Editorial policy, originality, and references

Editorial screening

Initial assessment covers scope, contribution, structure, readability, methods, ethical integrity, anonymization, statements, and metadata quality. Editorial rejection is communicated with reasons.

Originality and prior dissemination

Work must be original, unpublished, and not under simultaneous review. A manuscript may derive from a thesis, preprint, repository deposit, conference paper, or report when the prior version is disclosed and cited, no restrictions prevent publication, and the article offers an appropriate scientific treatment. Translations, extended versions, and legitimate secondary publication require transparency and justification.

Similarity and plagiarism

Manuscripts may be screened with similarity tools. An overall percentage never determines an outcome by itself. Sources, extent, nature, and attribution of matches are examined. The journal considers plagiarism, text recycling, concealed translation, redundant publication, unjustified fragmentation, citation manipulation, and unattributed reuse. Legitimate similarities are assessed in context.

Citations and references

APA 7th edition is the general style. Every citation must match a reference and every reference must be verified. DOI links are required where available, primary sources should be used where appropriate, and the literature must adequately support the work. Fabricated references, coercive citation, unnecessary self-citation, and unjustified citation concentration are prohibited.

Promotional content and manipulation

Manuscripts primarily intended to promote products, services, or institutions are not accepted. Fabrication or falsification of data, images, or findings, review manipulation, and improper authorship or citation practices are investigated through a documented process.