Scholarena requires all authors, editors, and reviewers to adhere to the ethical standards set out by COPE, ICMJE, STM, and WAME.
The editor is responsible for deciding which submitted papers will be published. Decisions are based on the paper's importance, originality, clarity, and the validity and relevance of the study to the journal's scope. Copyright infringement and plagiarism are also considered.
The editor evaluates manuscripts without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Editors and editorial staff do not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted paper will not be used by the editor or members of the editorial board for their own research without the author's clear written consent.
Reviewers assist the editor and editorial board in making editorial decisions and may help the author improve the quality of the paper.
Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript must notify the editor immediately and withdraw from the review process.
Manuscripts received for review are treated as confidential documents. They must not be disclosed to or discussed with others except as authorised by the editor. Reviewers cannot use them for their own research without the author's clear written consent.
Reviews are conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited, and notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Information obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
Authors present accurate details of the work performed along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be represented accurately. The paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.
Authors should be able to provide raw data of their study together with the paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to make the data publicly available. Authors should ensure accessibility of such data for at least ten years after publication (preferably via an institutional or subject-based data repository).
Authors submit only entirely original works and appropriately cite or quote the work and/or words of others. Publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work should also be cited.
Submitting the same paper to more than one journal constitutes unethical behaviour and is unacceptable. Papers describing essentially the same research should not be published in more than one journal.
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author ensures all contributing co-authors and no uninvolved persons are included.
All authors disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that may be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate to retract or correct the paper via an erratum.
