Ethics and Policies

Scientific Research Review (SRR) is committed to the highest standards of scientific integrity, transparency, and responsible publishing. The journal adheres to internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing and aligns with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice, and standards required by major indexing services including Scopus and Web of Science.

These policies apply to authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

1. Publication Ethics and Scientific Integrity

SRR is dedicated to ensuring that all published research is:

  • Original, technically sound, and scientifically rigorous

  • Conducted and reported ethically and transparently

  • Reproducible and verifiable

  • Free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or citation manipulation

Scientific misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts and may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.

2. Authorship and Contributorship

2.1 Authorship Criteria

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to:

  • The conception or design of the work; or

  • Data acquisition, modelling, analysis, or interpretation; and

  • Drafting or critically revising the manuscript; and

  • Approval of the final version prior to submission

All authors must agree to submission and accept responsibility for the integrity of the work.

Authors are encouraged to include a contributorship statement specifying individual roles.

2.2 Unacceptable Authorship Practices

SRR strictly prohibits:

  • Ghost authorship

  • Gift or honorary authorship

  • Undisclosed use of third-party writing services

  • Authorship changes after submission without written consent from all authors and editorial approval

3. Plagiarism, Redundant Publication, and Originality

All submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.

SRR screens manuscripts using plagiarism detection software.

Plagiarism includes:

  • Verbatim copying without citation

  • Inadequate paraphrasing

  • Self-plagiarism or redundant publication

  • Duplicate submission

  • Reuse of figures or data without proper attribution

Confirmed violations may result in rejection, retraction, and notification of affiliated institutions where appropriate.

4. Data Integrity, Reproducibility, and Transparency

Authors must:

  • Accurately report methods, data, and findings

  • Avoid fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or image manipulation

  • Retain raw data for a reasonable period after publication

  • Provide a Data Availability Statement

For computational and modelling research, authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • Provide code repositories

  • Disclose software versions and computational environments

  • Share datasets where legally and ethically permissible

Where data cannot be shared, justified restrictions must be clearly stated.

Reproducibility is a core expectation for publication.

5. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of AI tools (e.g., for language editing, coding assistance, statistical modelling, or data processing) must be fully disclosed in the manuscript.

AI tools:

  • May assist but must not replace scholarly judgment

  • Cannot be listed as authors

  • Must not generate fabricated data, results, or citations

  • Must not compromise confidentiality

Failure to disclose significant AI involvement may result in rejection or retraction.

6. Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

Research involving human participants must:

  • Comply with institutional and national ethical standards

  • Obtain prior approval from a recognized ethics committee (where applicable)

  • Ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity

Research involving animals must comply with recognized welfare standards and ethical approval requirements.

Ethical approval details must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

7. Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence research or editorial decisions.

Examples include:

  • Research funding or sponsorship

  • Employment, consultancy, or advisory roles

  • Personal or institutional relationships

  • Intellectual property interests

Declared conflicts are assessed by the editorial team to ensure transparency and fairness.

8. Peer Review Policy

SRR operates a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

Review Process

  • At least two independent expert reviewers evaluate each manuscript

  • Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise

  • Review reports remain confidential

  • Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective and evidence-based evaluations

  • Maintain confidentiality

  • Declare conflicts of interest

  • Report suspected ethical concerns

The integrity of peer review is central to journal quality.

9. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making impartial, independent, and evidence-based decisions

  • Ensuring confidentiality of submissions

  • Managing conflicts of interest

  • Upholding scientific and ethical standards

  • Addressing allegations of misconduct

Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, technical soundness, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

10. Open Access Policy

SRR is a fully open-access journal.

  • All published content is freely accessible immediately upon publication

  • No subscription barriers are imposed

The journal operates under a transparent Article Processing Charge (APC) model.

If applicable:

  • The APC amount is clearly stated on the journal website

  • Waivers or discounts may be considered for authors from low-income countries or under special circumstances

Editorial decisions are made independently of APC considerations.

11. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License.

This permits sharing and adaptation of the work with appropriate attribution.

12. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

SRR maintains the integrity of the scholarly record through:

  • Corrections for minor errors

  • Retractions for serious ethical breaches or unreliable findings

  • Expressions of Concern where investigations are ongoing

All actions are guided by COPE recommendations and are transparently documented.

Retractions remain permanently linked to the original article.

13. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request to the Editor-in-Chief.

Appeals must:

  • Address specific scientific or procedural concerns

  • Provide supporting justification

Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or ethics are handled confidentially and impartially.

14. Archiving and Digital Preservation

To ensure long-term accessibility and preservation:

  • All articles are assigned DOIs

  • Metadata is registered with recognized indexing systems

  • The journal participates in digital archiving initiatives (e.g., PKP Preservation Network or equivalent)

Published content remains accessible even in the event of journal discontinuation.

15. Advertising and Sponsorship

SRR maintains strict editorial independence.

  • Advertising or sponsorship arrangements, if any, must not influence editorial decisions

  • Sponsored content must be clearly identified

  • Scientific content remains independent of commercial interests

16. Compliance with International Standards

SRR aligns with:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) principles

  • DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice

  • International standards for research integrity

  • Indexing requirements of major citation databases

The journal regularly reviews and updates its policies to maintain compliance with evolving global publishing standards.