About the Journal

All manuscripts are reviewed by at least two reviewers. Authors are encouraged to suggest up to three reviewers. Final decisions will be made after authors have carried out all of the corrections recommended by the reviewers. Normal turn-around time for evaluation of manuscripts is between five and seven months from the date of receipt. Authors can opt for fast track review for a fee.

3. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

(based on Elsevier policies and COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors)

DUTIES OF AUTHORS

Standards of Reporting

Authors of original research reports should provide an accurate account of the work done as well as an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be accurately represented in the paper. A paper should include enough detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. "Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and are unacceptable." Review and professional publication articles should be accurate and objective, and editorial opinion pieces should be clearly labelled as such.

Access to Data and retention

Authors may be requested to include raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data if possible, and should in any case be ready to preserve such data for a decent period after publication.

Plagiarism and originality

The authors should make sure that their works are completely original, and that if they have used the work and/or words of others, they have properly referenced or quoted them. Plagiarism may take several forms, ranging from 'passing off' another's paper as the author's own, to copying or paraphrasing large portions of another's paper (without attribution), to claiming results from other people's study. Plagiarism, in any form, is immoral publishing behaviour that must be avoided.

Publications that are multiple, redundant or concurrent

In general, an author should not submit manuscripts to more than one journal or primary publication detailing basically the same study. Submitting the same manuscript to several journals at the same time is unethical and unacceptable publishing conduct. In general, an author may not submit a previously published paper for consideration in another journal. Such types of papers (for example, guidelines and translations) may be published in several journals if certain requirements are met. The authors and editors of the concerned journals must consent to the secondary release, which must represent the primary document's data and interpretation. In the secondary publication, the primary reference must be cited.

Source acknowledgement

It is still necessary to give proper credit to others' efforts. Authors should cite publications that influenced the essence of the work they are reporting. Without the source's explicit, written permission, information obtained privately, such as through conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, may not be used or reported. Without the express written consent of the author of the work involved in these services, information gathered in the course of confidential services, such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, cannot be used.

Manuscript Authorship

Only those who made a significant contribution to the study's conception, design, execution, or interpretation should be listed as authors. Co-authors should include someone who has made a substantial contribution (so its mean that manuscript at least have author and co-author). Other authors should be noted or identified as contributors if they have contributed to any substantive aspects of the research project. The corresponding author should make sure that the paper has all acceptable co-authors and no incorrect co-authors, and that all co-authors have seen and accepted the final version of the paper before submitting it for publication. If the work involves the use of substances, processes, or equipment that pose some unusual risks, the author must make this clear in the manuscript.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that could be interpreted as influencing the outcome or analysis of their manuscript should be disclosed by all writers in their manuscript. All sources of funding for the project should be made public. Jobs, consultancies, equity ownership, honoraria, compensated expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding are examples of possible conflicts of interest that should be disclosed. Potential conflicts of interest should be revealed as soon as possible.

Fundamental errors in published works

When an author finds a serious mistake or inaccuracy in his or her own published work, it is the author's responsibility to inform the journal editor or publisher as soon as possible and to comply with the editor in retracting or correcting the article. If a third party informs the editor or publisher that a published work contains a serious mistake, the author must promptly delete or amend the article, or provide proof to the editor that the original paper is correct.

DUTIES OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Publication decisions

A peer-reviewed journal's editor is in charge of deciding the articles should be published in the journal. The validity of the work in question, as well as its relevance to researchers and readers, must always guide such decisions. The editorial board's policy may guide the editor, and the editor may be bound by any applicable legal requirements for libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism at the time. The editor may seek advice from other editors or reviewers while making this decision.

Fair play

An editor must assess manuscripts based on their intellectual material, regardless of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

The corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher, as applicable, are the only people who should know about a manuscript that has been sent to the editor.

Conflicts of interest and disclosure

Without the author's express written permission, unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript cannot be included in an editor's own study. Confidential knowledge or suggestions gained through peer review must be kept private and not used for personal gain. Editors should recuse themselves from reviewing and considering manuscripts in which they have competing, collaborative, or other relationships or associations with some of the authors, firms, or (possibly) organisations associated with the papers (i.e., ask a co-editor, associate editor, or other member of the editorial board to do so instead). All authors should be required to report any applicable competitive interests, and editors should publish corrections if competing interests are discovered after publication. Other reasonable actions, such as the publishing of a retraction or an expression of concern, should be taken if necessary.

Involvement and cooperation in investigations

When an editor receives an ethical complaint about a submitted manuscript or published article, he or she may work with the publisher to take reasonable action (or society). Such steps will typically include contacting the manuscript or paper's author and giving due consideration to the respective complaint or statements made, but may also require additional correspondence to appropriate organisations and research bodies, and, if the complaint is upheld, the publishing of a correction, retraction, statement of concern, or other relevant notice. Even if it is discovered years after publication, any alleged act of unethical publishing activity must be investigated.

DUTIES OF REVIEWERS

Contribution to editorial decisions

Peer review supports the writer in making editorial decisions, and it can also assist the author in developing the paper by editorial correspondence with the author. Peer review is an important part of formal academic correspondence and is central to the scientific process.

Promptness

Any appointed referee who believes he or she is unqualified to review the research stated in a manuscript or recognizes that timely review is unlikely should inform the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts submitted for approval must be considered as private records. They must not be shown to or shared with someone else unless the editor has given permission.

Standards of objectivity

Reviews should be carried out with a degree of objectivity. It is not permissible to criticise the author personally. Referees should express their opinions clearly and with evidence to back them up.

Source acknowledgement

Reviewers should look for similar published work that the writers have not mentioned. The claim that an observation, derivation, or argument has previously been published should be followed by a citation. Every significant resemblance or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper about which the reviewer has personal knowledge should be brought to the editor's attention.

Disclosure and conflict of interest

Without the author's express written permission, unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript cannot be included in a reviewer's own study. Confidential knowledge or suggestions gained through peer review must be kept private and not used for personal gain. Reviewers should avoid considering manuscripts in which they have competing, collaborative, or other partnerships or associations with any of the writers, businesses, or organisations associated with the papers.

4. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

5. ARCHIVING

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.

6. ADVERTISING POLICY

The journal accepts online advertising.

7. PUBLICATION FREQUENCY

The journal is published twice a year in July and December.