, stating the tool and its purpose. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the entire manuscript, including all quotations, translations, and references. Reviewers and editors may not upload manuscripts, or any part of them, to AI tools, or use such tools to write reviews or editorial decisions. The journal does not use AI tools to assess manuscripts or to make editorial decisions. Any automated tool used in the editorial process, such as a similarity check, is named in the journal’s editorial policies, and its results are always verified by an editor.

Related Policies

Authorship: Author Guidelines

Peer review: Peer Review

Complaints and appeals: Editorial Policies

Corrections and retractions: Editorial Policies

Post-publication discussion: Editorial Policies

Plagiarism: Editorial Policies

Intellectual property and licensing: Copyright & Licensing