At Applied Data Science and Analysis (ADSA), we prioritize integrity, transparency, and professionalism in academic publishing. This Ethics Policy outlines the fundamental principles and guidelines that shape our editorial and publishing practices, ensuring a reliable and accountable scholarly environment.

Applied Data Science and Analysis (ADSA) strictly follows the ethical standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have thoroughly reviewed and accepted its content, ensuring full compliance with the journal's policies and ethical guidelines.

Affiliations

All authors must provide a complete and accurate list of their affiliations to properly acknowledge the institutions or organizations that played a role in approving, funding, or conducting the research.

• For non-research articles, authors should include their current institutional affiliation.
• If an author has changed institutions before publication, they must list the affiliation relevant to the research while also indicating their current one.
• Authors who are not currently affiliated with any institution should clearly state their independent status.

Appeals and Complaints

Applied Data Science and Analysis (ADSA) follows the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling appeals and complaints related to editorial decisions or the peer review process.

Authors may submit an appeal if they can provide substantial evidence or new data addressing the feedback from the editors and reviewers. The editorial team ensures that all appeals are handled fairly and transparently.

To submit an appeal or lodge a complaint, please contact us at appeals@mesopotamian.press.

Acknowledgments

Contributions to the research that do not meet authorship criteria should be properly acknowledged. This includes financial support, technical assistance, or editorial contributions.

For further guidance, authors may refer to the COPE Guidelines.

Authorship

General Guidelines

Authorship is a key aspect of academic integrity, ensuring that credit is appropriately assigned to those who have made significant contributions to the research.

To qualify for authorship, individuals must meet all of the following criteria:

• Made a substantial contribution to the research, such as conceptualization, study design, execution, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
• Actively participated in drafting, writing, revising, or critically reviewing the manuscript.
• Took part in the decision to submit the manuscript to Applied Data Science and Analysis (ADSA).
• Reviewed and approved all versions of the manuscript, including the final accepted version and any required modifications during proofreading.
• Agreed to take responsibility for the work’s accuracy and integrity and are prepared to address any post-publication inquiries.

Changes to Authorship

Any modifications to the list of authors—whether before or after publication—must be agreed upon by all involved parties, including those being added or removed. The corresponding author is responsible for securing consent from all co-authors and providing a justification for the change. Authors must also submit a completed Change of Authorship Form along with their request.

For post-publication changes, corrections will be issued via official notifications. Major alterations to authorship after acceptance may be rejected unless accompanied by strong justifications and supporting evidence of the contributions made by the affected authors.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit is based solely on meaningful contributions in the following areas:

• Study Design and Data Analysis – Participation in conceptualizing the study, designing the research, collecting data, and analyzing results.
• Manuscript Preparation – Involvement in drafting the manuscript or making substantial revisions that enhance its intellectual content.
• Final Approval – Review and approval of the manuscript’s final version before publication.

Simply obtaining funding, collecting data, or providing general supervision does not qualify an individual for authorship. All listed authors must have made significant contributions that justify public accountability for their respective roles.

The order of authorship should reflect the relative contributions of each individual to the research and manuscript. Any requested changes to the author sequence after submission must be approved by all co-authors. Applied Data Science and Analysis (ADSA) may limit the number of authors based on manuscript type, scope, and institutional affiliations. If the number of authors exceeds these limits, a detailed justification must be provided.

Contribution Details

To ensure transparency and accountability, each contributor’s role should be clearly defined in one or more of the following categories:

• Conceptualization and study design
• Definition of intellectual content
• Literature review
• Clinical or experimental studies
• Data collection
• Data and statistical analysis
• Manuscript writing
• Editing and review

This process ensures that all contributors receive proper recognition for their work.

 

Citations

To support claims in both research and non-research articles, authors must provide citations to relevant, current, and reliable sources, with a focus on peer-reviewed literature.

Excessive or inappropriate self-citation must be avoided, and authors should not engage in prearranged agreements with other authors to cite each other's work improperly. Such practices are classified as citation manipulation and are considered unethical. Authors can consult the COPE guidelines for further guidance on citation manipulation.

Non-Research Articles

For non-research articles such as reviews or opinion pieces, references must be pertinent and provide a comprehensive, balanced overview of the existing scholarly work on the topic. Fairness in citation practices is essential, and authors should avoid showing bias towards any particular research group, organization, or journal.

Uncertain Sources

If authors are unsure whether a source should be cited, they should seek clarification from the journal’s editorial office.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest related to the publication of their manuscript. This includes affiliations with institutions or products mentioned in the manuscript that could influence the study's conclusions. Authors must also declare any conflicts of interest involving competing products referenced in their work. Both authors and reviewers must complete the Conflict of Interest Form.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

Corrections

A Correction Notice will be issued when errors or omissions are discovered that may affect the interpretation of an article but do not undermine its scholarly integrity. Examples include incorrect graphical representations, missing funding information, or undeclared conflicts of interest.

There are two types of correction notices used by the journal:

• Corrigendum: Used to correct mistakes made by the authors.
• Erratum: Used to correct mistakes made by the publisher.

Retractions

A Retraction Notice is published when significant errors, such as flaws in methodology or analysis, invalidate the article’s conclusions. Retractions also apply to cases of research or publication misconduct, including:

• Research conducted without proper ethical approvals.
• Data fabrication or manipulation.
• Plagiarism.
• Duplicate publication.

Retraction decisions are made in line with COPE guidelines. Authors or institutions may request a retraction when justified. All retractions follow these principles:

• The retraction is clearly linked to the original article, and vice versa.
• The original article will be marked "Retracted" in both HTML and PDF formats.
• The reasons for the retraction will be transparently provided.
• The individuals or entities requesting the retraction (e.g., authors, editors) will be identified.

Retractions aim to correct the scholarly record and maintain its integrity, not to punish authors. Authorship disputes are typically resolved through a corrigendum rather than a retraction. For assistance with authorship disputes, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern is issued when significant concerns, such as suspected misconduct, arise but cannot be conclusively resolved immediately or require a lengthy investigation due to their complexity. After the investigation is concluded, the expression may result in either a Retraction or a Correction Notice, both of which will remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

For any inquiries about such cases, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Removals

In rare cases, a Removal Notice may be issued when neither a Retraction nor a Correction can adequately address the issue. This typically applies when the content is defamatory, violates legal rights, or is subject to a court order. In such cases, a removal notification will replace the article.

Consent for Publication

When including specific information or images of an individual in a manuscript, obtaining written informed consent is required. For individuals under 18, consent must be given by a parent or legal guardian. The consent must also include permission to publish the information under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, ensuring that the information will be publicly accessible online. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from their closest living relative before publication. The manuscript must confirm that written informed consent has been obtained for publication.

Authors may use a consent form provided by their institution or jurisdiction or utilize one designed specifically for this purpose. The consent form must explicitly state that the information and images will be publicly accessible online without restrictions. Authors should be ready to submit the consent form to the Editor upon request, where it will be kept confidential.

Consent Responsibility

Authors are entirely responsible for obtaining and securely storing patient consent forms before publication. These forms should not be submitted with the manuscript or sent to the journal’s editorial or publisher offices via email.

This policy ensures that ethical publication standards are upheld while protecting patient privacy.

Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential. The journal enforces strict confidentiality measures to protect the privacy of the submitted papers, limiting access to those directly involved in the review and publication process, including the editorial team, corresponding authors, potential reviewers, assigned reviewers, and editors.

If any misconduct is suspected, the manuscript may be shared with the journal’s ethical committees or relevant organizations to facilitate an investigation, following the COPE flowcharts, where applicable.

This confidentiality policy is essential for maintaining trust, ensuring the integrity of the publishing process, and upholding copyright and ethical standards.

Data Falsification/Fabrication

Data falsification or fabrication involves deliberately manipulating or inventing data to mislead others. Such practices are severe academic misconduct, undermining the integrity of the academic record and having significant consequences.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of all data presented in their manuscripts before submission, making sure it reflects the research conducted. Authors must also retain all original data used in their papers to support the journal’s evaluation process.

Failure to provide original data when requested could result in manuscript rejection or the retraction of a published article. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy for data falsification or fabrication, upholding academic integrity.

Desk Rejection Policy

A manuscript may be desk-rejected without entering the peer review process for the following reasons:

• The study’s topic or scope does not align with the journal’s focus or field of interest.
• The manuscript contains ethical issues, does not comply with international guidelines, or has a plagiarism similarity index exceeding 20%.
• The study lacks significant impact or does not contribute new or meaningful knowledge to the field.
• The study design is fundamentally flawed.
• The study’s objectives are not clearly defined.
• The manuscript is poorly organized or lacks essential components.
• The quality of writing is subpar, with notable issues in grammar, style, or clarity.
• The manuscript does not meet the journal’s submission guidelines.

This policy ensures that only manuscripts meeting the journal’s quality and relevance standards are considered for peer review. For more details, authors can refer to the Author Guidelines.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Authors must confirm during submission that their article is not under consideration elsewhere. Failure to disclose this is considered an ethical violation, as duplicate submissions or publications are seen as intentional misconduct. This policy applies even to articles previously published in other languages.

As per the ICMJE guidelines, authors wishing to submit or publish an article in another form (e.g., translation into English) must:

• Obtain permission from the original publisher and copyright holder.
• Inform the receiving journal editor about the article’s original source.

The translated article must clearly state it is a translated version and cite the original source. This ensures transparency and proper attribution in academic publishing.

Funding

Authors must disclose all funding sources for their research. They must provide a detailed account of the sponsor(s)’ involvement, from study design to manuscript submission. Authors are required to submit the Financial Disclosure Form along with their manuscript.

If sponsors did not participate in certain aspects of the research or manuscript preparation, authors must clarify this in their disclosure. All funding disclosures must be accurate and comply with the respective funding organization’s guidelines. This promotes transparency and maintains the integrity of the publication process.

Images and Figures

When using photographs, videos, or audio recordings that may reveal the identity of patients or research participants, written consent for publication is required. If the participant is deceased, consent must be obtained from their closest living relative. For minors or vulnerable individuals, consent must be obtained from their parents or legal guardians.

Authors should also consider cultural sensitivities related to image use in their manuscripts. In some cultures, displaying human remains or images of deceased individuals may be restricted. Authors must follow ethical protocols and respect the views of the relevant communities or groups.

Experimental Photographs

Photographs, particularly those obtained through microscopy, must accurately reflect the original content. Any alterations or enhancements must be clearly explained in the manuscript and figure legend to ensure transparency and prevent misleading the reader.

Authors should be prepared to provide the journal with the original, unaltered, unannotated, and unprocessed images if requested.

Any image modifications must:

• Be minimal and consistent across the entire image.
• Be thoroughly documented, including methods, software used (with version), and specifics of the changes.
• Not alter the scientific interpretation of the image, as such modifications are prohibited.

Reuse of Published Images

When reusing images or figures from previously published work, prior permission from the copyright holder is required. Authors must include a statement in the figure legend confirming this permission and provide proper citation of the original source.

Even if images are reused under licenses that permit unrestricted use, authors must provide appropriate attribution to the original source.

Misconduct

The journal is committed to preserving the integrity of the academic record and takes all forms of misconduct very seriously. Any necessary actions will be conducted in line with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). For concerns or reports of misconduct, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• Misrepresenting affiliations.
• Violating copyright or using third-party materials without permission.
• Citation manipulation.
• Duplicate submission or publication.
• Exploiting ethical gaps between regions or institutions (referred to as “ethics dumping”).
• Manipulating or fabricating images or data.
• Manipulating peer review.
• Plagiarism or text recycling (self-plagiarism).
• Failing to disclose conflicts of interest.
• Unethical research practices.

Specific Types of Misconduct

• Duplicate Submission: Manuscripts previously published or under review elsewhere will face penalties for duplicate submission/publication. Authors must:

  • Acknowledge and cite the original work properly.
  • Clearly describe the unique contributions of the submitted manuscript compared to earlier work.

• Citation Manipulation: Manuscripts that include citations meant only to artificially increase the citation count of an author or journal will be penalized.

• Data Fabrication and Falsification: Manuscripts containing fabricated or falsified data, including manipulated images or data, will be penalized.

• Improper Author Contribution or Attribution: All authors listed must have contributed meaningfully to the scientific work and approved the manuscript’s claims. Contributions from students or lab staff should also be appropriately acknowledged.

• Redundant Publications: Inappropriately splitting the outcomes of a single study into multiple articles is unacceptable.

• Image Manipulation: Images should represent data accurately and should not be altered in ways that mislead the interpretation. Unethical manipulation will be investigated and penalized.

Definition and Consequences

Misconduct refers to actions that violate the journal's policies, publishing ethics, or guidelines established by COPE, WAME, ICMJE, or STM. Any activity that jeopardizes the integrity of the research or publication process will be thoroughly investigated following COPE guidelines, and appropriate sanctions will be applied to maintain ethical standards.

Publication Ethics

The journal and its editorial board are fully committed to adhering to the policies and principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Duties of Editors

• Publication Decisions: The editorial board makes the final decision on which manuscripts are accepted based on reviewer recommendations and compliance with legal and ethical standards, including considerations of libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

• Confidentiality, Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must maintain strict confidentiality during the review process, sharing manuscript details only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and editorial advisers. Editors are also required to complete a Conflict of Interest Form for Editorial Board Members.

• Unpublished Materials: Unpublished materials disclosed in manuscripts must not be used for the editor's own research without explicit written consent from the author.

• Funding Disclosure: Detailed information about funding sources and their involvement in the research or publication process must be transparently disclosed to readers.

• Author Relations: Editors should ensure fair and respectful communication with authors, providing clear and constructive feedback to support revisions and uphold the quality and integrity of the work.

Duties of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers play a key role in helping the editorial board make decisions on manuscript acceptance. Reviews must be objective, with clear feedback supported by logical arguments.

• Qualification of Reviewers: Reviewers should only accept assignments for which they are qualified. If unable to assess a manuscript or anticipate delays, they should notify the editor and withdraw.

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts for review must be treated confidentially. Any privileged information obtained through the peer review process must not be used for personal gain or shared with unauthorized individuals.

• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant works that authors may have missed and suggest citations for unreferenced ideas.

• Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest by completing the Conflict of Interest Form for Reviewers to ensure transparency and maintain ethical standards.

Duties of Authors

• Reporting Standards: Authors are responsible for providing an accurate report of their research, with an objective discussion of its significance.

• Originality, Plagiarism, and Concurrent Publication: Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly cite any ideas or words borrowed from others.

• Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work. They must complete the Conflict of Interest Form and submit it with the manuscript.

• Authorship: The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included and that inappropriate individuals are excluded from the manuscript.

• Errors in Published Works: If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, they must promptly notify the journal editor and collaborate to correct or retract the publication.

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment to ensure alignment with the journal’s focus and scope and to identify any significant methodological issues.

If the manuscript meets the journal's requirements, it proceeds to a Single Blind Review process. In this process, at least two anonymous reviewers assess the manuscript. The reviewers' comments and suggestions are shared with the corresponding author, who is expected to address the feedback and provide a detailed response.

After revisions, the manuscript and the reviewers' recommendations are discussed at an editorial board meeting. Based on this discussion, the editor will communicate the final decision to the corresponding author. This process ensures a thorough, fair, and objective evaluation of all submissions.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism, which includes the unauthorized use of another person’s ideas, text, or work without proper citation. Submissions containing any form of plagiarism—whether it is full, partial, duplicate publication, repetitive publication, or self-plagiarism in any language—will be rejected.

To detect plagiarism, all submitted manuscripts are screened using professional plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with an unacceptable similarity index will be immediately rejected.

The use of a preprint archive does not count as redundant publication. The primary author is fully responsible for the manuscript throughout the evaluation and publication process and is authorized to act on behalf of all co-authors.

Preprint Policy

Authors are allowed to share preprints of their manuscripts on platforms such as arXiv or RePEc at any stage. Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, authors are encouraged to link their preprint to the formal publication using its Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Authors may also update their preprints on repositories to include the final version of the manuscript once it is accepted. Sharing preprints helps disseminate research findings while maintaining the integrity of the formal publication process.

Patient Identifying Information

The publication of any identifying patient information (such as textual descriptions, images, sonograms, CT scans, or pedigrees) should be avoided unless absolutely essential for scientific purposes. In these cases, authors must obtain informed consent for publication from the patient or their parent/guardian, if applicable. The journal strictly adheres to the guidelines set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Authors must ensure that patients' names are not included in figures unless explicit informed consent is obtained. If a manuscript contains patient photos or other descriptions that could compromise anonymity, the manuscript must include a statement confirming that informed consent has been obtained.

Consent Responsibility

Authors are responsible for obtaining and securely storing patient consent forms before publication. These forms should not be submitted with the manuscript or sent via email to the editorial or publisher offices.

This policy ensures ethical publication standards while protecting patient privacy.

Research Ethics and Consent

Research involving humans, animals, and plants must adhere to ethical standards and secure the necessary ethical approvals. The following sections detail the requirements based on the type of research:

Research Involving Humans

For research involving human participants, authors must comply with the ethical guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, which is part of the World Medical Association's Code of Ethics. Ethical approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or an equivalent ethics committee must be obtained before starting the research.

Authors must provide details of the approval process, including the institution’s name, the ethics committee's designation, and the approval number(s). Retrospective approval is generally not accepted and could result in the research being deemed ineligible for publication.

Authors must also include a declaration that informed consent was obtained from participants prior to conducting experiments and that their privacy rights were fully upheld.

Research Involving Animals

Studies involving animals must comply with international, national, and institutional guidelines regarding ethical treatment and welfare. Ethical approval must be obtained from the appropriate body, such as the Animal Ethics Committee or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), before the research begins.

Authors are required to provide a detailed ethics statement, including the institution and the committee that granted approval, the approval number, and a justification for using animals in the research. Additionally, authors should provide information about animal housing, care, and steps taken to minimize suffering.

Research Involving Plants

Research involving plants must comply with institutional, national, and international guidelines. Authors must confirm that they have obtained all necessary permissions or licenses for the research.

Compliance with the principles outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is mandatory.

Standards of Reporting

Research must be presented in a manner that ensures its verification and reproducibility. Authors are encouraged to provide detailed and transparent descriptions of their research, which should include the following:

• The Rationale: A clear explanation of the purpose and significance of the study.
• The Research Protocol: A thorough description of the experimental or observational procedures employed.
• The Methodology: A detailed account of the tools, techniques, and analysis methods used in the study.
• The Analysis Conducted: Comprehensive information on how the data were processed and interpreted.

By providing comprehensive reporting, authors help ensure that other researchers can replicate and build upon the work, thus contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge and integrity.

Use of Third-Party Material

When including third-party content (such as text, images, illustrations, photographs, tables, data, audio, video, screenshots, or musical notation) in a scholarly manuscript, authors must obtain the necessary permissions. The use of brief excerpts for purposes like critique or evaluation is typically permissible under fair use provisions, but this is subject to specific limits. If the content is not covered by these provisions, or is not owned by the author, written consent from the copyright holder must be obtained prior to submission.

Following these guidelines ensures compliance with copyright laws and upholds ethical publishing standards.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

This policy pertains solely to the writing process and does not apply to the use of AI tools for analyzing or deriving insights from data during research.

Authors who utilize AI or AI-assisted technologies for writing should do so in a way that enhances readability and language quality, ensuring that core authoring tasks—such as generating scientific or educational insights, drawing conclusions, or making clinical recommendations—remain the responsibility of the human author. The use of these technologies must be supervised by humans, and all content should be carefully reviewed and edited.

Though AI-generated content may appear authoritative, it can be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Therefore, authors retain full responsibility and accountability for the content they produce.

Disclosure and Transparency

Authors are required to disclose their use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their manuscripts. A statement acknowledging this usage will be included in the published work to ensure transparency and build trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors. This policy also ensures compliance with the terms of use for the tools or technologies utilized.

Authorship Responsibilities

AI should not be listed as an author or co-author, as authorship entails responsibilities that only humans can fulfill. Authors are accountable for:

• Addressing questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of the work.
• Approving the final version of the work and consenting to its submission.
• Ensuring the originality of the work and adherence to authorship criteria.
• Verifying that the work does not infringe on third-party rights.

This policy ensures the integrity and accountability of scholarly work while promoting the ethical use of AI technologies.

Use of AI in Peer Review

The journal recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in scholarly publishing, but emphasizes that the peer review process relies on human judgment, critical thinking, and evaluation. Accordingly, the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in peer review is guided by the following principles:

Human Responsibility

Peer review requires critical analysis and nuanced assessment that generative AI cannot provide. Therefore, the responsibility of reviewing manuscripts is exclusively reserved for human reviewers and editors.

Confidentiality

Reviewers and editors are prohibited from uploading manuscripts or any part of them into generative AI tools. These tools cannot guarantee confidentiality, security, or privacy, and using them exposes manuscripts to unauthorized access or misuse. Such actions could violate authors' confidentiality, proprietary rights, data privacy, and the terms of use of the AI tools.

Peer Review Reports

The confidentiality of the peer review process also extends to peer review reports and related communications, including decision letters. These documents often contain sensitive information and must not be uploaded to generative AI tools for purposes such as improving language or readability.

AI in Decision-Making

Generative AI must not be used to assist in reviewing, evaluating, or decision-making processes for manuscripts. The final decision on a manuscript’s quality, validity, and impact must be made by qualified human reviewers and editors.

Ethical Use of AI

While generative AI is not permitted in the peer-review process, the journal supports the ethical use of AI for initial editorial processes. Acceptable uses include plagiarism detection, completeness checks, and identifying potential reviewers. These AI tools must adhere to ethical standards, maintain confidentiality, and protect the identity and privacy of all parties involved.

Acknowledgment of Ethical Standards

The journal and its contributors are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to follow the principles set by respected organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm their commitment to these ethical guidelines and accept full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their work. Reviewers and editors are equally obligated to maintain objectivity, confidentiality, and respect throughout the evaluation process, ensuring fairness and transparency in all editorial decisions.

The journal is proactive in addressing allegations of ethical misconduct and follows rigorous protocols to investigate and resolve any disputes. This shared commitment to ethical standards fosters trust, accountability, and excellence in academic publishing.

Closing Statements

The journal is dedicated to upholding the integrity and transparency of the publishing process. By adhering to internationally recognized ethical guidelines, we aim to foster a culture of trust and accountability in academic research. We encourage all contributors to embrace these values and follow principles of fairness, honesty, and rigor throughout the research and publication process.

These ethics policies form the foundation of our collective commitment to advancing knowledge while respecting the rights and responsibilities of all members of the scholarly community.