Publication Ethics
Journal Information
Publication Ethics
Zoological Reports – An International Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows internationally accepted ethical guidelines to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the publication process. All parties involved in scholarly publishing—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to ethical principles that support the reliability and credibility of the scientific record.
Authors are required to present original research conducted in an honest and responsible manner. Data must be accurately reported, and any manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of results is strictly prohibited. Proper acknowledgment of all sources, contributors, and funding agencies is mandatory. Research involving animals must comply with institutional, national, and international ethical standards, and authors must clearly state that necessary approvals and permissions were obtained. Any potential conflicts of interest must be fully disclosed at the time of submission.
Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and confidential editorial process. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical standards, without discrimination based on the authors’ background or affiliation. Editors must maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and avoid handling submissions in which they have conflicts of interest. Decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection are made transparently and supported by expert peer review.
Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining publication quality and are expected to conduct reviews objectively, constructively, and in a timely manner. All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and report any suspected ethical misconduct, plagiarism, or conflicts of interest to the editorial office. Personal criticism of authors is unacceptable, and evaluations should be based solely on scholarly merit.
The journal has zero tolerance for unethical practices such as plagiarism, duplicate submission, data manipulation, improper authorship, or undisclosed conflicts of interest. Allegations of ethical misconduct are handled seriously and investigated thoroughly in accordance with established ethical guidelines. When misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections or retractions, and notification of relevant institutions or authorities when necessary.
Zoological Reports – An International Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record through transparent handling of ethical issues, corrections, and retractions. The journal regularly reviews and updates its publication ethics policies to remain aligned with evolving international standards and best practices. By adhering to these ethical principles, the journal seeks to foster trust, accountability, and excellence in zoological and biological research publishing.
1. Retraction Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal is committed to preserving the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. Retractions are issued when a published article is found to contain serious errors or ethical violations that invalidate its findings or conclusions. Grounds for retraction may include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research practices, serious methodological errors, or undisclosed conflicts of interest that compromise the validity of the work.
When concerns regarding a published article are raised, the journal conducts a thorough and impartial investigation in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Authors are given the opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide clarification or supporting documentation. If misconduct or significant error is confirmed, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board, will determine the appropriate course of action.
Retraction notices are published promptly and clearly identify the retracted article, state the reason for retraction, and indicate who initiated the retraction. Retracted articles remain accessible in the journal archive for transparency but are clearly marked as retracted to prevent their use as valid scientific evidence. The journal may also notify relevant institutions, funding bodies, or indexing services when necessary.
2. Corrections & Errata Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal recognizes that minor errors may occasionally occur in published articles despite rigorous peer review and editorial processes. Corrections or errata are issued to address factual inaccuracies, typographical errors, authorship details, or omissions that do not compromise the overall scientific validity of the article.
When an error is identified by authors, readers, or editors, the journal evaluates the nature and impact of the error. If a correction is warranted, an official correction notice or erratum is published and linked to the original article. The correction clearly explains the nature of the error and provides the accurate information. In cases where errors significantly affect the interpretation of the results but do not warrant retraction, a detailed correction may be issued to maintain transparency and accuracy.
All corrections and errata are made openly and promptly to ensure the reliability of the scientific record. The journal is committed to maintaining transparency while ensuring that readers have access to the most accurate and up-to-date version of the published work.
3. Data Availability Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal supports transparency, reproducibility, and responsible data sharing in scientific research. Authors are encouraged to make the data underlying their published findings publicly available whenever possible, in accordance with ethical, legal, and privacy considerations. Data sharing enhances verification of results, fosters collaboration, and promotes further scientific discovery.
Authors should include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript describing where and how the supporting data can be accessed, or explaining any restrictions on data availability. Data may be deposited in recognized public repositories, provided as supplementary materials, or made available upon reasonable request. For studies involving sensitive data, such as endangered species locations or ethically restricted information, authors must clearly justify any limitations on data sharing.
The journal expects authors to ensure that shared data are accurate, complete, and properly documented to allow reuse and verification by other researchers. While the journal does not require unrestricted public access to all datasets, transparency regarding data availability is mandatory. The journal may update this policy to align with evolving open science practices and international publishing standards.
4. Conflict of Interest Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal is committed to ensuring transparency and objectivity in the publication process. A conflict of interest exists when financial, professional, or personal relationships could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, the conduct, evaluation, or interpretation of research. To maintain trust in scholarly publishing, the journal requires full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest from authors, reviewers, and editors.
Authors must declare any financial support, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patents, or personal relationships that may influence the research or its interpretation. All declared conflicts must be clearly stated in a dedicated Conflict of Interest section of the manuscript. If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state that they have no competing interests. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in rejection of the manuscript or corrective action after publication.
Reviewers and editors are also required to disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality. Individuals with conflicts must recuse themselves from the review or editorial handling of the manuscript. The journal treats all disclosures confidentially and uses them solely to ensure fairness and transparency in editorial decision-making.
5. Author Contribution Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal supports transparency in authorship and ensures that credit is accurately assigned to all contributors. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the research, including study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for the work.
Authors are required to include a clear Author Contributions Statement describing the specific role of each contributor. Contributions may include conceptualization, methodology, data analysis, investigation, writing, reviewing, editing, supervision, or funding acquisition. Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately with their consent.
The journal does not permit honorary, guest, or gift authorship. Disputes regarding authorship must be resolved by the authors’ institutions prior to submission. Any changes to authorship after submission or acceptance must be approved by all authors and justified in writing to the editorial office.
6. Archiving & Preservation Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal is committed to ensuring the long-term accessibility and preservation of its published content. The journal maintains digital archiving practices that safeguard scholarly articles against data loss, technological failure, or journal discontinuation. All published articles are preserved in secure digital formats to ensure permanent availability.
The journal supports electronic archiving through reliable online storage systems and encourages inclusion in recognized digital repositories and indexing platforms. Articles remain accessible on the journal’s website and may also be archived by authors in institutional repositories, personal websites, or academic networking platforms, in accordance with the journal’s open access and licensing policies.
By implementing archiving and preservation measures, Zoological Reports ensures the stability, reliability, and longevity of the scientific record. The journal periodically reviews and updates its archiving strategy to align with evolving best practices in digital preservation and open access publishing.
7. Waiver Policy
Zoological Reports – An International Journal recognizes that publication costs can be a barrier for some authors, particularly those from developing countries or institutions with limited funding. To support equitable access to publication opportunities, the journal offers a full or partial waiver of the Article Processing Charge (APC) upon request, based on financial need or institutional constraints.
Authors seeking a waiver are encouraged to provide a brief explanation of their circumstances during manuscript submission. Requests are assessed by the editorial office on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as the author’s country of residence, institutional support, and availability of research funding. Decisions on waivers are made prior to acceptance, and authors will be informed of the outcome in a timely manner. This policy ensures that high-quality research can be published irrespective of the author’s financial situation while maintaining transparency and fairness.
7. Indexing & Abstracting
Zoological Reports – An International Journal strives for broad visibility and accessibility of published research. The journal is indexed and abstracted in reputable international databases and platforms to ensure discoverability by the global scientific community. Inclusion in indexing services enhances citation potential, facilitates research dissemination, and supports academic impact across the field of zoological sciences.
The journal actively pursues indexing in major scientific and bibliographic databases, repositories, and open access directories. Articles published in Zoological Reports are assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to guarantee permanent access and ease of citation. By maintaining high editorial standards, rigorous peer review, and open access availability, the journal ensures that its content meets the quality criteria of leading indexing organizations. Updated information about current indexing and abstracting services is provided on the journal website to assist authors and readers in locating published research efficiently.
8. Journal Disclaimer
Zoological Reports – An International Journal provides scholarly content for educational, research, and professional purposes. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of published information, the journal, editors, and publisher do not accept responsibility for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of the information contained in its articles.
All views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in published manuscripts are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the journal, its editorial board, or the publisher. Readers are encouraged to verify information, apply critical judgment, and consult original sources when interpreting or applying research findings. The journal reserves the right to make updates, corrections, or retractions to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.