Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
ElectroSenses – Journal of Bioelectromagnetics, Environmental & Functional Medicine is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and scientific integrity. The journal adheres to the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows best practices for responsible research publication.
This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.
1. Duties of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to ElectroSenses are expected to ensure that their work is original, accurate, and ethically conducted.
Authors must:
- Submit only original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere.
- Appropriately cite and acknowledge the work of others.
- Ensure that all listed authors have made a significant contribution to the research and approve the final manuscript.
- Accurately present data and results without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.
- Retain and, where appropriate, provide access to original data to support editorial or peer review assessment.
- Disclose all relevant financial, professional, or personal conflicts of interest.
- Identify all sources of funding and support.
- Clearly state any use of artificial intelligence or automated tools in manuscript preparation, where applicable.
Plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, and redundant or duplicate publication constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
2. Research Ethics and Regulatory Compliance
Research involving human participants, human biological material, or identifiable personal data must have been conducted in accordance with recognized ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki, and must have received approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board.
Manuscripts reporting human research must include:
- A statement of ethical approval (or justification if approval was not required)
- Confirmation of informed consent, where applicable
Research involving animals must comply with institutional, national, and international guidelines for animal welfare and must include a statement of ethical approval.
3. Duties of Editors
Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the academic record and ensuring a fair, unbiased, and transparent editorial process.
Editors must:
- Evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
- Ensure that all submissions undergo appropriate peer review.
- Avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
- Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.
- Take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of unethical or scientifically unsound research.
Editorial decisions are independent of commercial considerations, advertising, or sponsorship.
4. Duties of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play a critical role in maintaining scientific quality.
Reviewers are expected to:
- Conduct reviews objectively, constructively, and in a timely manner.
- Maintain confidentiality of all manuscript content.
- Declare any potential conflicts of interest and decline review where such conflicts exist.
- Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.
- Report any suspected ethical concerns, plagiarism, or scientific misconduct to the editors.
5. Conflicts of Interest
All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — must disclose any relationships or interests that could be perceived as influencing their work.
Disclosed conflicts of interest are evaluated by the editors and, where relevant, published alongside the article.
6. Handling of Allegations of Misconduct
Allegations of research or publication misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, image manipulation, or unethical research practices, are taken seriously.
The journal follows COPE guidelines in investigating suspected misconduct. This may include:
- Contacting authors for clarification
- Consulting institutional authorities where appropriate
- Issuing corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as necessary
7. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
When errors are identified that affect the interpretation or reliability of a published article, the journal will take appropriate action to correct the scientific record.
- Corrections are issued for honest errors that do not invalidate the findings.
- Retractions are issued in cases of major errors, misconduct, or unethical research.
- Expressions of concern may be published when an investigation is ongoing.
All such notices are clearly linked to the original article.
8. Ethical Oversight and Continuous Improvement
ElectroSenses is committed to continuous improvement of its editorial and ethical standards. The journal regularly reviews and updates its policies to align with evolving best practices in scholarly publishing and recommendations from COPE and other recognized organizations.