Publishing Ethics

Publishing Ethics at ESRO

At ESRO, we take our publishing responsibilities with the utmost seriousness, adhering to the highest quality standards, ethical procedures, and integrity. Our commitment to honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct extends to all our stakeholders, including our esteemed authors.

Our Commitment to Ethical Publishing

ESRO is fully committed to adhering to the research and publishing guidelines outlined in the "CODE OF CONDUCT AND BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR JOURNAL EDITORS" established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). In fact, our Founding Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Allam Ahmed, is a proud member of COPE. We expect all submissions to strictly adhere to our Publishing Ethics Policy before authors submit their manuscripts to our Journals and Books.

Ensuring Open Access and Global Reach

ESRO is dedicated to ensuring the global accessibility of knowledge. We assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to all accepted papers and chapters, and we are proud to offer all published papers free of charge, without any password restrictions, to people all over the world, especially those in less economically developed regions.

Adherence to Partner Publishing Ethics

Our publications are either produced in-house or in partnership with international publishers. Consequently, ESRO is equally committed to adhering to various publishing ethics procedures and guidelines set forth by all our esteemed publishing partners. These partners include:

- Emerald Publishing: Committed to Research and Publishing Ethics

- Palgrave Macmillan: Upholding Ethical Publishing Policies

- Routledge Taylor and Francis: Ensuring Editorial Integrity

- Inderscience Publishers: Upholding Ethical Guidelines for Authors

- United Nations System Standards and Procedures: Meeting International Standards

Additionally, we may refer to the Council of Science Editors (CSE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), and Sense about Science when necessary to further support our ethical publishing standards.

Key Guidelines and Procedures

Peer Review Process

The cornerstone of all our publications is an ethical, timely, and effective peer review process. Our international editorial team is entrusted with managing and ensuring the integrity of this critical process. At ESRO, we are proud to ensure that:

- All publications undergo a minimum of double-blind peer review (sometimes, we engage up to five blind reviewers).

- All our Editors and Reviewers adhere to ESRO's Ethical Guidelines for Books and Journals' peer review process, making every reasonable effort to follow our editorial ethical guidelines.

- Authors are expected to:

  - Carefully review and understand various aspects of our publishing ethics policy and guidelines, particularly regarding authorship and research integrity.

  - Uphold the highest standards of research rigor and integrity.

  - Familiarize themselves with the CODE OF CONDUCT AND BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as provided by our publishing partners.

Important Author Considerations

Authors submitting their work to ESRO should also adhere to the following important considerations:

- Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must transparently disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or presentation of their research findings. This includes financial interests, affiliations, or any personal relationships that may be relevant.

- Research Integrity and Rigor: Authors are expected to conduct their research with the highest standards of integrity and rigor. This includes ensuring the accuracy and validity of their data, as well as the ethical treatment of human and animal subjects, where applicable.

- Citation and Attribution: Proper citation and attribution of sources is essential. Authors should accurately reference prior work and give credit to the contributions of others. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and data fabrication are strictly prohibited.

- Originality of Submission: Submitted work should be entirely original. Authors should avoid duplicating their own previously published work or submitting manuscripts that closely resemble the work of others. If any part of the submitted work has been used in prior publications, it must be properly cited.

- Informed Consent: For research involving human subjects, authors must provide evidence of informed consent, including permission to publish any potentially identifiable information.

- Ethical Animal Research: When animal research is involved, authors should adhere to ethical guidelines and provide evidence of appropriate protocols and approvals.

- Permissions and Copyright: Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for any third-party materials used in their submissions. This includes text, images, figures, or any other copyrighted content. Proper acknowledgment and citation of these materials are also required.

- Authorship and Contributions: Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the research, its design, execution, or interpretation. All authors must have participated significantly in the work and have approved the final manuscript. Ghost authorship (uncredited authors) and honorary authorship (unearned authorship) are not acceptable.

- Submission Originality: Authors must confirm that the submitted work has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Exceptions include conference papers that have been substantially reworked and rewritten.

- Declaration of Funding: Authors should disclose any sources of funding or financial support that contributed to the research or publication of their work. Transparent reporting of financial support ensures trust and credibility.

At ESRO, we value the integrity and ethical conduct of our authors. We encourage all authors to uphold these important considerations throughout the research and publication process, ensuring that their work contributes positively to the body of knowledge in their respective fields.

Our Commitment to Ethical Publishing

As an organization dedicated to the advancement of sustainable research, science, and innovation, ESRO is unwavering in its commitment to ethical publishing practices. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and promote these principles across all aspects of our publications. Our goal is to create a global platform that upholds integrity, rigor, and transparency, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and fostering progress in the world of sustainable development.

We invite authors to join us in our mission to make a positive impact on the world through ethical, innovative, and sustainable research.