Our Publication Standards

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions on which manuscripts to publish are based solely on the quality, originality, and significance of the work, and its relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions are never influenced by the commercial interests of the publisher, by Article Processing Charges, or by advertising.

Editors act independently of authors, reviewers, and any other party in reaching a decision, and are expected to disclose and manage any conflict of interest in a submission they are handling.

Peer Review Integrity

Every submission accepted for review undergoes rigorous, fair, and timely peer review appropriate to the discipline. WatchPlus journals typically operate a single- or double-blind peer review process, in which reviewers evaluate a manuscript's originality, methodology, and contribution to the field.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and substantiated assessments, to declare any competing interests, and to treat manuscripts under review as confidential documents.

The final decision to accept, reject, or request revisions rests with the journal's editors, informed by reviewer recommendations.

Authorship & Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors, and all co-authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.

Any change to the author list after submission — addition, removal, or reordering — requires the written agreement of all authors and an explanation to the editorial office.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could be perceived to influence, or that could reasonably appear to influence, the work under consideration.

Research & Publication Integrity

Submitted manuscripts must represent original work, must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal, and must accurately report the methods and findings of the study. Data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and image manipulation are treated as serious breaches of publication ethics.

Allegations of misconduct raised before or after publication are investigated following COPE guidelines, and may result in a correction, an expression of concern, or retraction of the article.

Corrections & Retractions

WatchPlus is committed to preserving the integrity of the published scholarly record. Where a significant error is identified in a published article, a correction is issued. Where the article's findings are unreliable due to misconduct, honest error, or duplicate publication, the article is retracted, with a clear notice explaining the reason.