Publication Ethics

Science Transactions and Aligned Journals

Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

Science Transactions and its aligned journals are committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and take all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement is based on the guidelines and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics. 

All parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—are expected to adhere to these ethical standards.

Duties of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. Any use of others’ work must be properly cited. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting previously published work without proper disclosure is unethical.

Data Access and Retention

Authors should retain raw data related to their manuscript and provide access if requested for editorial review.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the research. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.

Ethical Approval

Where applicable, authors must provide evidence of ethical approval for studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data.

Use of AI Tools

If AI tools are used, authors must ensure:

  • Transparency in disclosure
  • Human oversight and responsibility
  • No plagiarism or fabricated content

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts should be published based on validity, significance, and originality.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

Confidentiality

Editors must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Handling Misconduct

Editors must take appropriate action when ethical concerns arise, including corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.

Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive feedback and without personal criticism.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Duties of the Publisher

Ethical Oversight

Science Transactions ensures that editorial decisions are independent of commercial interests.

Handling Misconduct

The publisher, in collaboration with editors, will take appropriate action in cases of:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Citation manipulation
  • Ethical violations

Publication Misconduct

Examples of misconduct include:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate publication
  • Improper authorship
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Appropriate actions may include:

  • Manuscript rejection
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Notification to institutions or funding bodies

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or lodge complaints regarding the editorial process. All complaints will be handled fairly and transparently.

Retraction and Corrections Policy

Science Transactions follows COPE guidelines for:

  • Retractions in cases of major ethical violations
  • Corrections for minor errors
  • Expressions of concern when investigations are ongoing

Archiving and Integrity

Published content is preserved to ensure long-term accessibility and integrity of scholarly records.

Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in sanctions, including bans on future submissions.

Contact Information

For ethical concerns or misconduct reporting, contact:

Science Transactions
Email: info@sciencetransactions.com; sciencetransactions@gmail.com
Website: https://sciencetransactions.com