Ethics Policy
At Lab Publishers, we are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in all stages of our publication process. Our policies are aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure that all research published in our journals reflects the principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability.
1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting to our journals must:
- Authorship: Ensure that all listed authors have contributed significantly to the research. All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged.
- Originality and Plagiarism: Submit only original works. Authors must ensure their work is free from plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. Any overlap with previously published content should be disclosed, and proper citations must be provided.
- Multiple Submissions: Avoid submitting the same research to more than one journal. Simultaneous submissions to different journals are considered unethical.
- Data Transparency: Provide access to raw data upon request and ensure that all data in their manuscript is accurate and appropriately analyzed. Falsification or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that may affect the research or its interpretation.
- Ethical Approval: Obtain approval from relevant ethical bodies (such as Institutional Review Boards or Ethics Committees) for any research involving human or animal subjects, and include a statement of ethical approval in the manuscript.
2. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the peer review process. They are expected to:
- Confidentiality: Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and avoid discussing them with others outside the peer review process.
- Objectivity: Provide unbiased, constructive feedback to improve the quality of the manuscript without personal criticism.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Declare any conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to review the manuscript impartially. If a conflict exists, the reviewer should decline the review.
- Timeliness: Complete their reviews within the specified timeframe to avoid delays in the publication process.
3. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are responsible for making final publication decisions and ensuring the ethical standards of the journal are upheld. Their responsibilities include:
- Fair Decision-Making: Make decisions solely based on the manuscript's academic merit, originality, and relevance, without regard to the authors' personal characteristics such as race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
- Confidentiality: Ensure that information regarding submitted manuscripts is only disclosed to the corresponding author, reviewers, or the publisher as necessary.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Avoid processing manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest, including financial ties or personal relationships with the authors.
- Publication Misconduct: Investigate allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or unethical research practices. If necessary, issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.
4. Allegations of Misconduct
Lab Publishers will take all allegations of publication misconduct seriously. Upon receiving such allegations, we will follow COPE’s flowcharts to handle each case. This includes an investigation involving the authors, editors, and reviewers, with outcomes ranging from corrections to full retractions of published work.
Informed Consent
At Lab Publishers, we require that all research involving human subjects includes a clear statement of informed consent, adhering to ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and other internationally recognized guidelines.
1. Research Involving Human Subjects
- Informed Consent Process: Authors must ensure that participants in any research study involving human subjects are fully informed about the study's objectives, potential risks, and benefits. Consent must be voluntary and obtained before any study procedures are initiated. In cases where participants cannot provide consent (e.g., children or individuals with impairments), proxy consent from legally authorized representatives is required.
- Documentation of Consent: A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants must be included in the manuscript, along with an assurance that the research was conducted in accordance with applicable ethical guidelines and institutional approvals. Authors should be prepared to provide documentation of consent if requested by the editorial board.
- Privacy and Confidentiality: Authors must ensure that personal data of participants is kept confidential and anonymized where possible. If identifiable information is included (such as photographs or video recordings), explicit consent must be obtained, and a clear statement of consent for publication must be included in the manuscript.
2. Vulnerable Populations
When research involves vulnerable populations (e.g., children, the elderly, or those with cognitive impairments), additional protections must be in place to ensure that consent is fully informed and voluntary. Special care must be taken to ensure that participation in the study is not coerced or unduly influenced by incentives.
3. Research Involving Animals
Authors conducting research involving animals must:
- Obtain approval from the appropriate institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) or equivalent.
- Ensure that all procedures are conducted in compliance with relevant national and international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals, including minimizing suffering and adhering to the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement.
- Include a statement of ethical approval for animal research in the manuscript.
4. Retrospective Studies and Publicly Available Data
In cases where informed consent cannot be obtained (such as retrospective studies using anonymized data or data from publicly available sources), authors must include a statement explaining the use of such data and ensuring that no identifiable personal information is included.
Lab Publishers is dedicated to fostering ethical research and publication practices. We expect all authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to these principles to ensure the integrity, quality, and transparency of the research we publish.
By following these ethical guidelines and ensuring proper informed consent, we aim to protect the rights of research participants and uphold the credibility of the scientific community.
