Ethical Principles

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

Foresight and Public Health is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. We uphold the ethical principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follow the best practices outlined in international guidelines for ethical publishing. Our ethical policies ensure that all submitted manuscripts meet rigorous scientific, professional, and ethical standards.

The journal strictly prohibits any form of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, authorship manipulation, conflicts of interest, and duplicate submissions. All stakeholders—including authors, reviewers, and editors—are expected to adhere to ethical guidelines to ensure a transparent and credible publication process.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Foresight and Public Health are expected to follow ethical guidelines to ensure the integrity of their research and its dissemination.

1. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must submit original work that has not been published elsewhere.
  • Manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection using iThenticate to ensure originality.
  • Direct copying, self-plagiarism (redundant publication), mosaic plagiarism, and improper attribution of sources are strictly prohibited.
  • Any overlap with previous work must be appropriately cited and referenced.

2. Data Integrity and Fabrication

  • Authors must ensure that all data presented in their research are accurate, truthful, and verifiable.
  • Data fabrication (creating false data) and data falsification (manipulating research findings) are considered serious ethical violations.
  • Authors should retain their raw data and be prepared to provide access if requested by reviewers or editors for verification.

3. Proper Acknowledgment and Authorship

  • All individuals who have contributed significantly to the research must be listed as authors.
  • Ghost authorship (excluding legitimate contributors) and gift authorship (adding individuals who did not contribute to the work) are unethical and unacceptable.
  • The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors agree to the final version of the manuscript and consent to its submission.
  • Any individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgments” section.

4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

  • Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence their research.
  • Potential conflicts of interest, including funding sources, affiliations, and personal relationships, should be transparently declared in the manuscript.

5. Ethical Approval and Human/Animal Research Compliance

  • Research involving human participants must comply with ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki and be approved by an institutional ethics committee.
  • Informed consent must be obtained from all participants, and privacy should be protected.
  • Studies involving animals must adhere to internationally recognized ethical standards, such as those provided by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC).
  • Authors must clearly state ethical approval details and provide a statement on ethical compliance in their manuscript.

6. Multiple, Redundant, or Simultaneous Submissions

  • Manuscripts submitted to Foresight and Public Health should not be under review at another journal simultaneously.
  • Submitting the same research to multiple journals (duplicate publication) is unethical and unacceptable.
  • If a manuscript is based on previously published work, significant additions or modifications must be made, and the original publication must be cited.

7. Corrections and Retractions

  • If authors discover errors in their published work, they must notify the journal immediately to issue a correction.
  • If the error is significant or compromises the research integrity, the article may be retracted following COPE guidelines.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors at Foresight and Public Health play a critical role in maintaining the ethical integrity of the journal. The editorial team is committed to fair, unbiased decision-making and ensuring that all manuscripts are evaluated solely based on their scholarly merit.

1. Fair and Unbiased Editorial Decisions

  • Manuscripts are assessed based on their originality, scientific validity, and relevance to the journal's scope.
  • Editors must not discriminate based on race, gender, nationality, religious beliefs, or political views of authors.
  • Editorial decisions must not be influenced by external commercial or personal interests.

2. Confidentiality and Anonymity

  • Editors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are treated with strict confidentiality.
  • Double-blind peer review ensures that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.
  • Manuscript information must not be disclosed to anyone except those involved in the review process (e.g., authors, reviewers, editorial board members).

3. Managing Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists (e.g., personal relationships with authors, institutional affiliations).
  • Editors must not use unpublished data from submitted manuscripts for their own research without explicit written consent from the authors.

4. Handling Misconduct Allegations

  • The editorial team follows COPE guidelines for addressing ethical concerns and potential research misconduct.
  • If ethical violations are suspected, editors will conduct an investigation and may involve the authors’ affiliated institutions.
  • In cases of serious misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, plagiarism), the manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted as necessary.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the research published in Foresight and Public Health. The journal follows a double-blind peer-review process, and reviewers are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards.

1. Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

  • Reviews should be objective, unbiased, and constructive.
  • Reviewers should avoid personal criticism and focus on improving the manuscript’s scientific rigor.
  • Recommendations for acceptance, revision, or rejection should be based on evidence and sound reasoning.

2. Confidentiality and Anonymity

  • Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Manuscripts must not be shared, discussed, or disclosed to unauthorized individuals.
  • Reviewers must not use unpublished data for their own research.

3. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

  • Reviewers must decline the review if they have a conflict of interest (e.g., personal relationships with authors, institutional affiliations).
  • Any competing interests must be declared before accepting the review invitation.

4. Timely and Ethical Review Process

  • Reviewers should complete their evaluation within the stipulated timeframe to avoid delays in the publication process.
  • If a reviewer cannot complete the review on time, they should notify the editor and withdraw from the process.

Publication Malpractice Policy

To maintain the highest level of academic integrity, Foresight and Public Health has a strict zero-tolerance policy for publication malpractice. This includes:

  • Plagiarism – Any form of plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
  • Data Fabrication and Falsification – Submitting false or manipulated data is a serious ethical violation.
  • Duplicate Submissions – Authors must not submit the same research to multiple journals.
  • Unethical Research Practices – Studies involving human or animal subjects must follow ethical guidelines.

If misconduct is detected:

  • The journal will conduct a formal investigation.
  • The manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted.
  • The authors’ institutions may be notified of the ethical breach.