Publication Ethics of Science and Technology Foresight

To enhance academic integrity in Science and Technology Foresight and regulate the behavior of all participants in the publication process of scientific journal papers, Science and Technology Foresight adheres to internationally recognized publication ethics and has established its own publication ethics in consideration of actual circumstances.

 

Author Ethical Guidelines

 

Ensure that all listed authors have made substantial academic contributions to the paper, agree to the order of authorship, have reviewed the content of the paper, and consent to its submission to Science and Technology Foresight.

Ensure that the submitted manuscript does not involve any form of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism, textual plagiarism, as well as data, chart, and formula plagiarism, or idea theft), fabrication (data, material, or result fabrication), or falsification.

Guarantee that the submitted manuscript has not been published elsewhere and does not involve multiple submissions, duplicate publication, or segmented publication.

Objectively and fairly indicate suggested or opposed reviewers when submitting the manuscript.

Ensure that the research complies with relevant ethical codes, proactively disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest, and accurately indicate any funding projects involved in the manuscript.

Adhere to national confidentiality regulations and ensure that the manuscript does not contain any classified information.Accurately, normatively, and scientifically cite references and strictly follow the journal’s citation format and standards.

Do not interfere with the normal peer review process and respect the reviewers’ and editors’ suggestions for revisions. If there are objections, they can be appealed to the editorial office with sufficient supporting materials.

 

Reviewer Ethical Guidelines

 

Review manuscripts promptly. If unable to submit a review within the specified time, inform the editor in a timely manner, negotiate with the editor for an acceptable review timeframe, or recommend an alternative reviewer to avoid delays.

Maintain academic integrity and respect academic freedom by providing an honest, objective, and fair assessment of the manuscript and its content, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and offering reasonable and constructive feedback promptly. Avoid unverified or malicious criticism, unfair assessment, and unfounded accusations. 

Identify potential conflicts of interest with the manuscript under review. Inform the editor promptly and disclose all relevant interests to avoid conflicts. 

Adhere to the confidentiality principles of peer review. Avoid disclosing the manuscript’s content and related information to anyone not involved in the review process. Destroy all copies of the manuscript and related materials after completing the review. Do not use information obtained during peer review for the benefit of oneself, others, or the organization, or act in ways that are detrimental to other people or the organization. 

Review manuscripts without being influenced by the origin, nationality, institution, race, religion, political beliefs, gender of the authors, or other external factors. Avoid influence from commercial interests. 

Do not delegate the review of the manuscript to others without the journal editor’s permission. 

Check for plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, and duplicate publication in the manuscript. If suspecting such misconduct, inform the editor promptly and provide relevant information. 

Suggest the addition of important references relevant to the manuscript’s research content. Avoid recommending citations solely to increase the citation count or visibility of one’s own or colleagues’ work. 

Contact the editor if new information arises that affects the initial feedback or recommendations after submitting a review. Inform the editor of any issues or potential conflicts of interest undiscovered during the review process.

Editor Ethical Guidelines

Ensure the fair, impartial, and timely handling of each manuscript. Provide editorial decisions based on academic and ethical standards and the journal’s aims without intentionally distorting the authors’ original intent when modifying manuscript content. 

Adhere to conflict of interest regulations. Refrain from handling manuscripts in which there is a conflict of interest with the author. Ensure that reviewers with conflicts of interest are not assigned to the manuscript under review. 

Maintain confidentiality during the peer review process. Do not intentionally disclose information about the authors or reviewers. Do not reveal, publicize, or use the content of manuscripts before publication, nor breach confidentiality that could lead to information leaks. 

Do not interfere with the peer review process or unjustifiably reject or distort reviewers’ opinions. 

Do not exploit journal layout, confidential information obtained through the editorial process, or editorial authority for personal gain.

Appeal, Correction & Retraction

 

Appeal: The journal accepts authors’ appeals. If authors have any disagreement about the review comments or review results, they could submit a written complaint to the editorial department by sending it to the journal’s e-mail (qzkjbjb@cast.org.cn). The author who submits the appeal needs to make detailed explanation for each review comment. After receiving the appeal, the editorial department will investigate and deal with it as soon as possible, and the result of the appeal will be fed back to the author.

Correction: If it appears that there are honest scientific errors in published article, which would not lead to significant impacts on the results and conclusions of the article, the editorial department will publish corrections in the journal as soon as possible, detailing the changes made to the original article and indicating the source of the article. The editorial department will release the corrected new version of the article, and specify the changes to the original article and the date of the update. Only the latest version of the article should be used for citation.

Retraction: The journal considers retraction in the following circumstances: (1) If it is confirmed that a published article contains academic misconduct such as plagiarism, falsification, or redundant publication; (2) If a published article is found to have serious scientific errors that render the results and conclusions unreliable. In such cases, the journal will proceed with retraction, including issuing a retraction statement, requesting relevant databases to remove the paper, and halting the dissemination of the paper.