PRIOR PUBLICATION POLICY

PRIOR PUBLICATION POLICY

This journal follows recognized ethical publishing standards on redundant publication. To maintain the integrity of the scholarly record and prevent duplication, authors are required to disclose any prior publication or public distribution of their manuscript at the time of submission.

Disclosure Requirements at Submission

Authors must:

  • Disclose any prior distribution or publication of all or part of the manuscript during submission.
  • Clearly mark any quoted material and provide appropriate attribution.
  • Describe the nature and location of any previously disseminated versions (e.g., preprints, theses, conference abstracts, institutional repositories).

General Rule

If a substantial portion of the manuscript has already been formally published elsewhere as a journal article, it is generally not eligible for publication in this journal. However, certain forms of prior dissemination do not necessarily constitute prior publication, provided full disclosure is made and the submission meets novelty and scope requirements.

Acceptable Forms of Prior Distribution

1) Preprints and Working Papers

Posting manuscripts on preprint servers (e.g., medRxiv, bioRxiv) or scholarly collaboration networks (e.g., ResearchGate, Academia.edu) may be acceptable. Authors should note that public preprints may compromise anonymity in double-blind peer review.

2) Theses and Dissertations

Thesis content is generally acceptable provided that:

  • the thesis has not been formally published as a journal article, and
  • the manuscript is appropriately revised and properly cited.

3) Conference Presentations

Manuscripts based on conference abstracts, posters, or presentations may be considered if they:

  • were not published in full as a journal article,
  • are substantially developed beyond the presented content, and
  • include proper disclosure and attribution.

4) Clinical Trial Registries and Raw Data

Use of previously registered trial data or publicly available datasets is acceptable if:

  • permissions and ethical requirements are met, and
  • any prior publications using the same dataset are disclosed and appropriately referenced.

Restrictions After Submission

Once a manuscript is submitted:

  • Authors should avoid posting new or revised versions publicly in a way that may compromise double-blind review or create duplication concerns during evaluation.
  • After acceptance and publication, authors may share the work according to the journal’s Open Access, Licensing, and Self-Archiving policies.

Note: As an open access journal, the sharing of the published version is governed by the journal’s licensing terms and self-archiving policy.

Questions and Clarification

If there is uncertainty regarding eligibility of previously shared content, authors should contact the editorial office prior to submission. Editors reserve the right to determine whether prior dissemination compromises novelty or originality.