Discover STM requires all journals on its platform to adhere to its editorial policies, ethical policy and code of conduct.
Publication Ethics and Code of Conduct
Discover STM Publishing Ltd is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and credibility of the scholarly record. The following principles apply to all parties involved in the publication process.
Editorial Independence
All editorial decisions are made on the basis of academic merit alone. Editors are free from commercial, financial, or personal influence. No manuscript is accepted or rejected based on the identity, nationality, or institutional affiliation of its authors.
Peer Review
All submitted manuscripts undergo a fair, double-blind, and unbiased peer review process. All reviewer identities remain confidential throughout and after the review process, except where disclosure is required by a legal or regulatory authority. Reviewers are selected for their relevant expertise and are required to declare any conflicts of interest. Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not retain or share any part of a manuscript under review.
Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship must reflect a genuine intellectual contribution to the work. All listed authors must have participated in the conception, execution, or interpretation of the research. Guest, gift, and ghost authorship are not permitted. Any change to the author list after submission requires written justification and approval from all co-authors.
Originality and Plagiarism
Submitted manuscripts must be the original work of the authors. Plagiarism in any form — including self-plagiarism — is unacceptable. All submissions are screened for originality prior to peer review. Proper attribution must be given for all cited works and sources.
Data Integrity
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of reported data. Fabrication, falsification, and selective reporting of data are serious ethical violations. Authors must be prepared to provide raw data upon reasonable request from editors.
Conflicts of Interest
All parties — authors, reviewers, and editors — must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as influencing their work or decisions. Disclosed conflicts do not automatically disqualify a manuscript; undisclosed conflicts may.
Corrections and Retractions
Discover STM Publishing Ltd will promptly issue corrections, clarifications, or retractions when errors or misconduct are identified, regardless of when they are discovered. Retractions follow a transparent process, and retracted articles remain accessible with clear notice of their status.
Human and Animal Research
Research involving human participants or animal subjects must have received appropriate ethics committee approval prior to the study. Authors must confirm in their manuscript that all relevant ethical guidelines were followed.
Handling Misconduct
Allegations of misconduct — including plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate submission, or authorship disputes — are investigated confidentially and impartially. Where misconduct is confirmed, appropriate action will be taken in line with established industry guidelines.
Publisher Responsibilities
Discover STM Publishing Ltd commits to providing editors and authors with clear policies, maintaining the confidentiality of the review process, protecting the integrity of published content, and acting swiftly to address any breach of ethics in its journals.
For concerns or queries regarding publication ethics, please contact us at: contact@discoverpublish.com
