Ethics

Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

Umbrella for Young Researchers (UYR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines.

We emphasize the following principles:

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to follow good scientific practice:

·            Manuscripts must be original, not under review or published elsewhere, in part or in full (unless explicitly expanded and declared for transparency).

·            Research must not be fragmented across multiple publications (“salami publishing”).

·            Data must not be fabricated, falsified, or manipulated.

·            Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. All sources must be properly cited, with quotations and permissions secured where required.

·            Authors must use plagiarism-detection tools responsibly without storing manuscripts externally.

·            Authorship should reflect actual contributions, and the corresponding author must be clearly identified.

In cases of suspected misconduct, UYR will investigate according to COPE procedures. Possible actions include:

·            Rejection of manuscripts under review.

·            Notification of the author’s institution.

·            Erratum, correction, or retraction of published articles (following COPE Retraction Guidelines). Retracted articles will remain online with a visible “Retracted” watermark and explanation.

The editorial team is committed to issuing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial or personal relationships that could bias their work (e.g., grants, employment, sponsorship, multiple affiliations).

·            Potential conflicts must be declared at the time of submission.

·            Reviewers and editors must also disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.

Research Involving Human Participants

                  ·       Studies involving humans must state approval by an institutional or national ethics committee and adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki (1964, and later amendments) or equivalent ethical standards.

Informed Consent

·            Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants.

·            Identifiable information (names, IDs, birth dates, etc.) may only be published with explicit written consent and if scientifically essential.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or raise complaints regarding process delays, ethics, or other concerns.

·            Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the handling editor and reviewers.

·            Final decisions will be communicated transparently to the complainant and other relevant stakeholders.