The formal aspect of scholarly communication, exemplified by publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals, is vital in building a cohesive and respected knowledge network. It facilitates the exchange of ideas and embodies and supports the scientific method. Therefore, it’s crucial to establish ethical standards for all parties involved in publishing, including authors, editors, peer reviewers, publishers, and affiliated societies.

These standards emphasize treating each other fairly and respectfully while prohibiting discrimination, harassment, bullying, or retaliation. While these guidelines are primarily for primary research journals, they may also be relevant for review and professional publications. Individual journals often have their ethical procedures outlined in their Guide for Authors, and many adhere to discipline-specific standards established by organizations such as the International Council of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT). These efforts aim to uphold the integrity and credibility of scholarly publishing.

Authors Responsibilities

BIRDs Press assumes that authors have agreed with the content, that all gave explicit consent to submit, and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work was carried out before submission.

The Publisher does not prescribe the kinds of contributions that warrant authorship. It is recommended that authors adhere to the guidelines for authorship that apply to their specific research field. In the absence of specific guidelines, it is recommended to adhere to :

ICMJE, Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors, http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html 

One author is assigned as the Corresponding Author, acts on behalf of all co-authors, and ensures that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately addressed

Informed Consent

All individuals have rights that are not to be infringed. Individual study participants have, for example, the right to decide what happens to the (identifiable) personal data gathered, what they have said during a study or an interview, and to any photograph taken. This is especially true concerning images of vulnerable people (e.g. minors, patients, refugees, etc.) or the use of images in sensitive contexts. In many instances, authors will need to secure written consent before including images.
Identifying details (names, dates of birth, identity numbers, biometrical characteristics (such as facial features, fingerprint, writing style, voice pattern, DNA or other distinguishing characteristic) and other information) of the participants that were studied should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and genetic profiles unless the information is essential for scholarly purposes and the participant (or parent/guardian if the participant is a minor or incapable or legal representative) gave written informed consent for publication. Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve in some cases. Detailed descriptions of individual participants, whether of their whole bodies or body sections, may lead to disclosing their identity. Under certain circumstances, consent is not required as long as the information is anonymized and the submission does not include images that may identify the person.

Corrections and Retractions

If misbehaviour or purported fraud is suspected, the journals and/or Publisher will investigate using COPE rules. Following an inquiry, the authors in question will be contacted using the email address they provided and given the chance to resolve any legitimate issues. This could lead to the journal and/or Publisher taking the following actions, depending on the circumstances, including but not limited to:

The manuscript can be rejected and sent back to the author if it is still being considered.
If the piece has already been posted online, the type and seriousness of the violation will determine:

a) It's possible to include an update or correction with the article.
b) The article can have an editorial note or expression of concern attached to it.
c) or, in severe cases, retraction of the article may occur.

In exceptional circumstances, BIRDs Press reserves the right to remove an article, chapter, book or other content from its online platforms. Such action may be taken when (i) it has been advised that content is defamatory, infringes a third party’s intellectual property right, right to privacy, or other legal rights, or is otherwise unlawful; (ii) a court or government order has been issued, or is likely to be issued, requiring removal of such content; (iii) content, if acted upon, would pose an immediate and serious risk to health. Removal may be temporary or permanent. Bibliographic metadata (e.g. title and authors) will be retained and accompanied by a statement explaining why the content has been removed.

Editors Policies

Selecting which papers submitted to a scholarly journal should be published is the exclusive and autonomous responsibility of the editor, who frequently collaborates with the pertinent society (for society-owned or sponsored journals). These decisions must always be supported by validating the relevant work and its significance to readers and scholars. The journal’s editorial board regulations and any applicable laws about plagiarism, copyright violations, and libel may serve as guidelines for the editor at that time. The editor may consult with other editors, reviewers, or society officers when making these choices.

The editor is responsible for ensuring the peer review procedure is impartial, timely, and fair. Normally, two or more external, independent reviewers must examine research publications. If more opinions are needed, the editor should also get them.

Without considering the authors’ political philosophies, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or place of citizenship, the editor should assess submissions based only on their intellectual merit. The editor will consider adequate, inclusive, and varied representation when proposing candidates for the editorial board.

Editorial Board members are selected by the journal’s editor(s), with input from the publisher.

The journal’s editorial guidelines should promote openness and thorough, truthful reporting, and the editor should ensure that authors and peer reviewers know exactly what is expected of them. The editor will use the journal’s regular electronic submission procedure for all journal communications.

Peer Review

Peer review helps editors make editorial decisions and may also help authors improve their work through editorial contacts. Peer review is the foundation of the scientific method and a crucial part of formal scholarly communication. Reviewers are expected to follow proper reviewing etiquette and treat authors and their work with the respect they would like to be given, in addition to the specific ethics-related responsibilities listed below.

Suppose a referee is chosen and determines they are not qualified to examine the research presented in a paper or cannot review it promptly. In that case, they should inform the editor and decline to review the work.

Ethics topics to consider when publishing include:

• Authorship of the paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution or interpretation of the reported study.
• Originality and plagiarism: The authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
• Data access and retention: Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review and should be prepared to provide public access to such data.
• Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication: An author should not generally publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication.
• Acknowledgement of sources: Proper acknowledgement of the work of others must always be given.
• Disclosure and conflicts of interest: All submissions must include disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting potential conflicts of interest
• Fundamental errors in published works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her published work, the author must promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
• Reporting standards: Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance.
• Use of patient images or case details: Studies on patients or volunteers require ethics committee approval and informed consent, which should be documented in the paper.