Publishing Ethics

Last Updated: April 2026

ETFLIN is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. Our policies are designed to ensure the integrity of the scientific record and provide a fair, transparent environment for all participants in the scholarly publishing process. This document outlines the core responsibilities of the publisher, editorial team, reviewers, and authors.

Our Responsibilities as Publisher

Transparency and Openness serve as the bedrock of our editorial process. We ensure that every stakeholder has access to clear information regarding funding sources, potential conflicts of interest, and the criteria used in decision-making. This openness is intended to build trust within the scientific community and ensure that financial or institutional biases do not influence the quality of published research.

Scientific Integrity is a non-negotiable requirement for all works bearing our name. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data manipulation, or the intentional reporting of inaccurate findings. By upholding these standards, we protect the reliability of scientific literature and the reputation of our contributors.

Complaint Handling is managed through effective, formal mechanisms designed to conduct fair and objective investigations. Should an ethical violation be suspected, we follow established protocols to resolve disputes, issue corrections, or perform retractions when necessary, ensuring that justice is served for both the accuser and the accused.

Sustainability remains a guiding principle in our operations. We are increasingly mindful of the environmental and social impacts of our publishing activities, striving to support research that contributes to global well-being and ensuring our digital and physical footprints align with sustainable development goals.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team acts as the gatekeeper of Integrity Assurance. To fulfill this role, we employ advanced Plagiarism Detection software coupled with manual expert reviews to verify that all submitted content is original and properly attributed to its sources. Furthermore, we emphasize Data and Image Integrity, scrutinizing figures and raw data to prevent the distortion or fraudulent manipulation of visual evidence.

In our pursuit of Transparency Promotion, the editorial team ensures that the Peer Review process is governed by clear communication regarding timelines and evaluation criteria. We actively encourage Data Sharing, advocating for the accessibility of raw materials so that other researchers can validate or build upon findings. Our support for Open Access models, including Creative Commons licenses, ensures that knowledge is widely accessible while protecting the reuse rights of the creators.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a critical role in validating the quality of research. Their primary obligation is Confidentiality, which requires them to treat manuscripts as privileged documents and maintain the secrecy of findings prior to publication.

Beyond secrecy, reviewers must uphold absolute Objectivity. Evaluations are based strictly on scientific merit, methodology, and relevance, rather than personal preferences or institutional affiliations. Reviewers are expected to provide Constructive Feedback, offering respectful and actionable suggestions that help authors improve their work. To maintain the purity of this process, Conflict Disclosure is mandatory; reviewers must declare any personal, professional, or financial biases that could influence their judgment.

Author Obligations

Authors carry the responsibility of Originality, meaning they must only submit work that is entirely their own and has not been previously published or placed under review elsewhere. This prevents the duplication of the scientific record and ensures the novelty of the contributions.

We demand Transparency from our authors, which includes a readiness to provide raw data to editors upon request and a commitment to responding to editorial and reviewer feedback in a professional, constructive manner. Regarding Authorship, authors must ensure that every individual who made a significant contribution is appropriately credited, with their specific roles clearly defined to avoid "guest" or "ghost" authorship.

Ethics Compliance is mandatory. All research involving human or animal subjects must adhere to international ethical guidelines and institutional review board approvals. Authors are accountable for honest reporting standards, ensuring that their conclusions are supported by their data without exaggeration or omission of contradictory results.