Ethical Guidelines to Publication of Chinese Journal of Zoology

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 Purpose

The guidelines aim to regulate the publishing activities of the Chinese Journal of Zoology. They are designed to ensure the integrity, fairness, and transparency of academic research, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the authority of academic publishing and the promotion of the healthy development of the field of zoology.

Article 2 Range of Application

The guidelines apply to all parties involved in the publication activities of the Chinese Journal of Zoology, including authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and relevant staff.

Article 3 Basic Principles

1. Academic Integrity: All participants shall uphold a factual and objective attitude and eliminate any form of academic misconduct.
2. Fairness and Impartiality: The objectivity and fairness of the manuscript review and publication process must be ensured, free from the influence of personal relationships or interests.
3. Respect for Life: In research involving animal experiments, the animal welfare ethical principles should be strictly followed to safeguard the welfare of laboratory animals.
4. Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: Intellectual property rights of authors, editors, reviewers and other participants should be respected and protected.

Chapter II Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Article 4 Originality and Authenticity

1. Authors shall ensure that submitted manuscripts are original works with truthful and reliable research data. Plagiarism and the misappropriation of others' work are strictly prohibited. Besides, engaging third parties for ghostwriting, third-party submission, or having third parties modify the manuscript content are also not allowed.
2. For any reference to others’ ideas or data, the sources should be clearly indicated.
3. Authors are responsible for the truthfulness, reliability, and research results of their manuscripts, including academic and ethical responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the authors to cooperate with the editorial office to provide original images, raw data, funding project approval documents, project name and all authorship information.

Article 5 Research Ethics

1. For research involving animal experiments, the “3R Principles” (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) must be followed, and relevant ethical review approval must be obtained.
2. The use of laboratory animals, the ethical review number, and the ethical standards adhered to should be detailed in the manuscript.

Article 6 Authorship

1. Authorship should be attributed only to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research, including study design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing. Those who have not made substantial academic contributions must not be listed as authors.
2. The order of authorship should generally be sorted by the magnitude of their contributions, agreed upon by all authors, and confirmed at the time of submission. Authors and institutional affiliations should not be changed arbitrarily. If changes are necessary, the primary responsible authors (first author and corresponding author) must explain the reasons to the editorial office and obtain signed consent from all authors. Unauthorized changes in revised manuscripts are prohibited.
3. It is incumbent upon the authors to ensure that the content of the manuscript is truthful, accurate, and complete.

Chapter III Ethical Guidelines for Editors

Article 7 Objectivity and Impartiality

1. Editors shall evaluate manuscripts based on their academic value and scientific validity, free from influences such as the author’s identity or affiliated institution.
2. A unified and standardized review process shall be applied to all submitted manuscripts. Editors must adhere to the Three Rounds of Review and Proofreading System. The review procedures must be strictly followed, and all manuscripts must be managed in a timely and fair manner. It is important not only to rationalize the initial review of manuscripts and ensure that incoming manuscripts are handled confidentially, but also to respect the results of peer review and the final review.
3. Editors should proactively recuse themselves from manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

Article 8 Confidentiality Obligation

1. Editors must keep manuscript content and author information strictly confidential and not disclose them to unauthorized parties.
2. During the review process, editors shall ensure the confidentiality of reviewers’ information.

Article 9 Ethical Review

1. Editors shall examine whether manuscripts comply with animal welfare ethical requirements. For non-compliant manuscripts, editors should request authors to provide supplementary materials or make revisions.
2. For manuscripts involving academic misconduct, editors shall investigate and verify the facts and take appropriate measures accordingly.

Chapter IV Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

Article 10 Objective Review

1. Reviewers shall conduct objective and impartial evaluations of manuscripts based on professional knowledge and academic standards, providing detailed review comments.
2. Reviewers should avoid allowing personal biases or conflicts of interest to influence the review results.

Article 11 Confidentiality and Fairness

1. Reviewers must keep manuscript content confidential and not use it for personal or other improper purposes.
2. Reviewers shall respect the intellectual property rights of authors and shall not plagiarize or appropriate the manuscript content.

Article 12 Conflict of Interest

1. Reviewers who have a conflict of interest with the author(s) should voluntarily inform the editor and recuse themselves from the review.

Chapter V Ethical Guidelines for Publishers

Article 13 Publication Responsibilities

1. Publishers shall ensure that the publishing activities of journals comply with national laws, regulations, and academic standards.

Article 14 Quality Assurance

1. Publishers shall provide necessary resources and technical support to ensure the journal’s quality and academic standards.
2. Supervision and management of journals should be strengthened to prevent academic misconduct.

Chapter VI Handling of Violations

Article 15 Reporting and Investigation

1. Any party involved in the journal’s publication activities has the right to report violations of publication ethics.
2. A special investigation team should be established by the editorial office to investigate and verify the reported content.

Article 16 Handling Measures

1. For violations of publication ethics, measures such as warnings, retractions, or banning from submission can be taken according to the severity of the circumstances.
2. For authors involved in academic misconduct, their affiliated institutions shall be notified, and corresponding measures are recommended to be taken.

Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions

Article 17 Revision and Interpretation

1. The guidelines may be revised and improved in light of actual circumstances.
2. The Editorial Office of the Chinese Journal of Zoology reserves the right to the final interpretation of the guidelines.
3. The guidelines shall come into force on the date of their promulgation.

Editorial Office of the Chinese Journal of Zoology

February 25, 2025