Citation Policy

All article types, research and non-research (e.g., Reviews, Commentaries, Opinions), must include accurate and appropriate citations to support all claims, data interpretations, and referenced concepts. Authors are expected to engage with the relevant literature in a balanced and ethical manner.

Citation Manipulation

The following behaviors constitute citation manipulation and are strictly prohibited:

• Excessive self-citation of an author’s previous work without clear scholarly justification.
• Coordinated self-citation practices among a group of authors or institutions.
• Gratuitous or unnecessary citation of articles published in the journal to which the manuscript is submitted (i.e., journal self-citation intended to inflate metrics).
• Preferential citation of work by colleagues, mentors, or members of the same institution without objective relevance.

Editorial and Peer Review Conduct

Editors and reviewers must not request citations to their own previous work or the journal’s content unless these are directly relevant and scientifically justified. Any attempts to inappropriately influence citation patterns should be reported to the publisher.

Violation of this policy may result in manuscript rejection and, in serious cases, notification to the authors’ institutions or other corrective action.

Last updated: August 2025