Publication Ethics

The Frontiers in Environmental Science and Sustainability journal upholds strict publication ethics to ensure the integrity, reliability, and credibility of the research it publishes. These ethical guidelines are aligned with international standards, such as those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), to promote responsible and transparent scholarly practices.

Authors submitting to the journal are required to ensure that their work is original and free from plagiarism. Proper attribution must be given for all sources, and any use of others’ ideas, data, or text must be appropriately cited. Authors must also avoid duplicate submissions, meaning that a manuscript should not be submitted to multiple journals simultaneously. Additionally, they are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest that might influence the research or its interpretation.

Editors are responsible for ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and solely based on their intellectual merit, without discrimination based on the authors’ gender, race, religious beliefs, or political views. The editors must maintain confidentiality regarding the submissions and should not use unpublished information for their personal research. Any decision on manuscript acceptance or rejection is guided by the journal’s policies, reviewer feedback, and the relevance of the work to the field.

Reviewers play a vital role in the peer review process and are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback. They must maintain confidentiality and refrain from sharing the manuscript details with anyone outside the review process. Reviewers should also disclose any conflicts of interest that might compromise their impartiality and must decline to review manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

The journal has clear procedures for handling unethical behavior, including cases of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification of data, and other forms of research misconduct. If unethical behavior is suspected, the journal investigates the issue thoroughly, following COPE guidelines. In cases of proven misconduct, actions may include manuscript rejection, retraction of published articles, and notification to the authors’ institutions or funding bodies.

To ensure transparency and accountability, the journal also provides mechanisms for addressing disputes or appeals related to editorial decisions. Authors and reviewers can raise concerns or complaints through formal channels provided by the journal.

For more detailed information about the ethical standards and processes of the Frontiers in Environmental Science and Sustainability, authors and reviewers are encouraged to consult the journal’s website or contact the editorial office directly. These ethical guidelines reflect the journal’s commitment to promoting trust and excellence in academic publishing.