i. Publication Decisions

The editor of a peer-reviewed journal is responsible for determining which articles should be published. This decision should be based on the validation of the work and its relevance to researchers and readers. The editor's choices are guided by the journal's editorial policies and must adhere to legal considerations such as libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may consult with other editors and peer reviewers to make an informed decision. Manuscripts should be evaluated based solely on their intellectual content, without bias toward the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity, citizenship, or political views. Additionally, the editor and editorial staff are obligated to maintain confidentiality and must not disclose any details about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, or the publisher, as appropriate.

ii. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used by an editor in their own research without the author ' s explicit written consent. Information or ideas gained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain. Editors must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest, such as competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, institutions, or companies involved. All contributors should disclose any relevant competing interests, and corrections must be made if such interests are revealed after publication. If necessary, corrective actions such as retraction or an expression of concern should be taken. The peer-review process for sponsored supplements should be consistent with that of the main journal, with decisions based solely on academic merit and relevance, free from commercial influence. Any non-peer-reviewed sections should be clearly labelled.

iii. Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

An editor should take appropriate action when ethical complaints are raised regarding a submitted manuscript or published paper, in collaboration with the publisher or society. This typically involves contacting the author to address the complaint, carefully considering the claims, and potentially reaching out to relevant institutions or research bodies. If the complaint is upheld, corrective actions such as issuing a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other relevant notice should be published, even if the issue is discovered years after the original publication.