PUBLICATION ETHICS AND EDITORIAL POLICIES
COPE Statement
The Nature & Science international scientific journal operates in accordance with the international ethical principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All editorial, peer review, and publication processes of the journal are conducted in line with COPE recommendations and best practices.
For more information: https://publicationethics.org/
Authorship
Authors of a manuscript should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the research, including active involvement in study design and implementation, data collection and analysis, as well as writing and revising the manuscript. Individuals who provide other forms of support may be acknowledged only in the Acknowledgements section. Each author must confirm in writing that they are responsible for the entire content of the manuscript and that they comply with ethical principles in scientific research.
Publication Ethics Statement
The journal's editorial and review process is based on the following ethical principles:
1. The correct and accurate presentation of research results is ensured.
2. The publication of false or manipulated data is not allowed.
3. Plagiarism and parallel publication of the same research in several journals are prevented.
In case of ethical violations, the journal takes measures such as retraction of the article or refusal to publish.
Conflict of Interest
Nature & Science international scientific journal is committed to the principles of scientific ethics and transparency. All participants involved in the publication process ‒ authors, editors, and reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
Authors: They must disclose all financial and personal interests that may influence the preparation of the study or the publication of the results in the article or in a cover letter.
Editors: If there is any personal or professional relationship with the authors, they must inform about it and withdraw from the evaluation of that article.
Reviewers: If a conflict of interest arises in relation to the article they are evaluating, they must immediately inform the editorial office.
The journal manages conflicts of interest in accordance with established ethical guidelines, and when necessary, relevant information may be disclosed to readers to ensure transparency.
Plagiarism Policy
The Nature & Science international scientific journal checks all submitted manuscripts using StrikePlagiarism software. The system ensures originality by comparing manuscripts with academic databases, internet resources, and other scientific sources. Authors are required to properly cite all sources used in their work. If plagiarism or other ethical violations are detected, the manuscript is not accepted for publication.
Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
This policy has been developed in response to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies. Its purpose is to ensure transparency and accountability for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.
For Authors
Authors may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools ethically in the preparation of scientific manuscripts. However, such tools cannot replace human reasoning, analysis, or scientific judgment.
When using AI tools, authors must adhere to the following principles:
• Verify the accuracy and objectivity of the information obtained;
• Edit the generated content to reflect their own original viewpoints;
• Specify the name of the AI tool used and the purpose of its use in the “Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence”, which should be included in the Methods section of the manuscript;
• Ensure the protection of personal and confidential data and review the terms of use of the selected tool;
• Acknowledge that the use of AI tools does not reduce the author’s responsibility for the content, nor does it confer authorship rights upon the AI tools. Full responsibility for the manuscript’s content rests with the author;
• The use of AI tools to generate images or graphics is strictly prohibited.
For Reviewers
Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not upload them to any AI tools. Such actions pose risks to confidentiality, copyright, and research ethics. AI tools cannot replace scientific evaluation or critical thinking. Reviews must be prepared by humans, and reviewers bear full responsibility for their content.
For Editors
Editors must not upload submitted manuscripts to AI tools, as doing so may violate authors’ confidentiality rights. The scientific evaluation of manuscripts must be conducted solely under human supervision. If an editor identifies a violation of this AI policy, it must be immediately reported to the journal’s editorial board.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Journal’s Publication Process
The journal may use AI tools during technical and editorial stages only in compliance with data confidentiality, copyright protection, and ethical principles.
These tools may be applied for the following purposes:
• Checking manuscripts for compliance with formatting and technical requirements;
• Identifying suitable reviewers for submitted topics;
• Supporting proofreading and language editing processes.
In all cases, decision-making and final evaluations are carried out under human supervision.
Privacy Statement
Editors may share information regarding submitted manuscripts only with reviewers and other editors, and such information must not be disclosed to third parties. All manuscripts submitted to the editorial office are treated as confidential documents. Authors’ names and email addresses entered on the website are used solely for the journal’s editorial and publishing purposes and are not shared with third parties under any circumstances.
Guidelines for Sensitive Participants
Safety and Data Protection: The protection and adherence to safety standards of sensitive participants' data must be ensured. This includes participants such as elderly individuals, children, those receiving medical treatment, and other vulnerable groups. Confidentiality of personal information must be maintained, and compliance with relevant legislation must be ensured.
Informed Consent: Informed consent must be obtained from sensitive participants, ensuring they understand the research purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits. Consent forms should allow participants to make decisions freely and without coercion.
Support and Care: Special support and care should be provided to sensitive participants. Researchers must take measures to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of participants.
Ethical Conduct of Research: It should be ensured that the research work is conducted in accordance with ethical standards, and all ethical principles related to vulnerable participants should be observed.
Protection of Rights: The rights of vulnerable participants must be protected and the well-being of participants must be a priority during the research process.
Corrections and Retractions Policy
Nature & Science is committed to maintaining the scientific integrity, accuracy, and reliability of published articles.
Corrections: Minor technical or editorial errors that do not affect the interpretation or main findings of the research will be corrected in the published article. All corrections are clearly indicated to ensure transparency.
Retractions: An article may be retracted in cases of serious ethical violations, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, redundant publication, or significant doubts regarding the reliability of the findings.
Retraction notices remain permanently linked to the original article. Retracted articles are retained in the journal archive and are clearly marked as “Retracted”, along with a statement explaining the reason for retraction.
Reviewer Ethics
Reviewers must act in accordance with the journal's principles of objectivity, impartiality, and fair evaluation. All manuscripts, regardless of the gender, race, religion, nationality, or political views of the author(s), must be evaluated objectively based solely on their scientific content. Manuscripts reviewed by reviewers are considered confidential documents and their content must not be shared with third parties. This information may only be used with the permission of the editor and must not be used for personal purposes. Reviewers must immediately inform the editor if there is a conflict of interest and, if necessary, withdraw from the evaluation process. Reviewers must consider the scientific quality, originality, and methodological justification of the article when preparing a review, provide a reasoned opinion, and submit their opinion within the specified time period.
Author Ethics
Authors are responsible for the ethical principles of the journal and must confirm that they have complied with the following requirements when submitting an article to the editorial board.
The submitted manuscript must be the original work of the author(s), not previously published, and not simultaneously submitted to another journal. The information presented in the article must be correct, accurate, and reliable, the consent of all authors must be provided, and authorship must be properly indicated. All sources used in the preparation of the manuscript must be appropriately cited. Authors must clearly declare the sources of funding and sponsors of the research, and, if applicable, disclose any personal, professional, or financial conflicts of interest. Plagiarism, falsification of data, and publication of the same study in multiple journals must be avoided.
Editor Ethics
Editors are responsible for ensuring objectivity, transparency, and scientific integrity throughout the editorial process. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific merit, without regard to the authors’ gender, race, religion, nationality, or political views.
Editors make final decisions on manuscript acceptance or rejection based on scientific quality, originality, relevance, and alignment with the journal’s scope. They must avoid any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
The selection of reviewers is conducted according to scientific expertise and subject relevance, ensuring a fair and transparent peer review process. All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents and are shared only with authorized editorial staff and reviewers.
Editors must not use unpublished material for personal research or advantage. Communication between authors and reviewers is managed through the editorial office to ensure transparency and fairness. In cases of ethical misconduct, appropriate actions are taken in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies.
Manuscript Submission
Articles are submitted to the journal through the following methods:
1. Online Submission System – via the Submit an Article (https://aem.az/en/nature-science?view_type=send_article) section on the journal's official website
2. Email Submission – nature.science2000@aem.az
All submitted manuscripts undergo a preliminary editorial review and are assessed for compliance with the journal's scope, author guidelines, and ethical principles. Articles deemed eligible are forwarded to a double-blind peer review process.
Peer Review Process
Articles submitted to the international journal Nature & Science are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process. In this process, both the authors’ and reviewers’ identities are kept confidential, ensuring an objective and fair evaluation.
Submission and Initial Screening:
After submission, manuscripts are first reviewed by the editorial team. At this stage, the manuscript is evaluated for its relevance to the journal’s scope and compliance with formal requirements (format, structure, language, referencing style, etc.). Subsequently, all manuscripts are checked for plagiarism using StrikePlagiarism software. Once the originality of the manuscript is confirmed and compliance with ethical standards is ensured, it is forwarded to the peer review stage.
Reviewer Assignment:
The manuscript that passes the initial screening is sent anonymously to at least two independent reviewers with relevant academic qualifications and research experience. Reviewers are selected from both national and international experts, and their identities are kept confidential from the authors.
Review and Evaluation:
Reviewers evaluate the article in terms of scientific novelty, methodological soundness, reliability of results, and contribution to the field.
Review Timeline and Feedback:
The editorial office typically receives the initial reviewer reports within 4–6 weeks; however, the overall review and decision-making process may take longer depending on the extent of required revisions.
Editorial Decision:
Based on the reviewers’ reports, the responsible editor makes an initial decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection of the manuscript. The final decision is confirmed by the editor-in-chief.
Revisions and Resubmission:
If revisions are required, authors must address the comments and suggestions provided by the reviewers and editors, and resubmit the revised manuscript. All communication with the authors is conducted through the editorial office.
Publication of Accepted Articles:
Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting, proofreading, and formatting prior to publication. Once finalized, the articles are published online on the journal’s official website.
Publication Fees
Nature & Science, as an open access international scientific journal, applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) for the publication of articles. The publication fee is paid only after the article is accepted. Discounts may be available for authors with financial difficulties.
Contact: nature.science2000@aem.az; info@aem.az | +994 50 209 59 68
Open Access Statement
Nature & Science is an international scientific journal that has been operating in Open Access mode since 2019, and all its content is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. License information has been included in the print version since 2024 (Volume 6, Issue 8). All content of the journal is free and freely accessible to readers. The full text of published articles is available through the journal's official website (https://aem.az/en/nature-science) without subscription or access fee.
Archiving Policy
Published articles are archived in the Internet Archive and the Azerbaijan National Library for long-term digital preservation.
Authors may place the published version of their articles in any institutional or other open repositories under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.
Licensing and Copyright
All articles in the journal are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. Author retains all rights.
Under this license, users are granted the following rights:
Share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution (BY) – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial (NC) – You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
No additional restrictions – You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
For more information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/