Ethics

WiPiEC is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal promotes honest, transparent, responsible, and ethical scholarly communication throughout the entire publication process.

The ethical standards described on this page apply to all participants involved in scholarly publishing, including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, and the Publisher.

These principles are intended to protect the integrity of the scientific record, ensure fairness during editorial evaluation, and strengthen confidence in published research.

The Editorial Board periodically reviews these policies to ensure continued alignment with internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing.

Ethical Principles

Responsibilities of Authors

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Responsibilities of Editors

Responsibilities of Publisher

Professional Conduct

Handling Misconduct

Ethical Principles

WiPiEC promotes integrity, transparency, fairness, accountability, and scientific excellence. All participants in the publication process are expected to:

• conduct and report research honestly;
• submit original work with appropriate attribution;
• maintain confidentiality during peer review;
• disclose competing interests and funding sources;
• respect intellectual property rights;
• comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements; and
• cooperate in correcting the scholarly record when necessary.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, peer-review manipulation, inappropriate authorship, or other forms of research misconduct. Allegations are investigated fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial procedures.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

• the work is original and complies with the journal's policies;
• all authors meet the journal's authorship criteria and approve the submission;
• research has been conducted ethically and all required approvals have been obtained;
• research data are accurate and available where appropriate;
• competing interests and funding sources are fully disclosed;
• all sources are properly cited; and
• any use of AI-assisted tools has been disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI Policy.

Authors should cooperate throughout peer review and promptly notify the Editorial Office if significant errors are discovered after publication.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to maintaining the scientific quality of the journal through objective, confidential, and constructive peer review.

Reviewers should:

• accept reviews only within their expertise;
• maintain confidentiality;
• provide objective, evidence-based evaluations;
• declare any conflicts of interest;
• report suspected ethical concerns or publication misconduct; and
• respect the independence of the editorial decision-making process.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory, and final publication decisions remain the responsibility of the Editor.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring fair, impartial, and confidential evaluation of submitted manuscripts.

Editors should:

• base decisions solely on scientific merit;
• protect editorial independence;
• select qualified reviewers;
• maintain confidentiality;
• manage conflicts of interest;
• investigate suspected ethical concerns; and
• take appropriate post-publication actions, including corrections, Expressions of Concern, or retractions when necessary.

Editors perform their duties without discrimination and in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics standards.

Responsibilities of Publisher

The Publisher provides the administrative, technical, and publishing infrastructure necessary for the operation of WiPiEC while fully respecting editorial independence.

The Publisher supports:

• ethical scholarly publishing;
• DOI registration and metadata dissemination;
• digital preservation;
• long-term accessibility of published articles;
• investigations of publication misconduct; and
• continuous improvement of editorial and publishing practices.

Scientific decisions remain the sole responsibility of the Editorial Board.

Professional Conduct

All participants in the publication process are expected to act with professionalism, integrity, fairness, and respect.

Participants should:

• communicate respectfully;
• maintain confidentiality;
• avoid discrimination, harassment, or intimidation;
• respect intellectual property;
• cooperate during editorial investigations; and
• report suspected ethical concerns in good faith.

Scientific disagreements should be expressed objectively and supported by evidence. The journal does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who responsibly report suspected misconduct.

Handling Misconduct

WiPiEC investigates allegations of research or publication misconduct fairly, confidentially, and objectively.

Possible misconduct includes:

• plagiarism;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• data fabrication or falsification;
• misleading image manipulation;
• inappropriate authorship;
• peer-review manipulation;
• citation manipulation;
• undisclosed competing interests; and
• unethical research practices.

Following an investigation, the Editorial Board may take appropriate action, including requesting clarification or revision, rejecting a manuscript, publishing a correction or Expression of Concern, retracting an article, or notifying relevant institutions where appropriate.

The journal distinguishes honest error from intentional misconduct and ensures that all investigations are evidence-based, impartial, and proportionate. Its primary objective is to protect the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.