Editorial policies
Transparent decisions and responsible research.
Scope and assessment
Submissions are screened for scope, completeness, research integrity, and suitability for review. Scientific assessment considers reasoning, methods, evidence, novelty, and clarity. A submission does not imply acceptance.
Peer review and independence
The default is double-anonymous peer review. Reviewers advise; the handling editor decides. Possible decisions include revision, further review, acceptance, or decline. An editor-authored submission must be handled by an independent editor with appropriate expertise and no conflicting interest. Authors must not decide on their own papers.
Authorship, disclosure, and data
All listed authors must approve the submission and accept responsibility for their contribution. Disclose funding, relevant competing interests, related submissions, prior dissemination, and substantive use of AI tools. AI tools are not authors. Include a data availability statement and explain restrictions on data or code.
Originality and permissions
Identify reused material and obtain necessary permissions. Cite sources accurately. Discuss overlapping submissions with the editor before simultaneous consideration. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the work and its references.
Corrections, concerns, and appeals
Contact the editorial office with the article or manuscript identifier, the specific concern, and supporting evidence. Appeals should address the decision and its scientific grounds. Corrections or retractions, where needed, should preserve a transparent record and identify the affected article.
Rights and charges
The journal will confirm publication rights, the applicable licence, and any charges with the corresponding author before publication. No licence transfer or payment is implied by browsing the research collection. Contact the editorial office for the applicable terms.
Privacy
Account details, manuscripts, and correspondence are used for journal administration and review. Access is restricted to authorized workflow participants. Email notifications are delivered through the journal’s configured mail service. Contact the editorial office to request access to, correction of, or removal of account information, subject to the need to retain editorial records. Essential session cookies support account sign-in.
Research collection
The five manuscripts supplied by Dongfang Yang are available as a research collection. Their display does not by itself establish a peer-review outcome, DOI registration, or assignment to a journal issue. Journal publication records will be identified in the archive.