Publishing Ethics

The Journal of Natural Science Review (JNSR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

This policy is publicly available on the journal’s website and applies to all manuscripts submitted to JNSR.

  1. Editorial Responsibilities
  • Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief (or designated editors) is responsible for deciding which submitted papers will be published. Decisions are based solely on the manuscript’s academic merit, originality, significance, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editorial decisions are independent of any commercial, political, or personal influences.
  • Peer Review: JNSR operates a rigorous, fair, and timely double-blind peer-review process. Reviewers are selected based on expertise, and editors ensure confidentiality and impartiality.
  • Fair Play: Editors evaluate manuscripts without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or institutional affiliation.
  • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.
  • Handling of Misconduct: Editors follow COPE flowcharts when dealing with allegations of research or publication misconduct available on COPE Guidance.

 

  1. Authors’ Responsibilities
  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit only original work. All sources must be properly cited. Plagiarism in any form (including self-plagiarism) is unethical and unacceptable. Submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin/iThenicate (plagiarism detection software).
  • Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All co-authors must approve the final version and agree to its submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included and that no inappropriate co-authors are listed.
  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Previous or concurrent publication of the same or substantially similar work elsewhere is not allowed without proper acknowledgment or permission.
  • Data Accuracy and Access: Authors must present accurate data and ensure that the manuscript contains sufficient detail and references to permit replication of the work. Authors should retain raw data for a reasonable period after publication and make it available upon reasonable request.
  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or other relationships that could influence their research or its interpretation.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite influential publications that shaped the reported work.
  • Research Involving Humans or Animals: Authors must ensure that all research complies with relevant ethical standards. Informed consent must be obtained where required.
  • Reporting Standards: Authors must follow relevant reporting guidelines (PRISMA) where applicable.

 

  1. Reviewers’ Responsibilities
  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share or discuss them with others without permission from the editor.
  • Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest (financial, personal, or professional) and inform the editor.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed timeframe. If unable to do so, they should notify the editor promptly.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors and alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap with other published papers.
  • Ethical Conduct: Reviewers must not use unpublished information or ideas from the manuscript for their own advantage.

 

  1. Publisher’s Responsibilities
  • The publisher (Kabul University) supports the editorial team in maintaining editorial independence and does not interfere with editorial decisions.
  • The publisher works with editors to ensure that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenues do not influence editorial decisions.
  • The publisher maintains the digital archive and ensures long-term accessibility of published content.
  • The publisher takes reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct and has systems in place for dealing with allegations of misconduct.
  1. Standards of Objectivity and Fair Play

The Journal of Natural Science Review (JNSR) is committed to maintaining the principles of objectivity, fairness, and academic impartiality throughout the editorial and peer-review process. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of their scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, and intellectual contribution, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic background, nationality, or political views of the authors.

  1. Plagiarism

The Journal of Natural Science Review (JSNR) considers plagiarism a serious violation of academic and publication ethics. Plagiarism occurs when an author presents another person’s words, ideas, data, or intellectual work as their own without proper acknowledgment or citation. This includes the reproduction of content in whole or in part without appropriate credit to the original source. Duplicate or redundant publication, often referred to as self-plagiarism, is also regarded as an unethical practice.

Acts considered to constitute plagiarism include, but are not limited to, submitting another individual’s work as one’s own, copying text or ideas without proper attribution, failing to use quotation marks where required, providing inaccurate citation information, paraphrasing content while retaining the original sentence structure without acknowledgment, and excessive reliance on another source even when cited. Authors are fully responsible for ensuring that all published and unpublished materials, datasets, figures, or other intellectual content used in their manuscripts are properly credited and used with the necessary permissions. Where licensed or proprietary data are involved, authors may be required to provide written confirmation that appropriate agreements or permissions have been obtained.

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will not be considered for publication. If evidence of plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal will initiate a formal investigation and take appropriate action in accordance with established ethical guidelines. The journal also recognizes that plagiarism may sometimes occur unintentionally due to improper citation practices or insufficient understanding of academic writing standards. Authors are therefore encouraged to exercise diligence and adhere to ethical writing practices to avoid such issues.

  1. Copyright Infringement and Fair Use

Copyright law protects original works of authorship, including literary, artistic, scientific, and other intellectual works, whether published or unpublished. Copyright holders possess the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, publish, modify, or authorize the use of their work. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material may constitute copyright infringement.

Copyright infringement occurs when copyrighted content is reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, or adapted without obtaining permission from the copyright owner. In certain circumstances, limited use of copyrighted material may be permitted under the principle of “fair use,” particularly for nonprofit educational, scholarly, or research purposes. However, the applicability of fair use depends on the nature, purpose, and extent of the material used.

Authors are strongly encouraged to obtain written permission from copyright holders before using copyrighted material in their manuscripts. Where obtaining permission is not feasible, authors should avoid using such material unless its use clearly falls within the accepted principles of fair use under applicable copyright laws.

  1. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

JNSR follows COPE Guidelines for investigating and addressing suspected misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Redundant publication
  • Authorship disputes
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Procedures include:

  • Initial assessment of the allegation
  • Confidential investigation
  • Opportunity for the accused party to respond
  • Possible outcomes: correction, retraction, expression of concern, or notification of institutions/funders
  1. Retractions Policy

JNSR retraction policy is based on COPE guidelines. JNSR may withdraw or retract a published article under the following circumstances:

  • There is clear evidence that the results or conclusions are unreliable due to significant errors, such as miscalculations or methodological mistakes, or because of research misconduct including data fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate image manipulation.
  • The article contains plagiarized content.
  • The work has already been published elsewhere without appropriate acknowledgment of the original source, disclosure to the editor, permission for republication, or valid justification, including cases of duplicate or redundant publication.
  • The manuscript includes material, data, or content used without the necessary authorization or permission.
  • The publication violates copyright laws or involves serious legal concerns, such as defamation or breaches of privacy.
  • The research reported in the article was conducted in violation of accepted ethical standards.
  • The author(s) failed to disclose significant competing interests or conflicts of interest that could have influenced the interpretation of the findings or affected editorial and peer-review decisions.

In cases where an article is retracted, the journal will publish an official retraction notice clearly identifying the affected article. Retraction notices will remain openly accessible to readers.

  1. Complaints and Appeals

Authors and other parties may submit complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or ethical issues. All complaints will be handled fairly, promptly, and confidentially. Appeals against editorial decisions are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief.

  1. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors are required to disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research presented in the manuscript. Such relationships may include, but are not limited to, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interests, patent licensing arrangements, or other commercial associations. Any potential conflict of interest must be clearly declared at the time of submission. In addition, all sources of financial support, grants, institutional assistance, or corporate affiliations related to the research should be appropriately acknowledged within the manuscript.

  1. Animal Ethics and Informed Consent

For studies involving animals, authors must confirm that the research was conducted in accordance with relevant ethical standards and approved by the appropriate Animal Ethics Committee or regulatory authority. In research involving human participants, authors are expected to follow established ethical guidelines to ensure the protection of participants’ rights, privacy, and confidentiality. Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants after adequately informing them about the nature, purpose, and use of the research data.

The journal also expects reviewers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct during the review process. Personal criticism of authors is considered inappropriate and unacceptable. Reviews should be carried out objectively, free from bias, prejudice, or unsupported assumptions. Reviewers are encouraged to present their evaluations clearly, constructively, and with well-reasoned arguments supported by academic evidence where appropriate.

This Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement is reviewed periodically and updated as needed to reflect best practices.

Last updated: March 2026

For any questions or to report concerns, please contact the Editor-in-Chief at Email.