This is a comprehensive overview of WAIMS Journal’s policies on ethics, peer review, open access, and other important aspects of publishing. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

Publication Ethics:

  • Originality: WAIMS emphasizes the publication of original, unpublished work. Authors must ensure their submissions are not under consideration elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism: Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. The journal uses plagiarism detection tools to screen submissions.
  • Copyright: Authors must obtain necessary permissions for any previously published material.
  • Duplicate Submissions: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unacceptable.

Peer Review Policy:

  • Objective and Unbiased: WAIMS employs a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality.
  • Preliminary Review: Editors conduct an initial review to determine suitability for peer review.
  • Expert Reviewers: Qualified experts in the field provide objective feedback.
  • Rejection: Rejection doesn’t necessarily indicate poor quality; it could be due to scope or novelty concerns.

Open Access Policy:

  • Free Access: All published articles are immediately and freely accessible online.
  • No Subscription or Registration: Users can access content without any barriers.

Archiving Policy:

  • Permanent Archives: WAIMS uses Amazon Web Services to preserve and restore published articles.

Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Authors: Responsible for originality, ethical conduct, and participation in the peer-review process.
  • Editors: Evaluate manuscripts, ensure fairness, and make acceptance/rejection decisions.
  • Reviewers: Provide constructive feedback, maintain confidentiality, and identify potential conflicts.
  • Publisher: Upholds ethical standards, communicates with editors, and protects intellectual property.

Article Withdrawal Policy:

  • Limited Circumstances: Published articles are generally not modified or removed, except in cases of ethical violations, legal issues, or inaccurate data.
  • Retraction: Used to remove unreliable or unethical research from the scientific record.

Authorship:

  • Contribution and Accountability: Authorship should accurately reflect contributions to the work.
  • Corresponding Author: One author must be designated as the corresponding author.

Special Issues:

  • Alignment with Scope: Proposals must align with the journal’s aims and scope.
  • Guest Editor Responsibilities: Guest editors manage the review and revision process for special issue submissions.

Disclaimer:

  • Author Responsibility: Authors are solely responsible for the content of their articles.
  • No Liability: The publisher and editors are not liable for any inaccuracies or damages.

Plagiarism:

  • Detection Tools: WAIMS uses plagiarism detection software to screen submissions.
  • Consequences: Plagiarism can lead to rejection or retraction of articles.

Informed Consent Policy:

  • Respect for Individual Rights: Authors must obtain informed consent for any sensitive data or images.

This detailed outline of WAIMS’s policies demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical publishing practices, transparency, and the dissemination of high-quality research.