Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics Policy

Maxosmith Publications is deeply committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and integrity in all of its journals. We believe that ethical publishing practices are the foundation of credible and respected scientific communication. This policy outlines the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher and provides guidance on how ethical issues are handled at all stages of the publication process.

This comprehensive document is designed in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and other international ethical standards. It is applicable across all journals published under Maxosmith Publications.

1. General Principles

Maxosmith Publications supports ethical research and responsible publication conduct. We endorse the following core principles:

  • Transparency and honesty in the reporting of research.
  • Fairness and impartiality in peer review and editorial processes.
  • Accountability in the publication lifecycle.
  • Respect for intellectual property, authorship rights, and confidentiality.
  • Zero tolerance for plagiarism, falsification, or fabrication.

All stakeholders involved in the publication process are expected to uphold these values.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must:

  • Submit original work that has not been published or under review elsewhere.
  • Properly cite all sources, ideas, and data used from other researchers.
  • Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
  • Accurately present methods, results, interpretations, and data.
  • Acknowledge contributions and funding sources transparently.
  • Obtain all relevant ethical approvals for studies involving humans or animals.
  • Ensure that all authors listed have contributed significantly to the work.
  • Cooperate during peer review, revision, and post-publication inquiries.

Authorship Criteria:

Each listed author must have:

  • Contributed significantly to conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
  • Drafted or revised the manuscript • Approved the final version for publication.
  • Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining research integrity. They must:

  • Conduct fair, unbiased, and timely reviews.
  • Maintain confidentiality of manuscript content.
  • Report any suspected plagiarism, fraud, or ethical misconduct.
  • Provide constructive feedback without personal criticism.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest.

Reviewers must not use any unpublished information for personal gain.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are the custodians of academic integrity. Their responsibilities include:

  • Making decisions based solely on scholarly merit.
  • Ensuring confidentiality of submissions and reviewers.
  • Acting on ethical concerns and misconduct.
  • Avoiding any conflict of interest.
  • Ensuring a fair and timely peer review process.
  • Upholding editorial independence.

Editors are expected to act in accordance with COPE's Code of Conduct for Journal Editors.

5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

Maxosmith Publications, as a publisher, ensures:

  • Integrity and transparency in all publishing activities.
  • Safe archiving and open accessibility of published content.
  • Prompt handling of ethical complaints or retractions.
  • Promotion of awareness and training in ethical publishing.

We support the autonomy of editorial boards and empower editors to make independent decisions.

6. Misconduct and Violations

Maxosmith Publications treats the following as unethical conduct:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Citation manipulation
  • Unethical experimentation or failure to obtain ethical approvals
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Handling of Misconduct:

Upon detection or suspicion of misconduct:

  • The editor investigates the issue confidentially.
  • Authors may be asked to provide clarification or raw data.
  • For confirmed violations, actions may include:
    • Rejection or retraction
    • Notification to the author’s institution
    • Public statement on journal website

    • We follow COPE’s flowcharts for handling publication ethics issues.

7. Conflict of Interest

All parties involved must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or professional conflicts of interest. This includes:

  • Funding sources
  • Employment or consultancy
  • Stock ownership or patent applications
  • Affiliations that may bias the review or editorial decision

Full transparency is required in author declarations, reviewer selection, and editorial decisions.

8. Plagiarism and Redundancy

Plagiarism is unacceptable. All manuscripts undergo screening via plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin/iThenticate).

Self-plagiarism and duplicate submissions are also prohibited. Minor overlaps may be permitted with appropriate citation.

See our detailed Plagiarism Policy [link to plagiarism policy].

9. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors should provide sufficient detail and access to data to allow replication of experiments. Where applicable:

  • Raw data should be archived and made available upon request.
  • Datasets should be deposited in recognized repositories.
  • Authors should comply with FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

10. Ethical Approval

For any research involving humans or animals:

  • Ethical approval from appropriate review boards must be obtained
  • Informed consent must be documented
  • An ethical statement must be included in the manuscript

Compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and international animal welfare guidelines is mandatory.

11. Open Access and Licensing

All journals under Maxosmith Publications are open access. This ensures:

  • Immediate availability of research to the public
  • Retention of author copyright
  • Licensing under Creative Commons (preferably CC BY or CC BY-NC)

Open access allows free and unrestricted distribution, ensuring global knowledge dissemination.

12. Peer Review Policy

Our peer review is:

  • Double-blind
  • Objective and confidential
  • Conducted by qualified experts

Reviewers and editors are independent of the authors and must not have conflicts of interest.

Peer review ensures scientific rigor, quality, and ethical integrity.

13. Retraction, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

Articles may be retracted if:

  • Serious ethical breaches are confirmed
  • Major errors affect the conclusions

Corrections are issued for minor errors.

Expressions of concern are published when investigations are pending.

All changes are clearly labeled and linked to original content.

14. Editorial Independence and Transparency

Editors have full authority to:

  • Accept or reject manuscripts
  • Decide on peer review selection
  • Handle ethical complaints

The publisher does not interfere in editorial decisions.

Editorial policies, APCs, and publishing practices are transparently shared on journal websites.

15. Advertising and Sponsorship

We do not allow advertisements to influence editorial content. Any sponsorship is declared transparently and does not compromise publication ethics.

16. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions with justifications. Complaints regarding unethical conduct, conflicts, or delays can be sent to:

Email: support@mspublication.com

Website: www.mspublication.com

We follow COPE's procedures to resolve disputes fairly.

17. Alignment with Global Best Practices

Maxosmith Publications is committed to international publishing standards and aligns with:

  1. COPE: https://publicationethics.org
  2. OASPA: https://oaspa.org
  3. DOAJ: https://doaj.org
  4. WAME: https://www.wame.org
  5. ICMJE: https://www.icmje.org

18. Policy Review and Amendments

This publication ethics policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with evolving best practices. Updates are communicated to all editorial board members, authors, and stakeholders.