Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Milky Way Scientific Journal (MWSJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. The journal adheres to the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based solely on the scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts. Editorial decisions are independent of commercial interests and are not influenced by the author's nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, political belief, or institutional affiliation.

Editors ensure:

  • Fair and unbiased evaluation of every submission
  • Confidential handling of manuscripts and all related correspondence
  • Management and disclosure of conflicts of interest
  • That editors recuse themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a competing interest

2. Peer Review Process

MWSJ operates a double-blind peer review system, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively and support their assessments with clear reasoning
  • Maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and not use unpublished material for their own advantage
  • Declare any conflict of interest and decline the review where one exists
  • Provide constructive, professional feedback within the agreed timeframe

Editorial decisions are based on reviewers' recommendations and academic merit. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

3. Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to:

  • Research conception or design
  • Data collection or analysis
  • Drafting or critically revising the manuscript

All authors must approve the final version before submission and agree to be accountable for the work. Guest, honorary, and ghost authorship are strictly prohibited. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be recognised in the Acknowledgements.

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be made in writing by the corresponding author, with the written agreement of all authors, and are subject to editorial approval.

4. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to MWSJ are screened for textual similarity using Crossref Similarity Check, powered by iThenticate. Screening is carried out before manuscripts are sent for peer review, and manuscripts may be screened again prior to final acceptance.

The Editorial Office reviews each similarity report in full. A numerical similarity score alone does not determine the outcome, as properly quoted and cited material, standard methodological descriptions, and reference lists may contribute to the score. Editors assess the nature, extent, and source of any matched text.

Manuscripts containing unattributed text from other works, undisclosed redundant or duplicate publication, or substantial reuse of the authors' own previously published material without citation will be returned for revision or declined, in line with COPE guidance.

Where concerns arise after publication, the journal will follow COPE procedures, which may include a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are properly cited and that the submitted work is original and not under consideration elsewhere.

5. Data Integrity and Availability

Authors must ensure data accuracy and integrity. Fabrication, falsification, and manipulation of data or images constitute serious misconduct.

Authors may be required to provide raw data for editorial review and should retain their data for a reasonable period after publication.

6. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence the research or its evaluation.

All conflicts of interest must be clearly declared in the manuscript. Where no conflict exists, authors should state this explicitly.

7. Retraction Policy

Articles may be retracted in cases of:

  • Proven research misconduct
  • Serious methodological error invalidating the findings
  • Plagiarism
  • Duplicate or redundant publication
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect the work

Retraction notices will state the reason for retraction, will remain permanently available, and will be linked to the original article. Retracted articles will remain accessible and clearly marked as retracted.

8. Corrections and Errata

Minor errors that do not affect the results or conclusions will be addressed via an erratum.

Major corrections will be clearly identified and permanently linked to the original article. The original article is never removed or replaced.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written request to the editorial office, setting out the grounds for appeal and responding to the points raised in review.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where necessary, an independent editorial advisor who was not involved in the original decision. The journal aims to acknowledge appeals within 10 working days.

10. Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants or animals must include approval from an appropriate ethics committee, with the approving body and reference number stated in the manuscript. Informed consent must be obtained and documented where applicable.

Research involving human participants must conform to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

11. AI Usage Policy

Authors may use tools that correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation at the word or sentence level (for example, Grammarly or the spelling and grammar checker in Word). Generative AI tools (for example, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, or Grok) may not be used to write, rewrite, paraphrase, or translate paragraphs or sections of a manuscript, or to generate any substantive content, including the research design, analysis, interpretation of results, conclusions, or references.

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
  • Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in the manuscript, specifying the tool and its purpose.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for all content, including the accuracy of all references.
  • Disclosure does not make AI-generated text acceptable. Manuscripts found to be substantially written or rewritten by AI will be declined, even if AI use was declared.
  • The editorial office may request earlier drafts or other evidence of authorship.
  • Submissions may be screened for AI-generated text. Manuscripts with undisclosed AI use may be declined or returned for revision.
  • AI-generated text detected after publication may result in correction or retraction under Sections 7 and 8.

Reviewers may not upload manuscripts to AI tools, as this breaches confidentiality. The editorial office may use secure AI tools only for administrative support (such as formatting, reference checking, and anonymization checks); all editorial decisions are made by human editors, and manuscripts are handled confidentially.

12. Research Misconduct Handling

Allegations of misconduct will be investigated following COPE guidelines. The corresponding author will be given the opportunity to respond before any decision is taken. If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate action will be taken, which may include rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of the authors' institution.

13. Responsible Research Assessment (DORA)

Milky Way Scientific Journal supports the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). We believe research should be assessed on its own merits, not on the journal in which it is published. Accordingly:

  • We do not promote the journal using the Journal Impact Factor or other journal-level metrics.
  • Articles are evaluated during peer review on their scientific content, methods and contribution, not on the reputation of their authors or institutions.
  • Reference lists have no length limits, and authors are encouraged to cite primary literature.
  • All articles are published under CC BY 4.0, and reference lists are deposited openly with Crossref.

Learn more: https://sfdora.org
For inquiries regarding publication ethics, contact: editor@mwsjournal.com