The ethical principles of the journal and the violation instances
The ethical principles of this journal are based on the principles of publication ethics set by COPE and the charter of ethics for periodicals set by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. These principles have to be observed by the authors, reviewers, scientific executives and editors-in-chief.
Duties of the publisher, editor-in-chief, scientific executives, reviewers and authors
Duties of the publisher
1. The journal is committed to passing technical and professional judgements on the submitted manuscripts rather than making decisions based on personal attitudes.
2. The journal is committed to the protection of academic and research backgrounds.
3. The journal monitors the ethical behavior of the editor-in-chief, scientific executives, board of editors and reviewers.
4. The journal keeps checking the manuscripts against plagiarism, fraud and any possible misbehavior.
5. If necessary, the journal proceeds for corrections, elaborations and revisions.
6. The journal prevents whatever misbehavior, if proven.
Duties of the editor-in-chief and scientific executives
1. The scientific executives of the journal should keep secrecy on the submitted manuscripts until publication.
2. It is the editor-in-chief, scientific executives and reviewers that decide whether or not to publish a manuscript.
3. The scientific executives of the journal should keep the reviewers anonymous.
4. The scientific executives of the journal should prevent the conflict of interests.
5. The scientific executives of the journal should have scientific concerns to meet the needs of the readers.
6. The scientific executives of the journal should detect the possible cases of plagiarism or fraud. They should also ask for corrections, elaborations and revisions as well as make apologies.
7. The scientific executives of the journal should only focus on rational contents.
8. The scientific executives of the journal should not disclose the contents of papers to individuals other than the authors, corresponding authors and reviewers.
9. The manuscripts that are not accepted for publication will not be used by the scientific executives or the other members for personal benefits.
Duties of the reviewers
1. The reviewers of this journal are obliged to cooperate with the scientific executives in decision making about the publication of the submitted manuscripts.
2. The reviewers invited to this journal are obliged to respect the secrecy of the submitted manuscripts.
3. The reviewers are obliged to pass their opinions within a reasonable time to the scientific executive about whether or not to publish the manuscripts.
4. The co-reviewers are obliged to respect the secrecy of the submitted manuscripts and avoid using the contents for personal benefits.
5. The reviewers’ comments on the submitted manuscripts are supposed to be scholarly and professional.
6. The reviewers are supposed to avoid processing the manuscripts which involve a conflict of interests with an author, company or institute.
7. The reviewers are obliged to disclose any conflict of interests.
Tips to note by authors
1. The manuscripts are supposed to be written in correct Persian, and the technical terms and expressions should be properly used.
2. The manuscripts are supposed not to have been published or to be under processing anywhere else (except in the form of an abstract or a part of a lecture, review paper or thesis).
3. The corresponding author should have the consent of his or her co-author(s).
4. The authors should have the permission of the organization which the submitted paper is somehow related to.
5. The authors have to give the journal the right of editing the text for better legibility and fluency.
6. The authors are supposed to mention the agent that funded the research, if any.
7. The form of ethics and commitment has to be signed by the authors.
8. In the case of free-access journals, all the rights are reserved for the authors, but they typically let their texts be downloaded, printed or distributed freely.
9. The authors of a manuscript are supposed to select someone among themselves as a corresponding author who undertakes all the communications with the journal.
10. If the authors detect any significant mistake or problem in their text, the editor-in-chief of the journal has to be readily informed of it for corrections.
11. Given the immorality of plagiarism, the manuscripts submitted to the journal are likely to be checked by the corresponding software.
12. All the authors are supposed to read the guidelines on paper submission to the journal.
Cases of ethics violation
1. Plagiarism: It means the deliberate use of another person’s article or idea under one’s own name. Even the use of one single sentence belonging to another person is judged as an instance of plagiarism. Therefore, all the manuscripts submitted to this journal are checked against plagiarism with certain software programs.
2. Data fabrication and distortion: Data fabrication refers to cases where no research is conducted but some data and results are presented. Distortion occurs when some research is done but the data and the results are deliberately manipulated.
3. Simultaneous submissions: This refers to the submission of the same paper to two journals at the same time.
4. Replicate submission: It occurs when two or more articles are of the same hypotheses, data and results.
5. Redundant submission: It means submitting one research work divided into several manuscripts.
6. Dishonest sharing of co-authors: All the individuals mentioned as the authors of a manuscript are supposed to have shared the work.
7. Manipulation of references: It refers to cases in which certain studies are listed in the section of References but not cited within the text.