Publication Ethics

The Frontiers in Biotechnology and Genetics journal, like any reputable academic publication, adheres to stringent publication ethics to maintain the quality and integrity of its scholarly work. Here are the primary aspects that would typically be covered under the publication ethics policy:

1. Responsibilities of Authors:

   • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their works are completely original, and any use of the work of others must be appropriately cited. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.
   • Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide the raw data associated with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to make such data publicly accessible if practicable.
   • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. It is also improper to publish the same paper in more than one journal.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers:

   • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may also help the author improve their paper.
   • Promptness: Reviewers who feel unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or know that its timely review will be impossible should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
   • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

3. Responsibilities of Editors:

   • Fair Play: Editors should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
   • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.
   • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.

4. Handling of Unethical Publishing Behavior:

   • Investigation: In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher, in close collaboration with the editors, will take all appropriate measures to clarify the situation and to amend the article in question. This includes the prompt publication of an erratum, clarification, or, in the most severe cases, the retraction of the affected work.

5. Publication Decisions:

   • The editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published, often working in conjunction with the relevant society or journal management.