Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

The publication of scientific content is a meticulous and comprehensive process that involves ethical practices and efficient management. To maintain high standards of publication, TWIST strives to collaborate closely with editors, authors, peer reviewers, and copy editors.

The publication ethics followed by TWIST is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct (more details available at www.publicationethics.org). TWIST is not yet a member of COPE but adheres to these principles. These publication ethics are briefly described to provide a snapshot for authors, reviewers, editors and readers.

  1. Author’s Responsibilities
  2. Editor/Associate Editors/Editorial Members Responsibilities
  3. Reviewers Responsibilities
  4. Double-Blind Peer Review Process
  5. Publisher/Copy Editor Responsibilities

Author’s Responsibilities

  • Authorship: Authorship should be assigned to individuals who have made significant contributions to the study, manuscript drafting, and maintaining responsibility for the authenticity of the content. General supervision or financial support does not qualify for authorship. Each author’s contribution must be clearly stated, and authorship cannot be changed without the prior written consent of all listed authors.
  • Acknowledgement of Funding Sources: All authors must clearly state any financial support or sponsorship for the study, whether from government, non-government, or personal sources.
  • Conflicts of Interest/Disclosures: Authors are required to disclose any financial, academic, commercial, political, or personal conflicts of interest before publication.
  • Data Ownership and Access: Authors must clarify the ownership and access rights to the data presented in the manuscript.
  • Reporting Standards: Authors should comply with international standards for publication, particularly with regard to studies on living subjects. They must also be aware of the practices for handling multiple or concurrent publications and the associated consequences.
  • Ethical Approvals: For studies involving animals, the methods section must state that ethical approval was obtained from the relevant committee, and efforts were made to minimize animal suffering.
  • Ethics of Investigation: Authors must ensure that the manuscript complies with the guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration (as revised in 1975). Manuscripts failing to meet these ethical standards will be rejected.
  • Permissions: If any content, such as tables or figures, is taken from previously published works, authors must obtain permission from the original publishers or authors, as per copyright regulations. TWIST may request proof of permission at any time, even post-publication.
  • Originality and Plagiarism: The editorial office strictly monitors plagiarism and fraudulent data. If detected, the manuscript will be rejected, and it will not be reconsidered for publication in any circumstances.
  • Appeal of Decision: Authors have the right to appeal an editorial decision in writing, citing reasons and providing supporting evidence.

Editor/Associate Editors/Editorial Members Responsibilities

  • Editorship: Editors are selected based on their expertise and scientific reputation. They are responsible for maintaining publication quality and ensuring adherence to publication ethics.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must not disclose any manuscript content before publication. They must also refrain from using ideas or data from submitted manuscripts for personal or financial gain.
  • Assessment of Manuscripts: Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely based on scientific merit, without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or other personal factors.
  • Flexibility and Cooperation: Editors must support ethical standards, address retractions or corrections when needed, and cooperate with authors to improve the quality of publications.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest and suggest an alternative editor.
  • Accountabilities: If misconduct is suspected, the publisher will promptly investigate and work with the authors to resolve the issue.

Reviewers Responsibilities

  • Reviewership: Reviewers play a vital role in the peer-review process, ensuring the quality and integrity of publications. They must accept review requests only when the manuscript falls within their area of expertise.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if there is any conflict of interest or if they are unable to submit the review on time.
  • Confidentiality: Reviewers are bound by confidentiality and may not share manuscript content before publication. Ideas or concepts generated from the manuscript must not be used for personal or financial gain.
  • Objectivity: Reviews should be based on the scientific content, quality of the study, and value of the findings. Reviewers must avoid bias based on personal interests, race, gender, or other non-scientific factors.
  • Meeting Standards: Reviewers must follow the review criteria outlined by the journal and report unethical practices (such as plagiarism or data fabrication) through the confidential comments section in the online submission system.

Double-Blind Peer Review Process

After a manuscript is submitted to TWIST, and passes the initial suitability check by the editorial team, it undergoes a double-blind peer review process. In this process, both the identities of the authors and reviewers are anonymized to eliminate bias. Here’s how it works:

  • Suitability Check: The editorial team ensures that the manuscript aligns with the journal's scope and submission guidelines.
  • Peer Review: Upon passing the suitability check, the manuscript is sent to at least two expert reviewers in the relevant field. At least one of the reviewers will be affiliated with an institution outside the authors' country, ensuring an international perspective.
  • Review Outcome: Based on the evaluations provided by the peer reviewers, the editorial team will make a decision regarding the manuscript's acceptance. This decision may require minor revisions, major revisions, or rejection.
  • Final Decision: The editorial team will communicate the final decision to the authors along with the peer review comments. Authors must address the required revisions and resubmit the manuscript.
  • Proofreading and Publication: Once the manuscript is accepted and all revisions are finalized along with the completion of journal APC, it undergoes proofreading before being published in the appropriate journal issue.

Publisher/Copy-Editor Responsibilities

  • Involvement in Peer Review: TWIST journal team ensures all components of the peer-review process are well coordinated, facilitating quality publications.
  • Article Withdrawal and Corrections: Articles may be withdrawn if proven to be plagiarized, contain fraudulent data, or violate ethical standards. Minor errors will be corrected, and the corrected version will be published with clear acknowledgment.
  • Integrity and Quality of Services: TWIST journal guarantees confidentiality before publication, ensures compliance with archiving and abstracting standards, and maintains timely publication.

 

Publication Malpractice Statement

TWIST strictly opposes any form of publication malpractice and is dedicated to identifying and preventing unethical behavior at all stages of the publication process.

Authors must not engage in unethical practices such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously or publishing the same research in more than one journal without proper justification is prohibited. Authors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that might influence the interpretation of their work.

Reviewers must ensure their evaluations are fair, unbiased, and based solely on the manuscript’s academic merit. They should avoid reviewing manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest. Reviewers must not use any unpublished material disclosed in a manuscript for their own research purposes.

Editors must ensure that decisions on manuscripts are based on objective criteria and are free from any commercial, personal, or political influence. Any suspected cases of ethical violations, including plagiarism or data manipulation, will be investigated thoroughly. The editorial team reserves the right to retract or correct articles if ethical breaches are identified post-publication.

The publisher is committed to supporting ethical publishing practices and will collaborate with authors, reviewers, and editors to address any allegations of misconduct. The journal adheres to COPE guidelines to ensure fair and transparent handling of all ethical issues.