See also: MSP General Principles and Publication Ethics

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS

1. Authors may submit only their own original research, which has not been previously published in any other publication. Authors may not submit work that is currently under consideration for publication in any other publication (including other MSP journals).

Prior to publication, authors are required to attest that they own the intellectual property represented in the article. (View our consent-to-publish form here.)

If an article includes experimental data, it is expected that the data are real and represent the authors' own work unless they state otherwise.

2. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden. We adhere to the COPE guidelines for dealing with suspected plagiarism. We follow this flowchart to the extent possible.

3. All named authors must have significantly contributed to the work. Conversely, all researchers who have significantly contributed to the work should be named as authors.

4. Submitted work must include a bibliography listing relevant references.

5. Authors should acknowledge financial support where appropriate.

6. In the event that an error in the research is discovered, authors are obligated to provide the necessary retractions or corrections, which MSP will publish in a timely manner.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF REVIEWERS

1. Judgements should be objective and well considered. Reviewers should have no conflict of interest with any participant.

2. Reviewers must retain confidentiality with respect to the reviewed article. Reviewers' identities are not disclosed to authors or third parties.

3. Reviewers should be alert for additional resources or information that could be brought to the author's attention for improvement of the article.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOURNAL AND ITS EDITORS

1. Business concerns are not allowed to compromise intellectual and ethical standards.

2. The Editorial Board makes the final decision on a submitted manuscript.

3. Editors and staff should be vigilant and responsive with regards to plagiarism or fraudulent data. If plagiarism or fraud is suspected to have occurred, editors should follow the COPE guidelines.