We expect that all prospective authors to read and and understand our Ethics Policy before submitting any manuscripts to Physics Access.
Please note that submitted manuscripts may be subject to checks using the iThenticate service, in conjunction with Reviewers' Check, in order to detect instances of overlapping and similar text.
The iThenticate software checks submissions against millions of published research papers, documents on the web, and other relevant sources. If plagiarism or misconduct is found, consequences are detailed in the policy.
The chief goal of our policy is threefold: to provide advice for our authors, to maintain the scholarly integrity of our journal and their content, and to detail the ethical responsibilities of Physics Access, our editors and authors.
We expect all authors to read and understand our ethics policy before submitting to Physics Access. This is in accordance with our commitment to the prevention of ethical misconduct, which we recognise to be a growing problem in academic and professional publications. It is important to note that most incidents of plagiarism, redundant publication, copyright infringement or similar occur because of a lack of understanding, and not through fraudulent intent. Our policy is one of prevention and not persecution.
Research results
Fabrication, falsification or selective reporting of data with the intent to mislead or deceive is unethical, as is the theft of data or research results from others. The results of research should be recorded and maintained to allow for analysis and review. Following publication, the data should be retained for a reasonable period and made available upon request. Exceptions may be appropriate in certain circumstances in order to preserve privacy, to assure patent protection, or for similar reasons.
Authorship
All those who have made a significant contribution should be given chance to be cited as authors. Other individuals who have contributed to the work should be acknowledged. Articles should include a full list of the current institutional affiliations of all authors, both academic and corporate.
Plagiarism
Reproducing text from other papers without properly crediting the source (plagiarism) or producing many papers with almost the same content by the same authors (self-plagiarism) is not acceptable. Submitting the same results to more than one journal concurrently is unethical. Exceptions are the review articles. Authors may not present results obtained by others as if they were their own. Authors should acknowledge the work of others used in their research and cite publications that have influenced the direction and course of their study.
Duplicate submission
Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to different journals will not be tolerated. The submitted article will be removed without consideration.
Corrections and retractions
All authors have an obligation to inform and cooperate with journal editors to provide prompt retractions or correction of errors in published works.
Other forms of misconduct include failure to meet clear ethical and legal requirements such as misrepresentation of interests, breach of confidentiality, lack of informed consent and abuse of research subjects or materials. Misconduct also includes improper dealing with infringements, such as attempts to cover up misconduct and reprisals on whistleblowers. The primary responsibility for handling research misconduct is in the hands of those who employ the researchers. If a possible misconduct is brought to our attention, we will seek advice from the referees and the Editorial Board. If there is the evidence, we will resolve the matter by appropriate corrections in the printed and online journal; by refusing to consider an author's future work, for a given period, and by contacting affected authors and editors of other journals. Minor misdemeanours may not lead to formal investigations, but are just as damaging given their probable frequency, and should be corrected by teachers and mentors. Human and Animal Rights If the work involves the use of human and animal subjects, the author should ensure that the work described has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association for experiments involving humans. Authors should include a statement in the manuscript that informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human and animal subjects. The privacy rights of human subjects must always be observed.
What happens if ethical misconduct is detected?
If ethical misconduct is suspected in work submitted to Physics Access, Physics Access will work closely with the editor(s) to ensure that a fair and transparent investigation of the matter is carried out. We take all instances of misconduct very seriously and will investigate each with care and attention, providing full support to the editor. Consequences for misconduct are as varied as the misconduct itself, and are determined on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, the author will be given the opportunity to provide an explanation for the misconduct. An editorial decision will only be made once the investigation is completed.
In most cases, we accept that the incorrect use of third party material is frequently a result of human error, or a misunderstanding of publication ethics. This is why we actively encourage authors to read our ethics policy and guidance on using third party material before submitting, to avoid these mistakes. In those cases where more serious misconduct is detected, consequences are proportionately more serious. Physics Access reserves the right to request any and all information from the author concerning the creation of the work, to verify its originality. If no such evidence is provided or no satisfactory explanation given, then we may ban the author(s) from resubmitting to the journal for a determined period. In extreme cases, we may take the matter to the author's institution for their attention.If ethical misconduct is discovered in content that has already been published, we may publish a statement of concern whilst the work is investigated. If we deem it necessary, the paper may be retracted with a statement of explanation. Other consequences may include a submissions ban for any or all authors, and contacting the relevant institution(s).