Editorial Policies

1. Editorial Independence

ISTP maintains editorial independence and ensures that publication decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, and integrity of submitted manuscripts.

• Editors make decisions independently without commercial, institutional, or political influence.
• Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit and peer-review outcomes.
• Editors avoid conflicts of interest during manuscript handling.

2. Peer Review Policy

All research manuscripts submitted to ISTP journals undergo rigorous peer review to ensure scientific accuracy, quality, and originality.

• Manuscripts are evaluated by qualified experts in the relevant research field.
• Peer review is conducted confidentially and objectively.
• Reviewers evaluate originality, methodology, significance, clarity, and ethical compliance.
• Authors are provided constructive feedback to improve manuscript quality.

3. Editorial Decision-Making

Editors are responsible for making final publication decisions based on peer-review reports, scientific quality, and journal policies.

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept without revision
• Minor revision
• Major revision
• Reject

4. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to ISTP journals must ensure that their work meets ethical and scientific standards.

• The submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere.
• All sources and previous research are properly cited.
• All authors have made significant contributions and approved the manuscript.
• Research data are accurately presented.
• Ethical approval is obtained when required.

5. Authorship Policy

Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

Authors should meet recognized authorship criteria, including:

• Contribution to research design, experiments, analysis, or interpretation.
• Participation in manuscript preparation or critical revision.
• Approval of the final manuscript.
• Responsibility for the integrity of the published work.

6. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that may influence the research or editorial process.

All potential conflicts of interest must be transparently declared during submission and review.

7. Research Integrity and Misconduct

8. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism screening before acceptance.

Manuscripts containing unacceptable levels of similarity or improperly reused content may be rejected or returned for correction.

9. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Updates

ISTP follows transparent procedures for correcting, retracting, or updating published articles when errors, ethical concerns, or scientific issues are identified.

Corrections and retractions are clearly linked to the original publication to maintain transparency and preserve the scholarly record.

10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

ISTP recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in research and publishing. AI-assisted technologies may be used responsibly for language improvement, data analysis support, or formatting assistance.

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
• Authors remain responsible for accuracy and originality.
• Use of AI-generated content must be transparently disclosed.

11. Data Availability and Transparency

ISTP encourages authors to promote research transparency by sharing supporting datasets, protocols, and materials whenever possible.

12. Editorial Board Responsibilities

• Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
• Select appropriate reviewers.
• Ensure unbiased editorial decisions.
• Promote ethical publishing practices.

13. Reviewer Responsibilities

• Provide objective and constructive evaluations.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Declare conflicts of interest.
• Review manuscripts within agreed timelines.

14. Open Access and Copyright

ISTP supports broad dissemination of scientific knowledge through open-access publishing models. Copyright and licensing policies are clearly stated for each journal.

15. Compliance with International Standards

ISTP follows international publishing guidelines, including recommendations from:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), where applicable
• World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), where applicable