Spectrum Journals
Publishing standards
Responsibilities and requirements for authors, editors and reviewers.
Author guide
Submit original work within the journal scope. Select Original Research, Review, Systematic Review, Methods or Perspective. Include title, abstract,…
Read policy →Peer review
Review workflow: editorial and research-integrity screening, assignment to an independent handling editor, normally at least two qualified…
Read policy →Authorship and AI
Authors must make substantive contributions, approve the manuscript and accept accountability. Describe contributions and acknowledge other…
Read policy →Research ethics
Research involving people, identifiable personal data or animals must include applicable approval or exemption, committee details and consent…
Read policy →Integrity and conflicts
Screen for plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, manipulated images, paper mills and inappropriate citations. Authors, editors and…
Read policy →Open access and rights
Open-access policy: immediate open access, authors retain copyright, and articles carry a clearly displayed CC BY 4.0 licence after the publication…
Read policy →Fees and waivers
APCs, taxes, waiver eligibility, invoice timing and refunds are not yet set. Publication payments cannot be collected until the complete fee policy…
Read policy →Corrections, retractions and appeals
Maintain the scholarly record through linked, dated correction, expression-of-concern or retraction notices that explain the reason. Preserve…
Read policy →Data, privacy and preservation
Require data and code availability statements; accept justified restrictions for privacy, consent, security or third-party rights. Establish…
Read policy →Editorial appointments
Appoint editors based on subject expertise, research experience and integrity. Obtain written consent before listing anyone. Define duties, terms,…
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