Ethical Guidelines

Editorial Policies

The journals published by Scientific Scholar, along with the societies that own them, are committed to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical practice in scholarly publishing. While each journal has its own editorial policies—shaped by its aims and scope—they all follow internationally recognized best practices.

Our editors are encouraged to follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. All journals also follow the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, a joint statement by COPE, DOAJ, WAME, and OASPA.

These principles guide our peer review process, support ethical conduct from editors, reviewers, and authors, and help us protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism-whether of words, ideas, images, or data-is unacceptable. This includes self-plagiarism, where authors reuse their own previously published material without proper citation.

All manuscripts are screened using iThenticate before review. Editors and reviewers have access to these reports, and manuscripts with confirmed plagiarism are rejected.

Peer Review

The journals published by Scientific Scholar follow a double-blind peer review system to ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation of all manuscripts. In this process, the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential from each other for the duration of the review.

This approach helps maintain the objectivity and integrity of the editorial process. Our journals follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers , along with each journal’s own reviewer guidelines, which are available on their respective websites.

Errata, Retractions, Withdrawals, and Expressions of Concern

Errata: For factual errors that do not affect conclusions. A correction is published, linked to the original article, and indexing services are notified.

Retractions: Issued when findings are invalidated due to serious errors, plagiarism, or misconduct. The original article remains online with a “Retracted” watermark and a linked retraction notice. We follow COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Withdrawals: Applied before or after acceptance when ethical or legal issues arise. Withdrawals clearly state the reason and are issued without a DOI unless already published online.

Expressions of Concern: Published when validity is in question but investigations are ongoing.

Complaint’s procedure
May be submitted to the editor or directly to Scientific Scholar at publish@scientificscholar.com. We investigate thoroughly, following COPE guidance, and unresolved cases may be referred to COPE.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts-financial or otherwise-at the time of submission. These disclosures appear in the published article. We follow COPE guidance on conflicts of interest.

In-House Submissions

If an editorial board member submits a manuscript, they are removed from all editorial decisions for that paper. An independent editor handles the process, with at least two external reviewers.

Permissions

Authors must obtain written permission from copyright holders to reproduce any previously published material, including figures, tables, or photographs.

Patient Consent

Informed consent is required for all human participants. Manuscripts must include a statement in the Methods section confirming consent was obtained. Editors may request copies of consent forms when needed. Please see the details under Informed consent policy.

Image Quality

All images must be at least 300 DPI resolution and, when applicable, contain clear arrows or markers highlighting key findings or abnormalities. Low-quality images may be returned for revision before review.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Following WAME recommendations:

• AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) cannot be listed as authors.
• Any AI use in research, writing, or image preparation must be disclosed in the manuscript.
• Authors are fully responsible for accuracy, originality, and absence of plagiarism, regardless of AI use.

Ethics Approval

• Human studies require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, with protocol number stated in the manuscript.
• Clinical trials must indicate regulatory approval (e.g., FDA or equivalent).
• Animal studies require approval from the institutional animal ethics committee.
• Research involving humans should comply with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed Consent Policy

Scientific Scholar and its journals require that all research involving human participants complies with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and with all applicable national, institutional, and local regulations.

1. Requirement for Informed Consent
Authors must obtain written informed consent from all participants (or their legal guardians) before enrollment in the study. Consent must cover participation in the research as well as, where applicable, publication of identifiable information.

2. Elements of the Consent Process
The consent process must ensure that participants:

• Receive clear and accurate information about the purpose, methods, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the research.
• Understand this information and how it relates to their own clinical situation or interests.
• Make a voluntary decision to participate, free from coercion or undue influence.

3. Consent for Publication of Identifiable Information
When manuscripts include photographs, videos, case descriptions, or any other material that could identify a participant, authors must obtain specific, written consent for publication. This applies even when identifying details are removed.

4. Anonymization Standards
To protect privacy:

• Clinical photographs must have eyes obscured (e.g., black bars or pixelation) unless anonymity is otherwise ensured.
• Radiologic images, scans, or figures must not display patient names, initials, hospital names, identification numbers, or other personal data.
• Text and case reports must avoid combinations of personal characteristics that could allow identification.

5. Statement in Manuscript
The Methods section must include a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants. If ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained, the name of the committee and approval number should also be provided.

6. Editorial Verification
The journal reserves the right to request copies of signed consent forms at any stage before or after publication.

7. Non-Compliance
Submissions not meeting these requirements will be rejected or retracted in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Adherence to COPE Core Practices

We follow COPE’s core practices, which include