At Sci-Lum, we are guided by a deep and unambiguous commitment to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and scholarly integrity throughout the publishing process. Our editorial and peer review practices are grounded in internationally accepted guidelines, including those developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These standards are essential not only to preserve public trust in science, but also to foster a fair, inclusive, and responsible academic publishing environment.
Authors submitting to Sci-Lum are expected to adhere to the principles of academic honesty, research transparency, and professional conduct. Manuscripts must represent original work and must not be under consideration elsewhere at the time of submission. Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, selective reporting, or duplicate publication is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate rejection or retraction, in accordance with COPE procedures.
Authors must ensure that all data have been collected, analyzed, and interpreted in a transparent and reproducible manner. Where applicable, authors must confirm that appropriate ethical approval has been obtained from an institutional ethics committee for research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data. Explicit statements of ethics approval and informed consent must be included in the manuscript.
All individuals who meet the criteria for authorship, as defined by the ICMJE, must be listed as authors. Ghostwriting, honorary authorship, or omission of deserving contributors is unacceptable. Contributions must be clearly stated using the CRediT taxonomy, and all listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
Conflicts of interest, whether financial or non-financial, must be fully disclosed. Funding sources must be transparently acknowledged, including grant numbers and sponsoring institutions.
Editors of Sci-Lum are entrusted with safeguarding the integrity and quality of the scientific record. All editorial decisions are made based solely on academic merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance — free from personal, political, or commercial influence.
Editors are responsible for screening submissions for compliance with ethical standards and for ensuring that peer review is conducted fairly, confidentially, and without bias. Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions in which they have a conflict of interest and must remain accountable for the decisions they make.
In cases where serious ethical concerns arise — such as suspected plagiarism, data falsification, authorship disputes, or ethical violations in research — editors will initiate investigations following COPE-recommended flowcharts and may involve institutional authorities as appropriate.
Peer reviewers play a vital role in ensuring the quality, rigor, and objectivity of the publication process. All reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts fairly, constructively, and within the agreed timeframe. They must disclose any conflicts of interest and refrain from reviewing manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and may not use or share any information from the manuscripts they assess prior to publication. They are encouraged to provide comments that help both editors make informed decisions and authors improve the quality of their work.
Reviewers are also asked to identify potential ethical issues in manuscripts, such as plagiarism, unethical research practices, or excessive self-citation, and report these to the editors confidentially.
All manuscripts submitted to Sci-Lum undergo plagiarism screening using the iThenticate system. Submissions with a similarity index exceeding 15%, excluding references and common phrases, may be returned for revision or rejected. Plagiarism, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without citation, and self-plagiarism, is considered a serious breach of publishing ethics.
Other forms of misconduct — including image manipulation, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate authorship claims, or undisclosed dual submission — are similarly unacceptable. Where misconduct is confirmed, Sci-Lum will take corrective action which may include retraction, notification of institutions, or blacklisting of authors.
Manuscripts describing research involving human participants, human data, or animals must comply with international ethical standards, such as the Declaration of Helsinki, CIOMS, or relevant national regulations. Ethical approval must be obtained in advance and clearly reported in the Methods section of the manuscript. For clinical studies, trial registration in a recognized database (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) is mandatory.
Authors must confirm that informed consent has been obtained from all human participants and, where necessary, from legally authorized representatives. For case reports, consent for publication must be documented.
Sci-Lum encourages authors to make datasets, analytical code, and supplementary materials publicly available whenever feasible, in compliance with FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). A data availability statement is required for all original research articles and must specify whether data are available, and if so, where they can be accessed.
Transparency in methodology, statistical analysis, and study limitations is essential. Submissions that rely on opaque or unreproducible methods may be subject to rejection.
Authors who disagree with editorial decisions may submit a formal appeal, which must include a detailed rationale and, where applicable, supporting evidence. Appeals are reviewed objectively by the editorial board and/or independent advisors not involved in the original decision. While the journal strives for fairness and transparency, editorial decisions are final unless clear evidence warrants reconsideration.
Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or ethical issues are taken seriously and handled in accordance with COPE’s guidelines. Concerns may be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at info@sci-lum.com.
If errors, omissions, or ethical concerns are identified post-publication, Sci-Lum is committed to maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the scientific record. Corrections (errata or corrigenda), retractions, or expressions of concern will be issued promptly and transparently in accordance with COPE flowcharts and industry standards.
Authors and readers are encouraged to report suspected errors or ethical concerns to the editorial office, which will investigate each case in good faith and with procedural fairness
