PUBLICATION ETHICS
Publishing a research article in a peer-reviewed journal is not just about sharing information. It helps build a strong and trusted body of knowledge. It also shows the quality and importance of the research done by the authors and the institutions they belong to. In addition, it supports the scientific method. Because of these reasons, it is important to have clear ethical rules for everyone involved in publishing, including authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and academic societies. These guidelines are mainly for research journals, but they can also apply to review papers and other professional publications. Each journal may have its own detailed ethical rules, usually mentioned in its “Author Guidelines.”
Respectful and Professional Behaviour
At MAT, maintaining trust in science and protecting research quality is very important. Everyone involved—staff, authors, reviewers, editors, and readers—should treat each other with respect and professionalism. Any kind of disrespect, discrimination, harassment, bullying, or inappropriate behaviour is not accepted.
Duties of the Publisher
Guardianship of the Scholarly Record
These guidelines are designed to highlight the important role of the publisher in supporting the entire publishing process. MAT Journals recognizes the hard work of editors and the valuable voluntary efforts of peer reviewers in maintaining the quality and integrity of research publications. While ethical guidelines often focus on problems, it is important to note that the publishing system generally works well, and serious issues are rare. The publisher plays a key role in supporting, developing, and improving scholarly communication. At the same time, MAT Journals is responsible for ensuring that all publications follow proper ethical standards and best practices. MAT Journals takes its responsibility of maintaining the scholarly record very seriously. Our journals serve as a permanent record of scientific progress, and we are committed to protecting and maintaining their quality through strong ethical policies
Supporting Editors, Reviewers, and Authors
MAT Journals follows clear policies and procedures to help editors, reviewers, and authors carry out their responsibilities ethically.
Editorial Independence
MAT Journals ensures that editorial decisions are made independently. Commercial factors such as advertising or revenue do not influence the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.
Promoting Best Practices
We encourage high ethical standards by supporting editors in adhering to recognized ethical guidelines, utilizing plagiarism detection tools for all submitted manuscripts, and promoting transparency throughout the publication process.
Educating Researchers
We are committed to educating researchers, especially early-career scholars, about ethical publishing practices and standards.
Conflict of Interest for Editors
Editors associated with MAT Journals must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their decisions. These may include:
Examples of Conflicts
• Employment, consultancies, or advisory roles
• Membership in boards or organizations
• Financial interests such as patents, funding, or ownership
These conflicts must be declared as soon as they arise and reviewed appropriately. If necessary, they may also be disclosed on the journal website or within published articles.
Non-Involvement in Related Manuscripts
Editors must not be involved in the review or decision-making process for papers in which there is a potential conflict of interest. This includes manuscripts written by themselves, their family members, or close colleagues, as well as those related to products or services in which they have a personal or financial interest.
Use of Confidential Information
Editorial staff must not use any unpublished information obtained during the publication process for personal benefit.
Duties of Editors
Publication Decisions
The editor of a MAT journal is fully responsible for deciding which articles should be published. These decisions are made independently and are based on the quality, originality, and importance of the research. Editors may follow the journal’s policies and consult reviewers or other editors when needed. They must also follow legal rules related to issues like plagiarism, copyright, and defamation.
Peer Review
Editors must ensure that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and completed in a timely manner. Typically, each research paper should be evaluated by at least two independent experts, and it is the responsibility of the editors to select qualified reviewers while avoiding fake or untrustworthy individuals. In addition, editors should carefully monitor the review process for any conflicts of interest and be alert to unnecessary or biased citation suggestions. Before sharing reviewer comments with authors, editors may revise or remove any remarks that are inappropriate or unprofessional to maintain the integrity and quality of the review process.
Fair Evaluation
Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their academic quality and intellectual merit. They should ensure that their decisions are free from any form of discrimination, and must not be influenced by the author’s gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, or political views.
Transparency and Communication
Editors should promote honest and transparent reporting of research, clearly communicate expectations to both authors and reviewers, and ensure that all correspondence is conducted through the journal’s official submission system. They should also establish and maintain a fair and structured process that allows authors to appeal editorial decisions when necessary.
Citations and Journal Metrics
Editors must not attempt to increase the journal’s ranking through unethical practices. They should avoid forcing authors to include unnecessary citations or promoting references for personal or journal benefit. Instead, only relevant and genuinely necessary citations should be encouraged to maintain the integrity of scholarly publishing.
Confidentiality
Editors must maintain strict confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related communications. The identities of reviewers should be protected unless an open review system is in place, and any unpublished data must not be used for personal research without proper permission. In exceptional circumstances, limited information may be shared with relevant institutions if required to investigate ethical concerns.
Conflict of Interest
Editors must declare any conflicts of interest, including financial interests, professional relationships, or personal connections that could influence their judgment. They should not handle manuscripts written by themselves, their family members, or close colleagues, nor those related to their personal or financial interests. Such submissions must be managed independently by another qualified editor, and full disclosure should be made to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the publication process.
Maintaining Research Integrity
Editors are responsible for safeguarding the quality and integrity of published content. They should actively investigate any suspected misconduct, such as plagiarism or fabrication of data, seek clarification from authors when necessary, and collaborate with relevant institutions if required. The use of plagiarism detection tools should be a standard part of the review process. If misconduct is confirmed, editors must take appropriate action, which may include issuing a correction, retracting the article, or publishing an expression of concern.
Continuous Responsibility
Editors should stay updated with the latest publishing policies and ethical guidelines. They must ensure that authors and reviewers also follow these standards.
Commitment
MAT Journals editors are committed to maintaining fairness, transparency, and integrity in the publication process, ensuring high-quality and trustworthy research.
Duties of Reviewers
Role of Editorial Decisions
Peer review plays a crucial role in helping editors decide whether a paper should be published, while also assisting authors in improving their work through constructive feedback. It is an essential part of academic publishing and the scientific process. Reviewers are expected to carefully evaluate the manuscript and remain vigilant for potential ethical issues, such as plagiarism, duplicate or closely related published work, and missing or incorrect citations. If any such concerns are identified, they should be promptly reported to the editor.
Professional and Respectful Reviews
Reviewers should maintain professionalism and respect throughout the peer review process by being polite, providing constructive and helpful feedback, and avoiding harsh or personal remarks. Their comments should focus on improving the quality of the manuscript. Editors have the responsibility to ensure that only appropriate feedback is shared with authors, and may choose to remove or withhold reviews that are unprofessional, offensive, biased, not useful for improving the paper, or in violation of the journal’s policies.
Accepting or Declining Review
If a reviewer does not have sufficient expertise to properly evaluate the manuscript or is unable to complete the review within the given timeframe, they should promptly inform the editor and decline the review request.
Objectivity and Fairness
Reviews should be conducted in an unbiased manner and based solely on the quality and merit of the research. Personal criticism of the author is not acceptable, and all comments provided by reviewers should be clear, objective, and supported with valid and logical reasoning.
Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must inform the editor of any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment. Such conflicts may arise if they have recently worked with the author, belong to the same institution, or have a close personal or professional relationship with them. If there is any risk of bias, the reviewer should decline to proceed with the review to ensure the integrity and fairness of the evaluation process.
Citation Ethics
Reviewers should suggest references only when they are genuinely necessary to improve the quality and completeness of the manuscript. They must avoid recommending citations merely to increase the visibility of their own work or suggesting unnecessary references. When proposing additional citations, reviewers should provide complete reference details along with clear and valid reasons for their inclusion. Editors have the authority to remove any inappropriate or unjustified citation suggestions to maintain the integrity of the review process.
Confidentiality
Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as strictly confidential documents. They should not share the manuscript with others, discuss its content without prior permission, or contact the author directly. If a reviewer wishes to involve a colleague in the review process, they must first obtain approval from the editor to ensure confidentiality and proper oversight.
Use of Information
Unpublished data from a manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s personal research without proper permission. Additionally, any ideas or information obtained during the review process must be kept confidential and must not be used for personal or professional advantage.
Duties of Authors
Reporting Standards
Authors must present their research in a clear, honest, and accurate manner, ensuring that results are truthful and properly explained. They should provide sufficient detail to allow others to replicate the study, and must avoid any false or misleading information. Review and opinion articles should also be written clearly and based on factual information, with any opinion-based content explicitly identified as such.
Data Access and Storage
Authors may be required to share their research data for editorial review, and they should ensure that such data is stored securely for several years after publication. Whenever possible, authors are also encouraged to make their data publicly accessible to promote transparency and facilitate further research.
Originality and Acknowledgement
All submitted work must be original, and any use of others’ ideas, data, or text must be properly cited. Where required, appropriate permissions must be obtained before using such material. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited and is considered a serious breach of academic integrity.
Multiple Submissions
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time, as this constitutes unethical publishing behavior. Additionally, work that has already been published should not be submitted again, except in special circumstances such as a thesis, conference abstracts, or cases where prior publication is clearly disclosed and permitted.
Citations
Authors should cite relevant and reliable sources to support their work while avoiding unnecessary or excessive citations. They must also refrain from over-citing their own publications and ensure that all references are properly formatted, preferably including DOIs where available. Citations should be included only for genuine academic purposes to maintain the integrity and credibility of the research.
Confidentiality
Authors must not use confidential information (such as from peer review) without proper permission.
Authorship
Only individuals who have made a significant contribution to the research should be listed as authors. All authors must review and approve the final version of the paper before submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the author details and the order of authorship are accurate. Any changes in authorship after submission are permitted only in exceptional cases and require the approval of all authors as well as the editor.
Affiliations and Maps
Authors should provide accurate and complete institutional affiliations to ensure proper identification and credibility. Additionally, any maps included in the manuscript should clearly represent the study areas and must not create confusion or misinterpretation regarding geographical boundaries.
Safety and Ethical Compliance
If the research involves hazardous materials, authors must clearly identify and explain any associated risks. In studies involving human subjects, all relevant ethical guidelines and necessary approvals must be strictly followed. Similarly, research involving animals should adhere to established ethical standards and regulatory requirements to ensure responsible and humane treatment.
Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could potentially influence their work. This includes situations such as employment or funding sources, consultancy roles or ownership interests, and any grants or patents that may be connected to the research. Transparency in these matters is essential to maintain trust and integrity in the publication process.
Errors and Corrections
If authors discover a significant error in their published work, they must promptly inform the editor and fully cooperate in taking appropriate corrective action, which may include issuing a correction or retracting the paper if necessary.
Image Integrity
Images included in a manuscript must not be altered in any way that could mislead readers or distort the original data. However, basic adjustments such as changes in brightness or contrast are acceptable, provided they do not obscure, eliminate, or misrepresent any important information
Clinical Trial Transparency
For clinical research, authors should follow proper guidelines (such as standard reporting practices) and ensure transparency.
Commitment
MAT Journals is committed to maintaining trust, transparency, and integrity in scholarly publishing by ensuring ethical practices at every stage of the publication process. Authors submitting to MAT Journals are expected to follow ethical guidelines, ensure the accuracy of their work, and contribute honestly to the research community. Similarly, reviewers play a crucial role in upholding publication standards and are expected to provide fair, unbiased, and timely evaluations while maintaining strict confidentiality. Together, authors and reviewers contribute to the advancement of high-quality and reliable research.