Using Third-Party Material

Last Updated: April 2026

Authorization and Obtaining Permissions

To ensure the legal integrity of published research, authors are fundamentally responsible for securing appropriate authorizations for any third-party material included in their manuscripts. This requirement extends to all copyrighted figures, tables, data sets, or significant excerpts of text. It is a mandatory condition that all necessary permissions must be formally obtained and documented before the manuscript is submitted for editorial review. Authors must verify the current legal status of any external material to ensure that its inclusion does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of original creators or publishers.

Attribution and Public Domain Standards

Transparency in authorship requires the clear and accurate identification of all third-party materials. Authors must provide proper credit for these works, regardless of their source or copyright status. In cases involving materials in the public domain or those released under open-access licenses, while formal permission may not be required, rigorous attribution and acknowledgment remain mandatory. This practice maintains the continuity of the scholarly record and respects the foundational contributions of the broader research community. Furthermore, all such citations must be meticulously formatted in accordance with the Vancouver citation style and established ethical guidelines (check our Citation Policy).

Our editorial policy upholds strict adherence to fair use principles, recognizing the importance of transformative use for commentary, education, and critical analysis. However, authors should strive for scientific innovation by transforming or adding substantial value to third-party content, ensuring that their work represents a significant new contribution to the field. Relying too heavily on existing material without sufficient original synthesis may undermine the scholarly value of the submission. All content must comply with international copyright laws to protect both the authors and the journal from potential legal disputes.

Editorial Oversight and Enforcement

ETFLIN maintains rigorous editorial control to ensure full compliance with these standards. Our editorial team systematically reviews all submitted content for potential copyright issues or improper attribution. In the event of non-compliance, the editorial office reserves the right to request immediate rectification or, in more serious instances, to reject the manuscript outright. By submitting their work, authors acknowledge that mandatory compliance with these third-party material standards is a prerequisite for publication.