Publication Ethics

WFCES 2025 adheres to the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and maintains independent editorial decisions. Editors, reviewers, and authors engaging with the symposium and its proceedings agree to the principles below.

1. Authorship, Contributions, and Transparency

  1. Substantial contributions: Listed authors have made significant contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis or interpretation, and approve both submission and final version.
  2. Contribution disclosure: Specific roles (e.g., methodology, software, validation, investigation, resources, data curation, writing, visualization, supervision, project administration, funding) are described. Non-author contributions are acknowledged with consent.
  3. Authorship changes: Any addition, removal, or re-ordering of authors before acceptance requires written agreement of all authors and explanation of the change; after acceptance, such changes are permitted only in exceptional circumstances subject to editorial approval.

2. Originality, Prior Dissemination, and Simultaneous Submissions

  1. Original work: Submissions are original and not under consideration elsewhere. Prior public posting as a preprint is allowed but must be disclosed and properly cited.
  2. Redundant publication: Overlap with the authors’ prior works must be justified, clearly referenced, and limited. Self-plagiarism is not permitted.
  3. Simultaneous submissions: Parallel submission to another venue is prohibited and may lead to immediate rejection and sanctions.

3. Similarity, Image Integrity, and Research Records

  1. Similarity screening: Textual and figure similarity checks are conducted at submission and pre-production. Problematic overlap, undisclosed reuse, or recycled images lead to investigation and potential rejection.
  2. Image/data integrity: Figures must reflect original observations. Inappropriate manipulation (e.g., selective enhancement, splicing without disclosure) is prohibited. Raw data or uncropped images must be provided upon request.
  3. Record keeping: Editorial records (conflicts, review histories, decisions) are stored securely for an appropriate period.

4. Human/Animal Research, Safety, and Approvals

  1. Studies involving humans, human data, or animals must state prior ethical approval, consent procedures (where applicable), and welfare safeguards; field research must document permits and safety measures.
  2. Dual-use, bio/chemical hazards, or sensitive technologies must include clear risk mitigation and regulatory compliance statements.

5. Data, Code, Materials, and AI-Tool Transparency

  1. Availability statements: Authors provide a data/code/materials availability statement (repository link or justified restrictions).
  2. Reproducibility: Methods and parameters are reported with sufficient detail. When feasible, datasets and scripts are shared.
  3. AI tools: Use of generative or assistive AI must be disclosed in the methods/acknowledgments; AI tools are not authors. Authors are responsible for all content and for obtaining permissions for any AI-generated media.

6. Conflicts of Interest and Editorial Independence

  1. Authors, editors, and reviewers declare financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence judgment. Editors recuse in case of conflicts.
  2. Decisions are based on merit, relevance, and integrity; external influence is not accepted.

7. Citation Integrity and Research Reporting

  1. References are accurate, balanced, and relevant; coercive or gratuitous citation practices are not permitted. Persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) are included when available.
  2. Reporting follows accepted standards (e.g., IMRaD) with clear statements of limitations and uncertainty.

8. Misconduct, Corrections, Retractions, and Appeals

  1. Misconduct: Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, image manipulation, undisclosed conflicts, or unethical research may lead to rejection, removal from the program, notification of institutions/funders, and future submission restrictions.
  2. Corrections & retractions: Verified errors are corrected; verified misconduct may result in retraction or removal from the proceedings and public notices consistent with COPE guidance.
  3. Appeals & complaints: Authors may submit evidence-based appeals; a senior editor uninvolved in the original decision will review and respond in writing. Ethical complaints are handled under COPE-aligned procedures.

9. Presentation Requirement and No-Show Policy

Accepted manuscripts must be presented (oral or poster). Verified no-show papers are excluded from the proceedings package delivered to the publisher.

10. Legal, Export-Control, and Compliance

Authors must ensure their work complies with applicable laws, institutional policies, funding terms, and export-control/sanctions regulations. The organizers may decline or withdraw material when compliance cannot be assured.