Journal Policies

1. Introduction

The Preclinical Studies Journal (PCS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence, and transparency throughout the editorial and publication process.

These policies apply to authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and the publisher, and govern all stages of manuscript submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication activities.

PCS follows the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other internationally recognized standards for responsible scholarly publishing.

2. Editorial Policies

PCS operates an independent, transparent, and impartial editorial process. Editorial decisions are based exclusively on the scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Editors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all submissions receive a fair, objective, and unbiased evaluation.
  • Maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and editorial communications.
  • Declaring and appropriately managing conflicts of interest.
  • Investigating allegations of research or publication misconduct in accordance with internationally accepted ethical standards.
  • Preserving editorial independence and protecting the integrity of the scholarly record.
  • Issuing editorial notices, including corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and other post-publication updates when appropriate.

The publisher supports editorial independence by maintaining transparent publication policies, safeguarding editorial integrity, and ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content.

3. Peer Review Process

PCS follows a double-blind peer-review process in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

Each submitted manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment to determine its suitability for publication. Manuscripts considered appropriate for peer review are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Maintain strict confidentiality.
  • Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations.
  • Assess originality, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review assignments where appropriate.
  • Report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns.
  • Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

Editorial decisions include:

  • Accept
  • Minor Revision
  • Major Revision
  • Reject

The final publication decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

4. Research Ethics

Research involving human participants, human tissues, human data, or animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and applicable institutional and national regulations.

Where applicable, manuscripts must include:

  • The name of the approving Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB).
  • Ethics approval or protocol number, where available.
  • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legal representatives.
  • Confirmation that animal studies complied with recognized animal welfare guidelines.

Where ethical approval was not required, authors should provide an appropriate explanation within the manuscript.

Authors are also responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable safety, environmental, and ethical regulations.

5. Research Misconduct

PCS takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously.

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Data fabrication or falsification.
  • Image manipulation intended to mislead.
  • Inappropriate authorship.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
  • Ethical violations involving human participants or animals.

All allegations are investigated confidentially and fairly in accordance with COPE recommendations. Where misconduct is confirmed, appropriate editorial actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or notification of the relevant institutions.

6. Authorship Policy

Authorship should accurately reflect each individual's scholarly contribution to the research.

Authors must:

  • Have made substantial intellectual contributions to the study.
  • Participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
  • Approve the final version before submission.
  • Accept responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the published work.

Only one corresponding author should communicate with the journal throughout the editorial and publication process.

The author list should be finalized before submission. Requests for changes to authorship before acceptance require editorial approval and written agreement from all authors. Changes to authorship after acceptance will normally not be permitted.

7. Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the editorial process or the interpretation of research findings.

Authors should include a Conflict of Interest Statement in every manuscript. If no conflicts of interest exist, the following statement is recommended:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Editors and reviewers must withdraw from handling manuscripts whenever a conflict of interest exists.

8. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all financial support, sponsorship, grants, or other funding related to the research.

Where applicable, funding information should include the funding organization and grant number.

If no external funding was received, authors are encouraged to state:

This research received no external funding.

9. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Authors may use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools solely to improve the language and readability of manuscripts.

However:

  • AI tools must not be listed as authors.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and scientific content of their work.
  • Any substantial use of AI during manuscript preparation should be disclosed at the time of submission.
  • AI-generated or AI-manipulated text, figures, images, or other content must not misrepresent research findings or replace the authors' scientific responsibility.

The Editorial Office may request additional information regarding the use of AI tools when necessary.

10. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain the copyright of their published work while granting PCS the right to publish, distribute, and preserve the article.

All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction in any medium, provided appropriate credit is given to the original work.

11. Open Access Policy

PCS is a fully Open Access journal.

All published articles are made freely and permanently available immediately upon publication without subscription or access charges.

Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and reuse published content in accordance with the terms of the CC BY 4.0 License.

12. DOI and Archiving Policy

Each published article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref, ensuring permanent identification, reliable citation, and improved discoverability.

To ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content, PCS participates in recognized digital preservation services, including LOCKSS.

13. Article Processing Charges (APC)

PCS operates an Article Processing Charge (APC) model.

  • Article Processing Charge (APC): USD 250 (or the equivalent in another currency).
  • APCs are payable only after formal acceptance of the manuscript.
  • No submission fees or peer-review fees are charged.
  • Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific merit and are never influenced by payment.

14. Fast Track Publishing

PCS offers an optional Fast Track Publishing service for authors requiring expedited editorial processing.

Fast-track manuscripts undergo the same editorial assessment, peer-review procedures, and ethical standards as regular submissions.

Selection of the Fast Track service does not influence editorial decisions or increase the likelihood of manuscript acceptance.

15. Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals

PCS is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

15.1 Corrections

Corrections are published to rectify errors that do not affect the reliability or conclusions of a published article.

15.2 Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published while serious concerns regarding a publication are under investigation.

15.3 Withdrawals

Articles published in error before final publication may be withdrawn where appropriate.

15.4 Retractions

Retractions are issued when published work contains unreliable findings resulting from major errors, plagiarism, duplicate publication, research misconduct, data fabrication, data falsification, or other significant ethical violations.

15.5 Removals

Article removal will be considered only in exceptional circumstances involving legal obligations or significant risks to public safety.

15.6 Replacements

Where appropriate, a corrected version may replace a retracted article while preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

All corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will remain permanently linked to the original publication.

16. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding the editorial or peer-review process.

Appeals and complaints must be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office, together with sufficient supporting information.

Each case will be handled confidentially, fairly, and impartially. Where appropriate, independent advice may be sought before a final decision is reached.

The decision of the Editor-in-Chief following the appeals process is final.

17. Compliance Statement

By submitting a manuscript to the Preclinical Studies Journal (PCS), authors confirm that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with these Editorial and Publication Policies.