ARSTE Publishing

ARSTE Publishing is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality, editorial independence, and transparency across all of its publications. This editorial policy defines the principles and procedures that govern the evaluation, review, and publication of scholarly works published by ARSTE Publishing.

This policy applies to all publication types, including academic journals, edited books, book chapters, and conference proceedings.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions at ARSTE Publishing are made independently and are not influenced by commercial interests, institutional affiliations, sponsorships, or external pressures. Editors have full authority and responsibility for evaluating submitted manuscripts based solely on their academic merit, relevance, originality, and contribution to the field.

Editorial Board and Responsibilities

Each publication published by ARSTE Publishing is overseen by an editor or an editorial board composed of scholars with relevant academic expertise and research experience. Editors are responsible for managing the peer review process, ensuring ethical compliance, and maintaining the scientific quality and integrity of the published content.

Editors are expected to act in a fair, objective, and confidential manner. Information obtained during the editorial process, including unpublished manuscripts and reviewer reports, must not be disclosed or used for personal, professional, or institutional advantage.

Manuscript Evaluation and Editorial Decision

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to assess their suitability in terms of scope, originality, academic quality, and compliance with submission guidelines. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be rejected at this stage without external peer review.

Editorial decisions are based on the outcomes of the peer review process, the relevance of the manuscript to the publication’s scope, and its contribution to scholarly knowledge. Decisions may include acceptance, revision, or rejection, and authors are informed in a timely and transparent manner.

Double-Blind Peer Review Process

ARSTE Publishing applies a rigorous double-blind peer review process to all scholarly publications, including academic journals, edited books, and conference proceedings. In this process, the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept strictly confidential to ensure impartial, unbiased, and objective evaluation.

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial screening are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field. Reviewers assess submissions based on scientific quality, methodological rigor, originality, clarity, ethical compliance, and contribution to the discipline.

Based on reviewer reports and recommendations, editors make final publication decisions and may request revisions from authors. ARSTE Publishing ensures that the peer review process is conducted confidentially, ethically, and within reasonable timeframes.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Notices

ARSTE Publishing is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. If significant errors, ethical issues, or academic misconduct are identified before or after publication, appropriate actions may be taken. These actions may include the publication of corrections, retractions, or editorial notices, in accordance with internationally accepted publishing standards.

ARSTE Publishing supports open access publishing as a means of ensuring the free, immediate, and unrestricted availability of scholarly research. Open access is regarded as a core principle for increasing the visibility, accessibility, and impact of academic knowledge while supporting the global dissemination of scientific research.

All publications released by ARSTE Publishing are published under an open access model and are made freely available online. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of publications for non-commercial academic purposes, provided that proper attribution is given to the original work and publisher.

Access, Preservation, and Archiving

ARSTE Publishing is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation and permanent accessibility of all published content. Publications are securely archived in digital repositories to safeguard the integrity and continuity of the scholarly record.

The open access model adopted by ARSTE Publishing does not affect editorial independence, peer review integrity, or publication ethics. All submissions are subject to the same rigorous review and editorial standards regardless of access status.

ARSTE Publishing does not charge any publication fees, including article processing charges (APCs), submission fees, review fees, or publication fees, for any of its academic publications.

ARSTE Publishing is committed to supporting the free dissemination of scholarly knowledge and conducts its publishing activities based on the principles of free access, academic integrity, and sustainability.

No Publication Fee Policy

All publication types published by ARSTE Publishing, including academic journals, edited books, and book chapters, are published free of charge. Authors and their affiliated institutions are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the submission, review, acceptance, or publication process.

Editorial Independence

Editorial and peer review processes are conducted based solely on academic quality, originality, and scholarly merit. The acceptance or rejection of a manuscript is completely independent of any financial considerations.

Transparency and Accessibility

ARSTE Publishing adopts a transparent publishing policy. Its no-fee publication policy is clearly stated and publicly available on the websites of all ARSTE Publishing publication units.

All works published by ARSTE Publishing, including journal articles, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings, are copyrighted by ARSTE Publishing. Authors retain the right to use their work for personal, educational, and scholarly purposes, provided proper attribution is given.

Author Rights

Authors retain the moral rights to their work, including the right to be acknowledged as the original creator of the work. Authors may use their published work in teaching, presentations, and subsequent research, with appropriate citation of the published version.

Authors must obtain written permission from ARSTE Publishing before reproducing or distributing the published work commercially or for profit.

Licensing

All ARSTE Publishing content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license, unless otherwise specified. This license permits others to copy, distribute, display, and create derivative works based on the published content, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and ARSTE Publishing and that derivative works are licensed under the same terms.

Any third-party material included in a publication must be properly credited, and authors are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions from copyright holders for inclusion.

Editorial Rights

ARSTE Publishing reserves the right to enforce copyright policies and to take appropriate action in cases of unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or misrepresentation of published content. Editors may request proof of permission for images, figures, or other third-party materials.

ARSTE Publishing adopts and strictly adheres to the ethical principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the scholarly publishing process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, are expected to comply with these ethical standards to ensure the integrity, transparency, and credibility of published research.

Responsibilities of Authors

By submitting a manuscript to ARSTE Publishing journals, books, or proceedings, authors confirm that the submitted work is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others through appropriate citation is mandatory.

Authors should not submit or publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one publication outlet. Redundant or duplicate publication is considered unethical publishing behavior and may result in rejection or retraction.

Authors must present an accurate and honest account of the research conducted. Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of data constitutes unethical behavior and may lead to rejection or retraction of the publication.

Any financial support, commercial relationships, or potential conflicts of interest must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript.

Authorship should accurately reflect individuals’ contributions to the work. All listed authors must have made a significant contribution and approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article as appropriate.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers contribute to ARSTE Publishing on a voluntary basis and play a critical role in maintaining academic quality. Reviewers may decline review invitations if they lack the expertise or availability required to conduct a fair and timely review.

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from the review process where such conflicts exist.

All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Information or ideas obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage.

Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should identify relevant uncited work, possible plagiarism, and ethical concerns where applicable.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors have full authority over editorial decisions and are responsible for ensuring that all published content meets ARSTE Publishing’s academic and ethical standards. Decisions are based solely on scholarly merit and relevance.

Editors evaluate submissions without discrimination and maintain confidentiality throughout the review process. The double-blind peer review process is strictly protected.

Editors may request documentation related to ethical approvals where necessary and will take appropriate action in cases of ethical misconduct, including corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

ARSTE Publishing maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against plagiarism and any form of academic misconduct. All manuscripts submitted for publication must be original and properly cite the work of others.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts contain original work and that all ideas, data, figures, and text derived from other sources are appropriately cited. Submitting a manuscript that includes plagiarized content, self-plagiarism, or uncredited reuse of previously published material is considered unethical and may result in rejection, retraction, or other corrective actions.

Authors are responsible for properly referencing their own previously published work when relevant, and for providing transparency regarding overlapping content with other publications.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers should report any suspected cases of plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of unethical reuse of material to the editor. They should evaluate manuscripts with attention to originality and proper citation of prior work.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the integrity of published content. All submissions are screened for plagiarism using reliable similarity detection tools. Manuscripts found to violate the plagiarism policy may be rejected or retracted after publication.

Editors may contact authors for clarification regarding overlapping content or suspected plagiarism. In all cases, ARSTE Publishing follows COPE guidelines for handling plagiarism and duplicate publication.

ARSTE Publishing recognizes the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research, writing, data analysis, and editorial processes. While AI technologies can enhance efficiency and quality, all authors, reviewers, and editors are required to adhere to ethical and transparent practices when using AI.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in the preparation of manuscripts, including text generation, data analysis, image creation, or other research tasks. AI-assisted content must be critically reviewed by the author and verified for accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance.

Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts. AI-generated content must not include fabricated data or misleading information. Proper attribution is required if AI tools are used to summarize or adapt existing works.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts for clarity, accuracy, and originality, and consider whether AI assistance has been appropriately disclosed. Any concerns about potential misuse of AI, such as plagiarism or data fabrication, should be reported to the editor.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must ensure that AI-assisted content is disclosed and meets the same ethical and academic standards as other research. Editors have the right to request additional information regarding AI usage and may take corrective actions in cases of unethical or inappropriate AI-assisted practices, including corrections or retractions.

ARSTE Publishing is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity in all stages of the scholarly publishing process. All participants involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, and reviewers, are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation, interpretation, or publication of scholarly work.

Authors

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that may be perceived as influencing their research or its interpretation. This includes, but is not limited to, funding sources, employment, consultancies, honoraria, patents, or personal relationships.

All sources of financial support for the research must be clearly stated in the manuscript. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts of interest may result in rejection of the manuscript or corrective actions after publication.

Editors

Editors and editorial board members are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest related to submitted manuscripts. Editors must not participate in editorial decisions for manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest due to personal, professional, or institutional relationships with the authors.

In cases where a conflict of interest exists, editorial responsibility will be reassigned to another qualified editor to ensure an unbiased and independent decision-making process.

Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could compromise their objectivity or impartiality. Reviewers with conflicts arising from competitive, collaborative, financial, or personal relationships with the authors or the research must decline the review invitation.

Reviewers are also required to treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not use unpublished information obtained during the review process for personal or professional advantage.

Editorial Actions

ARSTE Publishing reserves the right to take appropriate actions when undisclosed conflicts of interest are identified, including manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retraction, in line with internationally accepted publishing standards.

ARSTE Publishing is committed to upholding internationally recognized ethical standards regarding research involving human participants and animals. All studies submitted for publication must comply with relevant ethical principles, legal requirements, and institutional guidelines.

Research Involving Human Participants

Manuscripts reporting research involving human participants must confirm that the study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional or national research committee and with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

Authors are required to state that informed consent was obtained from all participants and that participant privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity were protected. Where applicable, authors must provide information regarding ethical approval, including the name of the ethics committee and approval number.

Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals must comply with internationally accepted standards for animal welfare and must be approved by an appropriate institutional or national ethics committee. Authors must confirm that all procedures were conducted in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

Studies should demonstrate that efforts were made to minimize animal suffering and to use the minimum number of animals necessary to achieve scientific objectives.

Editorial Responsibility

ARSTE Publishing reserves the right to request documentation related to ethical approvals and informed consent. Manuscripts that fail to meet ethical standards concerning human or animal rights may be rejected or subject to corrective actions after publication.

ARSTE Publishing requires that all research involving human participants complies with internationally recognized ethical standards and that informed consent is obtained from participants prior to participation.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must ensure that participants are fully informed about the purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits of the research. Participants should voluntarily agree to participate and have the right to withdraw at any time without penalty.

Manuscripts must include a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants. For studies involving minors, consent must be obtained from legal guardians, in addition to the assent of the child, where appropriate.

If the research involves identifiable human data, images, or other personal information, authors must confirm that participants have given consent for publication of such information in any form.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors may request copies of informed consent forms or additional documentation to ensure compliance with ethical standards. Manuscripts that fail to demonstrate proper informed consent may be rejected or returned for revision.