Applicable to all journals published or hosted by Discover STM Publishing Ltd, unless otherwise stated.
At Discover STM Publishing Ltd, we adhere to the highest standards of publication ethics, in alignment with the COPE Principles of Transparency and Best Practice Guidelines and the COPE Code of Conduct. Further details can be accessed here.
As a publisher, we hold a solemn responsibility for the integrity of the publishing process. Our duties encompass various aspects, including but not limited to:
Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
Editorial Board: The editorial board is composed of esteemed experts in the respective field. Their full names, affiliations, and updated contact information are available on the journal's webpage.
Publication Decisions: Editors are entrusted with the responsibility of determining which submitted articles are suitable for publication. This decision is guided by the article's validity, significance to the research community, and adherence to legal requirements, including copyright and plagiarism.
Peer Review Process: All content undergoes a rigorous double-blind peer review. Articles that align with the journal's scope and meet quality standards are sent to two independent experts for evaluation. Referees' assessments, including recommendations, are communicated to the authors.
Fair Play: Evaluation of manuscripts is conducted impartially, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political affiliation.
Digital Archiving: Editors ensure the preservation of digital access to journal content via reputable academic indexes.
Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, divulging information only to the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisors, and the publisher.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts must not be utilized in the editor's own research without explicit written consent from the author. Editors abstain from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest with authors, companies, or institutions are present. Contributors are required to disclose relevant competing interests, and corrections are published if conflicts arise post-publication.
Addressing Unethical Behavior: Reports of unethical behavior are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, even if brought to light years after publication. Editors implement responsive measures, ranging from educational interventions to formal retractions or embargoes, depending on the severity of the misconduct.
Duties and Responsibilities of Authors
Publication and Submission Fee: Detailed fee information is available on the journal's website. Authors seeking waivers must submit requests before manuscript submission.
Open Access Policy: Authors must agree to the open access policy, allowing unrestricted access and reuse of published articles under the Creative Commons CC-BY license.
Reporting Standards: Authors are obliged to provide an accurate account of their work, ensuring transparency and replicability. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are considered unethical.
Data Access and Retention: Authors may be requested to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to grant public access, as feasible. Data should be retained for a reasonable time after publication.
Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure originality and appropriately cite others' work. Plagiarism in any form is considered unethical.
Multiple or Redundant Publication: Authors should not submit the same research to multiple journals concurrently, nor should they submit previously published work to another journal without appropriate citation.
Acknowledgement of Sources: Proper credit must be given to the work of others, whether published or private communication. Authors must seek explicit written permission for private information obtained during confidential services.
Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the study. All significant contributors must be listed as co-authors, and the corresponding author ensures approval of the final manuscript.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that may influence the manuscript's results or interpretation.
Addressing Errors: Authors must promptly notify the editor of significant errors in their published work and cooperate in retractions or corrections.
Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers play a vital role in editorial decisions, assisting authors in improving their work.
Promptness: Referees unable to review promptly should inform the editor.
Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and not share them without authorization.
Objectivity: Reviews should be objective, with clear, supported arguments, avoiding personal criticism.
Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant unpublished work and report any similarity with published papers.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must not use unpublished information for personal research and should disclose conflicts of interest.
This policy applies to all journals published or hosted by Discover STM Publishing Ltd, unless otherwise stated. For more detailed information, refer to the official COPE Principles of Transparency and Best Practice Guidelines, as well as the COPE Code of Conduct.