Publication Ethics & Policy

Publication Ethics Policy for Science Act

Science Act is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We adhere to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follow COPE guidelines for editors, reviewers, and authors. This policy outlines the ethical responsibilities and procedures that govern our editorial process.

Editorial Responsibilities

  • Ensure fair, unbiased, and timely peer review.

  • Maintain confidentiality of submissions.

  • Make editorial decisions based on scholarly merit and relevance.

  • Address allegations of misconduct using COPE flowcharts.

  • Disclose conflicts of interest and recuse when necessary.

Author Responsibilities

  • Submit original work free of plagiarism or data fabrication.

  • Accurately represent authorship and contributions.

  • Disclose all conflicts of interest.

  • Obtain ethical approvals for studies involving humans or animals.

  • Provide data availability statements and share data when possible.

Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and confidentially.

  • Declare any conflicts of interest.

  • Provide constructive feedback within the agreed timeframe.

  • Avoid using unpublished data for personal advantage.

Misconduct and Investigations

Science Act investigates all allegations of misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism

  • Data falsification or fabrication

  • Duplicate publication

  • Authorship disputes

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

We follow COPE’s flowcharts and recommendations to guide our decisions. Proven misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, or notification to institutions.

Retractions and Corrections

Science Act follows COPE’s Retraction Guidelines. Retractions, corrections, and expressions of concern are issued when:

  • Findings are unreliable

  • Ethical breaches are confirmed

  • Errors significantly affect interpretation

All notices are clearly labeled and linked to the original article.

Data Availability and Transparency

Authors are encouraged to:

  • Share datasets in public repositories

  • Include data availability statements

  • Follow FAIR data principles when applicable

Conflicts of Interest

All parties must disclose financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence their work. Science Act publishes conflict of interest statements with each article.

Ethical Oversight

Science Act reserves the right to:

  • Request documentation of ethical approvals

  • Audit data and methodology

  • Reject submissions that violate ethical standards

COPE Alignment

Science Act follows the COPE Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

We use COPE flowcharts to guide decisions: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts

Open research is not a distant vision — it is the foundation of modern scholarly communication.
At Science Act, we believe that scientific progress accelerates when knowledge is openly shared, transparently documented, rigorously verified, and fully reproducible. Removing barriers to access ensures that research outputs can be used by anyone, anywhere, fueling discovery, innovation, and global collaboration.

Our dedication to advancing open scholarship

Our dedication to advancing open scholarship is built on our Three Pillars of Open Research, designed to give authors and readers the strongest possible publishing environment:1. Open Access, 2. Open Data, 3. Open Practices

Science Act is dedicated to accelerating global research discovery by championing open access, open data, and transparent research practices across every stage of the publishing process. Our commitment to openness is strengthened through active participation in, or alignment with, leading international initiatives that advance responsible, equitable, and reproducible science. By endorsing or supporting the following organizations and principles, we help ensure that research remains accessible, verifiable, and impactful for communities worldwide:

International Science Council: The World Data System Applied for Membership.

FORCE 11 FAIR Data Principles Endorsed. 

STM Brussels Declaration Committed to open and responsible research. 

Initiative for Open Citations (I4OC) Committed to open citation data. 

CHORUS Committed to open and compliant research. 

Initiative for Open Abstracts (I4OA) Committed to open abstracts.

Science Act is committed to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment DORA. Through our editorial leadership, we support responsible research assessment practices that prioritize the intrinsic quality and impact of research over journal‑based metrics.