PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT
It is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer and the publisher. Our ethic statements are based on Elsevier recommendations and COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
Duties of Editors
Duties of Reviewers
Duties of Authors
Duties of Publisher
Duties of Editors
Editors of ‘Aster Publications’ oversees the entire editorial and publishing process. They work together with different groups of people to sustain the integrity of the scientific literature and has full authority for determining the editorial content of the journal.
Fairness and Impartiality: Editors should strive for fairness and impartiality in their policies. It is the responsibility of an editor to maintain the journal’s ethical integrity by having systems to avoid publishing fraudulent materials (and responding quickly if any are identified), avoiding conflict of interest or other ethical problems within the editorial (or publishing) team, and ensuring that its reviewing and acceptance system is unbiased.
Confidentiality: The editor and any editorial staff should protect the confidentiality of every author’s work. Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
Duties of Reviewers
Reviewers have a tremendous impact on overall journal quality and can sometimes even provide new information and insights. Review of articles takes place after a manuscript is submitted to the journal.
Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and not used for personal advantage. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Contribution to Editorial Decision: Reviewers’ comments should be constructive, honest, polite and helpful in enriching the contents and improvement of the manuscript. Editor's decision on the manuscript is substantially based on the review comments submitted. A Reviewer should see and ensure that worthy information/knowledge should reach the audience accurately.
Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgment of Sources: A reviewer should call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Conflict of Interest: Peer reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the manuscripts.
Duties of Authors
Peer review provides authors with the opportunity to improve and promote the quality of their manuscripts.
Originality and Plagiarism: The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be 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, who takes the primary responsibility for communication with the journal should be available throughout the submission and peer review process to respond to editorial queries in a timely way.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Duties of Publisher
At Aster Publications, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We strive to ensure integrity, transparency, and fairness in all aspects of our publishing operations. Our principles include:
- Ethical Oversight: We adhere to ethical guidelines and standards established by reputable organizations such as COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and follow industry best practices.
- Peer Review Integrity: We maintain rigorous peer review processes to evaluate the scholarly merit and ethical integrity of submitted manuscripts. Peer reviewers are selected based on expertise, impartiality, and confidentiality.
- Plagiarism and Copyright: We do not tolerate plagiarism or any form of academic misconduct. Authors must ensure their work is original and properly attributed. Copyright policies are clearly communicated and respected.
- Data Integrity: We encourage transparency in data reporting and require authors to provide accurate and complete data. Fraudulent or fabricated data is strictly prohibited.
- Conflicts of Interest: Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could potentially influence their decisions or work. These disclosures are handled confidentially and responsibly.
- Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical guidelines. Editorial boards operate independently from commercial interests.
- Corrections and Retractions: We uphold the responsibility to correct errors promptly and fairly. In cases of serious ethical concerns or misconduct, articles may be retracted following established guidelines.
- Reviewer Recognition: We acknowledge the valuable contributions of peer reviewers and uphold their anonymity, unless they opt for open peer review.
- Continuous Improvement: We are committed to regularly reviewing and updating our publication ethics policies to align with evolving standards and practices in academic publishing.
