Publication Ethics
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
HERU: Health Empowerment and Research Universe is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct throughout the scholarly publication process.
Core Ethical Principles
Research and publication activities must be conducted honestly, accurately, and responsibly.
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relevant information, funding, and potential conflicts of interest.
Submitted manuscripts and reviewer information must be treated as confidential throughout the publication process.
Editorial decisions must be based on academic quality and scientific merit without inappropriate discrimination or external influence.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of submitted manuscripts.
- Submitted manuscripts must represent original scholarly work.
- Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.
- All sources, data, ideas, and previously published materials must be properly acknowledged and cited.
- All individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research must be appropriately listed as authors.
- Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should not be listed as authors.
- Authors must accurately present research data and must not fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or selectively misrepresent data.
- Authors must disclose sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest.
- Research involving humans, animals, or sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.
- Authors must cooperate with editors when corrections, clarifications, or supporting documentation are required.
Responsibilities of Editors
- Editors must evaluate manuscripts objectively based on scientific quality, originality, relevance, and compliance with journal policies.
- Editorial decisions must not be influenced by nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, institutional affiliation, political views, or other irrelevant characteristics.
- Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
- Editors must disclose potential conflicts of interest and must not handle manuscripts where impartiality may be compromised.
- Editors must take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct are reported.
- Editors must not use unpublished manuscript content for personal or professional advantage.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
- Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and academically sound evaluations.
- Reviewers must maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts, review materials, and editorial correspondence.
- Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
- Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage.
- Reviewers should notify editors when they identify substantial similarity, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
- Reviewers who are unable to provide a timely or qualified review should decline the assignment.
Research and Publication Misconduct
Using another person's ideas, text, data, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.
Creating false data, results, observations, or research records.
Manipulating research materials, processes, images, or data in a misleading manner.
Publishing substantially the same work in multiple journals without appropriate disclosure.
Including individuals who did not make substantial contributions or excluding legitimate contributors.
Failure to disclose relationships or interests that may influence research or publication decisions.
Research Ethics
Authors must ensure that research involving human participants has been conducted in accordance with applicable ethical standards. Ethical approval, informed consent, and institutional authorization should be reported where required.
Research involving animalsStudies involving animals must comply with relevant ethical, institutional, and regulatory requirements for animal welfare.
Privacy and confidentialityPersonal, clinical, and sensitive information must be handled responsibly and should not be disclosed without appropriate authorization or consent.
Handling Ethical Concerns
Allegations of ethical misconduct will be assessed fairly and confidentially by the editorial team.
Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, HERU may take appropriate editorial actions including:
