| Last update: 2026/09/19 |
Publication Ethics and Research Integrity Statement
Journal of Rescue & Relief
The ethical policy of the Journal of Rescue & Relief is based on the principles and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, and readers are expected to uphold these ethical principles throughout the submission, peer-review, publication, and post-publication processes.
This statement has been developed in accordance with the ethical standards approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, as well as the publication ethics principles and guidelines of COPE.
Editorial decisions on manuscripts are based on the outcomes of the peer-review process and the recommendation of the Editorial Board. The Editor-in-Chief and designated editors bear ultimate responsibility for final decisions, taking into account the peer-review process, the scientific quality of the manuscript, and its relevance to the journal's scope.
Section A: Publication and Authorship
Journal of Rescue & Relief
The ethical policy of the Journal of Rescue & Relief is based on the principles and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, and readers are expected to uphold these ethical principles throughout the submission, peer-review, publication, and post-publication processes.
This statement has been developed in accordance with the ethical standards approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, as well as the publication ethics principles and guidelines of COPE.
Editorial decisions on manuscripts are based on the outcomes of the peer-review process and the recommendation of the Editorial Board. The Editor-in-Chief and designated editors bear ultimate responsibility for final decisions, taking into account the peer-review process, the scientific quality of the manuscript, and its relevance to the journal's scope.
Section A: Publication and Authorship
- All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Manuscripts are normally evaluated by at least two qualified reviewers with relevant expertise in the subject area.
- Reviewers are selected by the Associate Editors and/or the Editor-in-Chief, taking into consideration their expertise, independence, and absence of conflicts of interest.
- The review process considers factors such as relevance to the journal's scope, originality, scientific validity, methodological rigor, clarity, readability, and quality of presentation.
- Possible editorial decisions include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.
- Invitation to revise and resubmit a manuscript does not guarantee its eventual acceptance.
- Rejected manuscripts are not normally reconsidered unless the Editor-in-Chief determines that exceptional circumstances apply.
- Manuscripts must comply with all applicable legal and ethical requirements, including those concerning plagiarism, copyright, and research integrity.
- Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.
- Previously published material must not be republished in substantially the same form without appropriate justification, disclosure, and permission where required.
Section B: Authors' Responsibilities
- Authors must certify that their manuscript is their own original work.
- Authors must ensure that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under review or consideration by another journal at the time of submission.
- Authors should not withdraw a manuscript after submission except for a valid and documented reason. Where withdrawal is requested after substantial editorial or peer-review work has been undertaken, the journal may apply its withdrawal policy.
- All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the research and must approve the final version of the manuscript.
- The specific contribution of each author should be stated in an "Authors' Contributions" section, where required by the journal.
- Authors must ensure that the data, analyses, and results presented in the manuscript are accurate and authentic.
- Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding or other support.
- Authors must appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources used in the research and preparation of the manuscript, and must not manipulate citations for the purpose of increasing references to a particular author, journal, or publication.
- Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary ethical approvals, permissions, and informed consent required for their research.
- Authors must cooperate with the journal if concerns are raised regarding the accuracy, integrity, authorship, or ethical conduct of their work.
- Authors must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief of any significant error identified in a published article and must cooperate with the journal in correcting the published record.
- Authors must not engage in plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, redundant or duplicate publication, or other forms of research or publication misconduct.
Section C: Peer Reviewers' Responsibilities
- Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts and all related information as confidential and as privileged material.
- Reviewers must decline a review assignment where a conflict of interest — arising from personal, professional, competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, institutions, or organizations connected to the manuscript — could affect their impartiality.
- Reviews must be conducted objectively and professionally; personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.
- Reviewers should provide clear, constructive, evidence-based, and respectful comments that help authors improve the quality, clarity, and scientific validity of their work.
- Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited by the authors, where such references are directly relevant to the manuscript.
- Reviewers should inform the Editor-in-Chief of any substantial similarity, suspected plagiarism, redundant publication, or potential overlap between the manuscript under review and other published work of which they are aware.
- Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through the peer-review process for personal, professional, or competitive advantage.
- The identities of reviewers and authors are kept confidential in accordance with the journal's peer-review policy.
- The existence and content of a submitted manuscript must not be disclosed to anyone other than authorized editorial staff and reviewers.
- Reviewers must declare any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting an invitation to review.
Section D: Editorial Responsibilities
- The Editor-in-Chief and designated editors hold responsibility and authority for editorial decisions concerning submitted manuscripts.
- Editorial decisions should be based on the manuscript's scientific importance, originality, methodological quality, clarity, relevance, and suitability for the journal's scope.
- Editors must evaluate all manuscripts fairly and objectively and must not discriminate against authors on the basis of personal characteristics, institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, or other irrelevant factors.
- Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and preserve the anonymity of reviewers and authors in accordance with the journal's peer-review model.
- Editors must manage manuscripts in a timely and professional manner.
- Editors should balance the needs of authors and readers while maintaining the scientific quality and integrity of the journal.
- Editors are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the academic record and should publish corrections, errata, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary.
- Editors should be aware of research funding sources and relevant disclosures that may affect the assessment of a manuscript.
- Editors should not reverse previous editorial decisions without a clear and justifiable reason.
- Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest; such manuscripts must be reassigned to another qualified editor.
- Editors should investigate suspected misconduct in accordance with the journal's procedures and applicable COPE guidance.
- Editors should base allegations of misconduct on available evidence and must give authors a fair opportunity to respond.
- Editors should take appropriate action when ethical or research-integrity concerns arise, whether before or after publication.
Section E: Publication Ethics and Malpractice Issues
- Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff must comply with the journal's ethical policies and relevant COPE guidelines.
- Suspected cases of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, undeclared conflicts of interest, or other forms of research or publication misconduct will be investigated in accordance with the journal's procedures and applicable ethical guidelines.
- The journal may use plagiarism-detection and other appropriate tools to assess the originality and integrity of submitted manuscripts.
- Where serious misconduct is confirmed, the journal may reject the manuscript, issue a correction, publish an expression of concern, retract the article, or take other appropriate action.
- The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and for coordinating communication among co-authors regarding the manuscript.
- Authors must not make substantial changes to an accepted manuscript without editorial approval and valid justification.
- Authors and editors must cooperate openly and honestly in the publication of corrections, retractions, and other post-publication notices when required.
Ethical Approval and Informed Consent
Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical principles and institutional or national requirements. Where ethical approval is required, it must be obtained from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board before the research begins.
Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants should state the name of the approving ethics committee and provide the relevant approval or ethics code. Where informed consent is required, authors must obtain it from participants before data collection, and appropriate consent for publication must also be obtained wherever identifiable information, photographs, or case descriptions could reveal an individual's identity.
The journal does not generally consider retrospective approval to replace ethical approval that was required before the commencement of a study. Cases involving absent or delayed ethical approval will be considered at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, in accordance with applicable ethical and institutional requirements.
Research involving animals, where applicable, must also comply with relevant ethical standards and institutional requirements.
Confidentiality and Protection of Personal Information
Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants and must not disclose personally identifiable information without appropriate consent or another valid ethical and legal basis.
Photographs, records, case descriptions, and other materials that could permit identification of an individual must be appropriately anonymized. Where anonymization cannot adequately protect the individual's identity, consent for publication must be obtained.
Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of personal, research, and manuscript information obtained through the editorial and peer-review process. The journal will apply relevant legal, ethical, and professional requirements when assessing manuscripts that contain personal or potentially identifiable information.
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions
The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.
When a significant error or problem is identified after publication, the journal will assess its nature and extent and determine the appropriate action.
Minor errors that do not affect the scientific meaning of an article may be corrected where appropriate. Substantive errors or evidence of research or publication misconduct may result in a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the circumstances.
Post-publication actions will be handled in accordance with the journal's policies and relevant COPE guidance.
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