Publication Ethics Statement

The ethical publication policies of Materials Chemistry Horizons are based on the recommended practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The responsibilities of individuals involved in the publishing process can be categorized into the following groups:

Authors:

1. Authorship should be based on the guidelines provided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Specifically, authorship requires:

- Substantial contributions to the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
- Drafting or critically revising the work for important intellectual content.
- Final approval of the version to be published.
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work and its integrity.

All individuals designated as authors must meet all four criteria, and those who meet the criteria should be acknowledged as authors.

2. Authors must refrain from submitting manuscripts that have been previously published, in part or in whole, in other journals or mediums that may result in conflicting copyright ownership claims.

3. Proper citation of relevant works is essential. Authors should ensure that all relevant sources they have quoted or used for the creation of their manuscript are appropriately cited.

4. If authors discover errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they have an obligation to promptly report them to the journal's editorial office.

5. Authors should complete and submit the conflicts of interest disclosure form, disclosing any potential sources of conflicting interests related to their research.

6. Authors are required to assign all existing rights to their work under copyright laws to the journal, enabling the publisher to disseminate their work.

Reviewers:

The peer-review process in Materials Chemistry Horizons involves blind reviews by members of the Editorial Board.

1. Information obtained during the review process should not be used for personal or organizational advantage, nor to the disadvantage of others.

2. Reviewers must not be provided with any information that could reveal the identity of the manuscript's authors during the refereeing process.

3. Review comments should be objective and constructive. Hostile, inflammatory, libelous, derogatory, or personal attacks are strictly prohibited.

4. Reviewers should accept review invitations only if they possess sufficient expertise in the subject matter to conduct a thorough assessment.

5. Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited yet and bring them to the authors' attention.

 Editors:

1. Editors must maintain the confidentiality of information obtained from submitted manuscripts.

2. Editors are responsible for the publication decisions they make.

3. Editors must promptly issue errata, clarifications, or retractions when clear evidence of scientific misconduct, unethical research, plagiarism, or other violations of ethical scientific publishing is identified.

4. Editors should uphold the scientific integrity of manuscripts and ensure the adherence to publication guidelines.

5. The evaluation of submitted manuscripts by editors is based on originality, clarity of presentation, language fluency, soundness of methodology, rigorous data analysis and interpretation, and contribution to the scientific fields of interest to the journal's audience, as defined in the journal's scope.

These guidelines ensure the maintenance of high ethical standards in publishing and safeguard the integrity of the scientific community. Violations of these ethical guidelines may result in appropriate actions being taken by the journal's editorial office.