PhytoMycology  (published by BioAcademic Press) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. This Code of Ethics outlines the responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher in ensuring ethical conduct throughout the publication process.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

● Originality and Integrity: Authors must ensure that their submissions are original, accurate, and free from plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification.
● Authorship: All individuals who made significant contributions to the work must be listed as authors. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.
● Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors must properly cite the work of others and acknowledge funding sources, institutional support, and potential conflicts of interest.
● Data Transparency: Authors should provide access to underlying data and materials when requested, and ensure that research complies with ethical standards, including permits and approvals where applicable.
● Dual Submission: Manuscripts must not be under consideration by another journal at the time of submission.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

● Fair Evaluation: Editors will assess manuscripts based solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance, without regard to authors’ gender, ethnicity, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
● Confidentiality: Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential and must not use unpublished material for personal advantage.
● Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
● Decision-Making: Editorial decisions will be guided by reviewers’ recommendations and the journal’s standards, ensuring transparency and consistency.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

● Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep all manuscripts confidential and must not use information obtained during peer review for personal benefit.
● Objectivity: Reviews must be fair, constructive, and unbiased, focusing on the scholarly content rather than personal criticism.
● Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and report any concerns about potential ethical issues.
● Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline assignments where they have conflicts of interest.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher (BioAcademic Press)

● Integrity of the Record: The publisher works with editors to maintain the scholarly record and address ethical issues, including corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
● Ethical Oversight: BioAcademic Press ensures compliance with international ethical standards, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
● Support: The publisher provides editors and reviewers with guidance on best practices in scholarly publishing.

5. Misconduct and Complaints

● Allegations of research or publication misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, or duplicate publication) will be investigated according to COPE guidelines.
● Authors found to have violated ethical standards may face rejection, retraction, and/or reporting to their institutions or funders.
● Complaints related to editorial decisions or conduct will be handled transparently and fairly by the Editors-in-Chief in consultation with the publisher.