Ethical aspects

Ethics Policies

For Authors

  1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure that manuscripts are original and that all sources used are properly cited.

  • Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data manipulation, or fabrication of results is strictly prohibited.

  1. Responsible Authorship

  • All authors listed on the article must meet the authorship criteria defined by COPE.

  • Authorship is limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, analysis, or drafting of the work.

  • All authors must approve the final version and agree to its publication.

  • Any changes to authorship after acceptance require written consent from all co-authors.

  1. Conflicts of Interest

  • Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.

  • If there is no conflict of interest, authors should state in the corresponding section: “Conflicts of interest: none.”

  • If there are conflicts of interest, the authors must declare them in the corresponding section (Conflicts of Interest) and attach the Conflict of Interest Disclosure form provided by the ICMJE (ICMJE COI Form). The information in the disclosure must match that contained in the submitted manuscript.

  1. Research Ethics

  • In studies involving human or animal subjects, compliance with ethical standards, approval by an ethics committee, and informed consent (where applicable) must be explicitly stated.

  1. Correction of Errors

  • If authors discover a significant error in their published article, they are obliged to immediately notify the journal for correction, or, in serious cases, consider retraction.

For Reviewers

  1. Confidentiality

  • Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents. They must not be shared or discussed with third parties without editorial authorization.

  1. Impartiality and Objectivity

  • Reviews must be carried out objectively, with clear and constructive arguments, avoiding personal criticism of the authors.

  1. Detection of Irregularities

  • If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate publication, or any other misconduct, they must immediately report it to the editor.

  1. Conflicts of Interest

  • Reviewers must decline a review if there is a personal, academic, or financial conflict of interest with the authors or the research.

For Editors and Editorial Staff

  1. Responsibility in Editorial Decisions

  • Editors are responsible for deciding which articles are published in the journal, based on scientific quality, originality, relevance, and compliance with ethical standards.

  1. Editorial Independence

  • Decisions will not be influenced by commercial, financial, or other non-scientific considerations.

  1. Handling Misconduct

  • In cases of suspected plagiarism, data manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other ethical violations, editors will follow clear investigative protocols based on COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

  1. Transparency

  • Any correction, expression of concern, or retraction will be published in a visible and accessible manner, linked to the original article.

Corrections and Retractions Policies

Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda)

  • Issued when minor errors (typographical, authorship, formatting) are detected that do not affect the validity of the results but may cause confusion.

  • Corrections are published as a separate notice, linked to the original article, with date and a clear explanation of the amendment.

Expressions of Concern

  • Published when there are well-founded doubts regarding the validity of an article (e.g., suspicion of misconduct), but the investigation is not yet complete.

  • This notice remains visible until the case is resolved.

Retractions

  • Retractions are issued when:

    • The results are unreliable due to unintentional error or misconduct (fabrication, manipulation, plagiarism).

    • The article constitutes duplicate publication.

    • Serious ethical violations are detected (lack of consent, undisclosed conflicts of interest, fraud).

  • Retraction notices are published as separate documents, indexed in databases, and linked to the original article, clearly explaining the reasons.

  • The original article is not removed, except in exceptional cases (see “Removals”).

Removals of Articles

  • Complete removal of a published article is an exceptional measure and only applies when:

    • Its publication infringes legal rights.

    • It contains information that could pose a risk to public health or safety.

  • In these cases, the bibliographic record (title, authors, DOI) is retained, accompanied by a removal notice with the corresponding justification.

General Procedure

  1. Detection: The error or misconduct may be identified by authors, reviewers, readers, or editors.

  2. Investigation: The editorial board will evaluate the situation, consulting, when necessary, with academic institutions or ethics committees.

  3. Resolution:

    • Correction, in the case of minor errors.

    • Expression of Concern, if further investigation is required.

    • Retraction, if the validity of the article is compromised.

    • Removal, if legal or safety reasons exist.

  4. Communication: Any corrective measure will be published in neutral and clear language, linked to the original article, ensuring transparency.

For any inquiries or complaints, please contact: editorial@sciten.org