1. Commitment to Ethical Publishing
Zoological Records and Reviews is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. The journal aims to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of the academic record by preventing publication malpractice and addressing ethical concerns promptly and responsibly.
The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to internationally accepted standards of responsible research and publication.
2. Duties of Authors
Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are expected to adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:
2.1 Originality and Accuracy
- Submitted work must be original and not previously published or under consideration elsewhere
- All data presented must be accurate, honestly obtained, and reproducible
- Any errors discovered after submission or publication must be promptly reported to the editor
2.2 Authorship
- Authorship is limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution
- All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to submission
- Changes in authorship after submission require written consent from all authors
2.3 Acknowledgment of Sources
- Proper acknowledgment of all sources is mandatory
- Permission must be obtained for the use of copyrighted material
2.4 Ethical Approval
- Research involving animals, humans, or sensitive biological data must comply with applicable ethical regulations and approvals
- Ethical approval statements must be clearly included where required
3. Duties of Editors
Editors of Zoological Records and Reviews are responsible for:
- Making publication decisions based solely on academic merit
- Ensuring a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review process
- Safeguarding editorial independence
- Identifying and addressing ethical issues, including plagiarism and data manipulation
- Maintaining confidentiality of submissions and reviewer identities
Editors must not use unpublished material for personal research or gain.
4. Duties of Reviewers
Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining scholarly quality and are expected to:
- Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations
- Treat manuscripts as confidential documents
- Declare conflicts of interest and decline reviews where necessary
- Identify relevant published work not cited by authors
- Report suspected ethical misconduct to the editor
5. Conflicts of Interest
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or institutional relationships that could influence their work. Declared conflicts are managed transparently to prevent bias in editorial decisions.
6. Publication Malpractice
The journal takes seriously all forms of publication malpractice, including but not limited to:
- Plagiarism
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Duplicate or redundant publication
- Citation manipulation
- Improper authorship practices
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest
Allegations of misconduct are investigated following COPE procedures.
7. Handling of Ethical Complaints and Allegations
Ethical concerns are handled confidentially and fairly. The journal follows a structured process that includes:
- Initial assessment by the editorial team
- Communication with the involved parties
- Consultation with independent experts if required
- Implementation of appropriate actions
Possible actions include manuscript rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of relevant institutions.
8. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
The journal is committed to correcting the scholarly record when necessary. Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued transparently and linked to the original publication, following COPE guidelines.
9. Data Integrity and Research Transparency
Authors are encouraged to maintain complete and accurate research records. Where applicable, data availability statements and access to supporting datasets are required to promote transparency and reproducibility.
10. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI-assisted tools may be used to support research or writing only when transparently disclosed and used responsibly. AI tools must not replace human authorship or accountability.
11. Complaints and Appeals
Authors may submit complaints or appeals related to ethical or editorial decisions. All complaints are handled objectively, confidentially, and in a timely manner.
12. Continuous Review of Ethical Standards
This Ethics and Malpractice Statement is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with evolving ethical standards, legal requirements, and indexing criteria.