Our editorial and ethical policies uphold the integrity of the scholarly record.
Scientific Open Access is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. All parties involved — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher — are expected to follow internationally accepted ethical principles. We follow the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling allegations of research and publication misconduct.
Editors are responsible for the editorial content of the journal and for ensuring that published work meets accepted scholarly standards. Editorial decisions are based on the validity of the work and its suitability for the journal, not on commercial, political, or personal considerations.
All submitted manuscripts are subject to double-anonymous peer review by at least two qualified experts. Reviewers are selected based on expertise and absence of conflicts of interest. The editor considers reviewer recommendations but is not bound by them.
Authors are expected to present their methods, data, and findings accurately and transparently. Fabrication, falsification, and image manipulation constitute serious misconduct and will result in rejection or retraction.
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived to influence the work. Undisclosed conflicts may result in rejection or retraction.
Submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and duplicate publication. Any instance of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or redundant publication will result in rejection or retraction and may result in a ban on future submissions.
Articles found to contain serious errors, misconduct, or redundant publication will be retracted. A retraction notice identifying the article and stating the reason will be published, and the original article will be clearly marked as retracted.
When a published article contains a minor error that does not affect the conclusions, a correction notice will be published. Errors affecting the scientific integrity of the work will be handled through retraction or replacement as appropriate.
Complaints about editorial decisions, authorship disputes, or misconduct should be directed to the editorial office in writing. Appeals against editorial decisions will be considered if new substantive information is provided; the editor’s decision is final.
Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of data, drafting or revising the work, and final approval. All those meeting these criteria should be listed as authors. Ghost and gift authorship are prohibited.
Authors are encouraged to make the data underlying their findings publicly available, or to provide a data availability statement explaining how data can be accessed. Where ethical or legal restrictions apply, authors should state how access may be granted.
Research involving human participants must have approval from an appropriate ethics committee and informed consent from participants. Research involving animals must comply with institutional and international standards for animal welfare.
Generative AI tools may not be listed as authors. Authors who use AI tools in the preparation of their manuscript must disclose their use and take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of all content, including AI-assisted text, figures, and data.