Ethical  Consideration

The editor of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) Journals may consult others regarding any concerns related to submitted papers, such as ethical considerations or access to data and materials. Establishing agreed-upon standards for ethical conduct is crucial for everyone involved in the publishing process, including authors, journal editors, peer reviewers, etc .

Authorship and Author’s Responsibility

The corresponding author is primarily responsible for communication with the journal throughout the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication processes. This individual typically ensures that all administrative requirements of the journal are met, including providing authorship details, ethics committee approval, and collecting conflict of interest statements. The corresponding author should promptly address any editorial inquiries during the submission and peer review phases and cooperate with the journal’s requests after publication. The Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) Journals generally do not permit the addition of authors or changes to the first or corresponding authors after the article has been finally accepted. If an author wishes to be removed from the byline, they must submit a letter signed by themselves and all other authors expressing their desire to be excluded. Any changes in the order of names in the byline also require a letter signed by all authors indicating their agreement.

Conflict of Interest

Human and Animal Rights

Informed Consent

Originality and Duplicate Publication

Manuscripts submitted to FUM journals must be original and should not have been published or submitted for publication in any other venue. This requirement also applies to manuscripts that are under review with FUM journals while being submitted to other publications. All authors are required to address any copyright concerns when citing figures or tables from other journals.

Research and Publication Misconduct

FUM journals and their editorial board will continuously strive to monitor and address publication misconduct, including issues such as duplicate publication, plagiarism, fraudulent or fabricated data, changes in authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, ethical concerns with submitted manuscripts, instances where a reviewer has taken an author’s idea or data, and complaints against editors, among others. When the journal encounters suspected cases of research and publication misconduct, the resolution process will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the “Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).” The full guidelines can be found on the COPE website: http://www.publicationethics.org.

Plagiarism

We strongly advise our authors to thoroughly review their manuscript content before submitting it to any FUM journal for publication. Authors may utilize reliable and valid plagiarism detection software to ensure their manuscripts are free of plagiarism. All FUM journals will conduct plagiarism checks on all submitted manuscripts upon receipt and again before publication, using Samim Noor systems for Persian articles and iThenticate for English articles. If plagiarism is identified at any stage of the publication process—whether by reviewers, Editors-in-Chief, readers, or editorial staff—the manuscript will be rejected, and the corresponding author will be notified. Self-plagiarism will also be addressed and managed appropriately.

In cases where plagiarism is detected in a submitted manuscript or a published paper, the code of conduct and flowcharts from COPE will be applied.