Publishing Policies

Authorship & transparency

How contribution, interests, funding and accountability are disclosed.

Authorship and contributorship

Authorship combines substantial contribution, approval and accountability; contribution details remain visible.

Every listed author must make a substantial contribution, participate in drafting or critical revision, approve the submitted version and accept accountability for the work.
Contributors who do not meet all authorship criteria are acknowledged with their permission and their role described.
The corresponding author confirms the author list, affiliations, approvals and communication with all contributors.
A CRediT contribution statement is collected as a separate submission field. Authorship changes require an explanation and written agreement from all affected authors.

Authors, reviewers and editors disclose relationships that could reasonably be perceived to influence their work.

Relevant financial, personal, professional, institutional and intellectual relationships must be declared, including funding and the funder's role.
Reviewers decline or seek editorial guidance when a relationship could affect impartial assessment.
Editors recuse themselves from manuscripts involving close collaborators, competitors, institutions or interests that create an actual or perceived conflict.
A declaration of no competing interests is required when none exist. Undisclosed interests may require investigation and post-publication action.