The Editors of Research of Scientia Naturalis issue a set of publication ethics as guidelines for authors engaged in the publication of scientific research, to comply with COPE Core Practices and establish a high-quality standard of ethics for journal publication.

The purpose of this policy is to prevent any misconduct related to research conducted for the journal and to suggest the fundamental principles and structural procedures in relation to research integrity deliberation required to ensure research ethics.

The range of misconduct policy

Research misconduct suggested in this policy pertains to fraud and refers to data fabrication, falsification, citation manipulation, plagiarism, and improper authorship.

• Fabrication refers to any activity involving the creation of false information about non-existing data or findings.
• Falsification refers to the artificial manipulation of the research materials/equipment/process or random modification/deletion of data resulting in distorted research contents or research results.
• Plagiarism refers to acts of pirating others' ideas, research contents, and research results without justifiable approvals or quotations.
• Improper authorship refers to cases where the person who has contributed to research contents or research results is scientifically and technically unqualified as an author, or where someone who has not contributed to the research contents or research results has been listed as an author merely to express gratitude or courtesy.
• Intentional acts to disturb a fraud investigation about themselves or others, or acts which can be harmful to informants.
• Unfair evaluation regarding research of others, or disclosure/pirating of research ideas or results acquired during the evaluation process.
• Severely aberrant acts that cannot be accepted in the community of the field.

How does the journal address misconduct

Editors and publishers have an ethical obligation to support the quality and ethics of the review process (pre-publication), ensure the correctness of published literature (post-publication), and educate, in accordance with COPE's guidance on research misconduct. Systems and procedures are in place for investigating and addressing situations of misconduct, including cooperation with investigations from institutions or funding bodies.

Possible sanction

• Prior to publication (during review): The manuscript can be withdrawn from review.
• Post-publication (literature correction): The journal may publish a Retraction, Note of Editorial Concern, or Errata/Correction with the author(s)' signature or an appropriate editorial statement about the situation.
• Editors determine whether to retract or correct after considering whether the case is fraud or an honest mistake, weighing intent and the extent to which the data is incorrect/misleading.
• The author may be banned from submitting to the journal; editors may inform other editors/publishers or publish an editorial to raise awareness.

Authors are expected to comply with the following ethical guidelines. Any infringement may lead to a retraction of the article or a ban from journal publication.

• Deliver accurate and complete details of the research performed, with sufficient information on the related subject.
• Ensure the originality of the work; neither fraud nor fabrication is involved in the manuscript.
• Guarantee the article has not been published previously or is not being evaluated for publication elsewhere.
• Ensure the work contains no unlawful statements and/or comments that may violate the law.
• Be aware of and abide by the misconduct policy.

Authors listed on an article must meet all of the following criteria:

• Made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether in conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or all of these areas.
• Have drafted, written, substantially revised, or critically reviewed the article.
• Have agreed on the journal to which the article will be submitted.
• Reviewed and agreed on all versions of the article before submission, during revision, the final accepted version, and any significant changes introduced at the proofing stage.
• Agree to take responsibility and be accountable for the contents of the article, and to share responsibility for resolving any questions raised about its accuracy or integrity.

• Editors provide fair judgment regardless of race, religion, nationality, sex, seniority, or institutional affiliation.
• Manuscripts are considered within a reasonable time frame, with decisions accompanied by reviewer comments.
• Editors ensure no private author information is shared with reviewers, and maintain manuscript confidentiality.
• Editors respect well-reasoned author requests to exclude certain reviewers, though may still use them if professionally important.
• Editors comply with COPE practices when considering a manuscript for publication.

The below procedure applies to appeals to editorial decisions, complaints about process failures such as long delays in handling papers, and complaints about publication ethics. The complaint should first be handled by the Editor-in-Chief and/or the Editor who handled the paper. If they are the subject of the complaint, please approach the publisher contact.

Complaint about scientific content, e.g. an appeal against rejection

The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor considers the authors' argument and the reviewer reports, then decides whether (1) the decision to reject should stand, (2) another independent opinion is required, or (3) the appeal should be considered. Decisions on appeals are final, and new submissions take priority over appeals.

Complaint about processes, e.g. time taken to review

The Editor-in-Chief, together with the Handling Editor and/or publisher contact where appropriate, will investigate the matter and provide appropriate feedback to improve processes and procedures.

Complaint about publication ethics, e.g., researcher's, author's, or reviewer's conduct

The Editor-in-Chief or Handling Editor follows guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics. If the complainant remains dissatisfied, they may submit the complaint to the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Authors, Editors, and Reviewers are expected to adhere to the following guidelines in compliance with COPE practices.

• Authors should clearly disclose their source of financial support — institutional, private, and/or corporate, including support from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, energy, or materials science companies — for their research.
• If the author and editor have a relationship that may lead to an unfair evaluation, another editor will be appointed instead.
• Reviewers should be aware of any appearance of conflict of interest when receiving a manuscript for evaluation, and are required to promptly return the manuscript to the editor, disclosing the conflict.

Data availability and reporting guidelines are available in the Author Guidelines section. Authors are encouraged to provide the underlying data connected with a paper for editorial review — such as experimental datasets, sensor/remote sensing measurements, simulation code, and laboratory records — and should be prepared to provide public access to such data where practicable, retaining it for a reasonable period following publication to support verification and reproducibility.

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate to retract or correct the paper. If the editor or publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is likewise the author's obligation to promptly correct or retract the paper, or provide evidence of the correctness of the original findings.

All submitted articles and exchanges of information involving authors and editors will be treated as confidential. Communications related to the publication process should not be disclosed on any website without prior consent from the editors. Names and email addresses entered on this journal site are used exclusively for the journal's stated purposes and not shared with other parties.

Research Involving Human Subjects

All research involving humans (individuals, samples, or data) must comply with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval must be obtained from a local institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee, and manuscripts must include a statement confirming ethical approval, or clearly state why such approval was not required under applicable national laws (e.g., anonymous, non-interventional epidemiological surveys).

Non-stigmatizing and non-discriminatory language must be used when describing participant groups categorized by race, ethnicity, age, disease, disability, religion, sex, gender, or other characteristics. For studies involving vulnerable populations, additional review by the editorial office will be conducted, and authors may be required to provide supporting documentation such as consent forms.

Given this journal's coverage of applied biology, zoology, and environmental science, animal research is directly relevant to a meaningful proportion of submissions. Any research involving animals must demonstrate significant potential benefits relative to harm caused, and adhere to the "3Rs" principle (Replace, Minimize, Optimize).

Studies involving vertebrates or higher invertebrates must receive prior approval from an appropriate ethics committee where required by national regulations, and manuscripts must include the project identification code, approval date, and the name of the ethics committee in an "Institutional Animal Care and Use" statement, referencing resources such as the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures where applicable.

Given this journal's coverage of applied microbiology, biotechnology, and medical technologies, cell line-based research (including genetically engineered microbial consortia and cell culture applications) is directly relevant to a meaningful proportion of submissions. Authors must clearly identify the cell lines used, including source, repository or supplier, and any associated catalog numbers, and confirm authentication methods including contamination testing. Where cell lines are derived from human or animal tissue, informed consent and ethical approval details must be provided, in line with standards such as those of the International Cell Line Authentication Committee (ICLAC).

Given this journal's coverage of biotechnology and natural resource utilization, plant-based research is directly relevant to a meaningful proportion of submissions. Experimental research involving plants must adhere to institutional, national, and international guidelines, including compliance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Manuscripts must provide accurate species identification and information on the genetic origin and source of plant materials used, with voucher specimen deposition required for non-model species where applicable.

Disclaimer

The viewpoint of articles published in Research of Scientia Naturalis are solely the authors' and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board of the publisher.

Copyright

The author is responsible for acquiring permission(s) to reproduce any copyrighted figures, tables, data, or text used in the submitted paper. Substantial quotations from a published or copyrighted work will require a grant of permission from the original publisher to reprint, submitted together with the manuscript.

Publishing

This journal uses Open Journal System, a journal management and publishing software developed, supported, and distributed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP).

This journal is available online and can be accessed for free.

Publication in this journal follows an Article Processing Charge scheme, and all published papers are available online through open access. For full details on fees and waiver eligibility, please see our Article Processing Charge page.

All papers will be critically examined by anonymous reviewer(s), selected for their competencies in the subject area of the paper. Acceptance depends on scientific merit and suitability for this journal. A paper may be accepted in its original form, subject to revision, or rejected.

The reviewers' and editors' suggestions will be conveyed to the author, who will then have an opportunity to revise the paper. Please see detailed information about our Peer Review Process.

This journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and adheres to the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Plagiarism includes copying text, data, or ideas without proper citation, reusing significant portions of previous work without acknowledgment, or presenting fabricated data. Self-plagiarism is also prohibited.

All submitted manuscripts will be checked for plagiarism using plagiarism detection tools. If plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be rejected and the authors contacted for clarification. If identified after publication, the article may be retracted and the author's institution notified if necessary.

We recommend using plagiarism detection tools before submitting and adhering to the COPE Code of Conduct and Core Practices. Serious cases of plagiarism may result in a ban from submitting future work to this journal.

This journal follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We expect authors, reviewers, and editors to maintain transparency, honesty, and integrity throughout the publication process.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism. They must confirm that all co-authors have contributed to the manuscript and disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Authors must obtain necessary ethical approvals for studies involving humans, animals, cell lines, or protected plant materials.

Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

Reviewers must assess manuscripts objectively, without bias, and maintain confidentiality. Editors are responsible for making unbiased decisions based on quality and originality, ensuring ethical standards are maintained, and handling complaints and appeals fairly and transparently.

This journal is committed to promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in all aspects of our publication process. We aim to create a fair and inclusive environment where all voices, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or other identities, are respected and valued.

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

We strive to ensure that every manuscript, regardless of the background of its author(s), is treated with fairness and respect throughout submission, review, and publication.

Inclusive Editorial Practices

We encourage diversity among our editorial and review board members, recognizing that varied perspectives — spanning the many disciplines within this journal's broad scope — enhance the quality of the research we publish, and support efforts to elevate underrepresented voices, including early-career researchers.

This journal follows the guidance from COPE regarding ethical concerns for published articles. The Editor-in-Chief can be contacted at journal@adra.ac.id should authors have an objection or disagreement pertaining to the publication process.

Articles may be retracted, corrected, or withdrawn for scientific and/or ethical reasons, at the request of the author(s) or the Editor. See our Correction, Retraction, and Withdrawal Policy page for full detail. The retracted article will be noted on the journal's website alongside the reason for retraction.