The following document constitutes a formal policy of EP Journals Group. It is intended to be read together with related policies and guidance notes published by the organisation. This policy applies to all journals under the EP Journals Group imprint and is implemented across the organisation on a continuing basis.
Publication frequency across the portfolio is monthly. Where timelines are referenced, they are stated as typical timeframes and may vary by discipline, submission volume, and the requirements of the peer review process. The organisation retains the right to apply additional checks where warranted by a specific case.
Ethical principles
EP Journals Group maintains a publication ethics framework aligned with widely recognised international norms in scholarly publishing, including guidance produced by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The ethical framework is applied consistently across the portfolio, and it is treated as part of the editorial governance of the organisation rather than as a discretionary matter.
Ethical standards apply to authors, reviewers, editors, and administrative staff. Where a conflict is identified between convenience and integrity, integrity is treated as the controlling consideration. The policy is applied to all manuscript categories and all publication stages, including pre-publication checks and post-publication assessments.
Misconduct and ethical concerns
Misconduct may include plagiarism, duplicate submission, redundant publication, inappropriate image manipulation, fabrication or falsification of data, citation manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and unethical research practice. Concerns may also arise where authorship is not correctly attributed or where contributions are misrepresented.
Where an allegation is raised, the organisation may undertake preliminary checks, request supporting materials, and seek clarification from authors. Where necessary, institutions or funders may be informed in accordance with due process. The organisation may apply COPE-style procedural steps when evaluating and documenting outcomes.
Authorship and contributorship
Authors are expected to ensure that the author list accurately reflects substantive scholarly contribution. Guest, gift, and ghost authorship are treated as ethical violations. Authorship disputes may require additional documentation and may delay editorial processing. Where disputes arise after publication, published corrections may be issued or other measures taken.
Where applicable, the organisation encourages the use of persistent identifiers (e.g., ORCID) to reduce ambiguity. The presence of an identifier does not by itself validate authorship; it is treated as supporting metadata.
Conflicts of interest
Conflicts of interest should be disclosed in a manner that is specific and sufficiently detailed to allow readers to understand potential influences. Financial relationships, advisory roles, employment relationships, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work should be declared.
Where conflicts are disclosed, the editorial process may proceed with safeguards, including assignment of independent reviewers and editorial oversight. Where conflicts are concealed or materially misrepresented, the organisation may reject a submission or correct or retract an article.
Complaints and appeals
Authors may submit an appeal where they believe an editorial decision was made on the basis of a factual error or demonstrable procedural irregularity. Appeals are expected to be substantive and documented. Reconsideration is not guaranteed.
Complaints regarding ethical concerns may be submitted by any stakeholder. The organisation records complaints, maintains internal notes on actions taken, and may publish post-publication notices where required.
Policy enquiries
Enquiries regarding interpretation or application of this policy may be directed to the editorial office. Correspondence should identify the relevant journal (if applicable), the manuscript or article identifier (if applicable), and a concise description of the issue.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org