This publication ethics policy reflects our journal’s commitment to fostering ethical, high-quality scholarly communication. By adhering to these principles, we aim to contribute to the global research community’s integrity, innovation, and inclusivity. Stakeholders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with and uphold these guidelines to ensure a trustworthy and responsible publication process. This policy is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and aligns with internationally recognized ethical standards upheld by leading academic publishers.
Our journal is committed to upholding the principles of truth and integrity in all published works. Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty in presenting, interpreting, and discussing research findings. Misrepresentation, fabrication, or falsification of data is strictly prohibited.
Importance: Ensuring that published content is reliable and credible is fundamental to maintaining the trust of the research community and the public. This commitment underpins the scientific process and promotes knowledge advancement.
All submissions must be original and must not have been published elsewhere, except in forms such as abstracts or theses. Authors are required to appropriately credit the work of others through proper citation and referencing.
Importance: Protecting intellectual property and fostering innovation depend on rigorous originality checks. Plagiarism undermines trust in academic publishing and violates ethical standards. IRUNS uses Turnitin and Samim for similarity test for submitted papers in English, French, and Persian.
Authors must disclose all funding sources, potential conflicts of interest, and the contributions of each co-author. Clear and accurate authorship attribution ensures accountability and transparency in collaborative research.
Importance: Transparent disclosure builds trust and ensures that research outputs are evaluated fairly and impartially, free from hidden biases or motivations.
Submissions must adhere to our journal’s guidelines, ensuring the work complies with copyright and licensing requirements. Authors retain or transfer copyright as agreed upon at the time of publication, and any use of third-party materials must have explicit permissions.
Importance: Clear guidelines prevent legal and ethical breaches, safeguarding both authors’ rights and the journal’s reputation.
The peer review process is central to ensuring the quality and validity of published research. Manuscripts are evaluated by qualified reviewers based on academic merit, originality, and adherence to ethical standards.
Importance: Peer review enhances the credibility and rigor of scholarly publications, helping identify potential errors or ethical concerns before publication.
If errors or inaccuracies are identified in published articles, the journal will act promptly to issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as necessary. Authors are encouraged to cooperate in addressing such issues transparently.
Importance: Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record requires prompt correction of errors, ensuring that readers can rely on published content.
Research involving human participants or animals must comply with ethical guidelines, including obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and minimizing harm. Authors must provide details of ethical approval by relevant institutional review boards.
Importance: Respecting the rights and welfare of research subjects is critical to maintaining public trust and upholding ethical principles in research.
Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. This includes funding sources, affiliations, and other potential biases.
Importance: Disclosing conflicts of interest promotes impartiality and ensures the credibility of research findings.
The journal encourages diversity and inclusion in research practices, ensuring fair representation of different perspectives, disciplines, and communities. Authors must avoid biases related to gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status in their research.
Importance: Diverse perspectives enrich the research process, fostering innovation and inclusivity in scholarly work.
Authorship must reflect significant contributions to the conception, design, analysis, or writing of the research. Changes to authorship after submission must be approved by all co-authors and the editorial team.
Importance: Clear authorship criteria prevent disputes and ensure that credit is given fairly, reflecting actual contributions to the work.
Authors must provide accurate citations for all sources, ensuring proper acknowledgment of prior research. Failure to cite appropriately constitutes plagiarism.
Importance: Accurate citations situate new research within the broader academic discourse, respecting intellectual contributions.
Guest editors and authors involved in special issues must follow the journal’s submission and ethical standards. All special issue content undergoes the same rigorous peer review process as regular submissions.
Importance: Consistency in editorial practices maintains the journal’s standards and prevents ethical discrepancies in special issues.
Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in their research, including data analysis or manuscript preparation. AI-generated content must comply with ethical standards, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Importance: The responsible use of AI ensures that ethical standards are upheld and that human oversight remains central to the research process.
Research must respect the norms and expectations of the discipline and cultural context in which it is conducted. Authors should familiarize themselves with journal policies when crossing disciplines.
Importance: Acknowledging diverse norms fosters mutual respect and ensures that research is ethically and culturally sensitive.
Authors are encouraged to share data and methodologies openly, enabling other researchers to validate and build upon their work. Data sharing must comply with ethical standards, including privacy considerations.
Importance: Transparency in data and methods fosters reproducibility, a cornerstone of reliable scientific inquiry, while safeguarding sensitive information.
Implementation of Ethical Guidelines
To ensure adherence to this publication ethics policy, the journal implements the following measures: