Author Guidelines

Authorship of the paper

Authorship should be narrowed to those who have made a vital contribution to the reported study including conception, execution, design and interpretation. All authors made significant contributions to the submitted manuscript should be listed as co-authors.

Originality and plagiarism

The authors are responsible for the content, language and originality of the manuscript they submitted. The authors should assure that they have composed their original works entirely, and if the authors have used the study and/or words of other authors, that this has been conveniently cited or quoted. Plagiarism takes many forms varying from “passing off” someone´s paper as the authors’ own paper to copying or paraphrasing important parts of someone´s paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research performed by others. Plagiarism in all its forms comprises unethical publishing behaviour and is inadmissible. Before being sent a manuscript to reviewers, it is checked in terms of similarity by iThenticate to explore the plagiarism.

Acknowledgement of funding sources

All funding sources for the research reported in the manuscript should be acknowledged thoroughly at the end of the manuscript before references.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

All authors should reveal in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest which may be construed to affect the findings or interpretation of their manuscript. All financial support sources for the project should be disclosed as well. Disclosed examples of potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be declared at the earliest stage possible.

Reporting standards

Authors of manuscript should present an accurate explanation of the study conducted and an objective discussion of its importance. Underlying data should be accurately given in the manuscript. A paper should include sufficient detail and references to allow other researchers to repeat the study. Tricky or knowingly imprecise statements form unethical behaviour and are unacceptable. Review and professional publication articles should also be precise, original and objective, and editorial opinion works should be described overtly as such.

Data access & retention

Authors might be asked to ensure the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review process, and should in any event be prepared to keep in such data for a moderate time after publication.

Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication

Submitted manuscripts must not be under consideration of any other journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently comprises unethical publishing behaviour. The authors must also assure that the article has not been published elsewhere before.

Principal errors in published studies

When an author corresponds to a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author´s obligation to notify swiftly the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to withdraw or correct the paper.