The publication of scientific research is a meticulous, systematic, and collaborative process that requires efficiency, integrity, and professionalism from publishers, editors, authors, and reviewers. To uphold the highest ethical standards and ensure the publication of high-quality research, Bentham Open Science is committed to working closely with all stakeholders throughout every stage of the publishing process.

The core principles of Bentham Open Science's publishing ethics, applicable to all individuals involved in the publication process, are as follows:

• Editors play a critical role in making key editorial decisions for all peer-reviewed submissions.
• Editors must uphold transparency in the academic record and ensure that ethical standards are not compromised by personal, professional, or commercial interests. They should be prepared to publish retractions, corrections, and errata when necessary.
• Manuscripts must be evaluated objectively based solely on scientific merit and intellectual content, without bias related to race, gender, geographical origin, or religious affiliation of the author(s). Editorial decisions must be based on academic merit, free from commercial influence or personal interests.
• Editors must maintain strict confidentiality and must not disclose any information regarding submitted manuscripts prior to their official publication.
• Ensuring research integrity is paramount, if Bentham Open Science suspects any form of research misconduct, it will promptly and thoroughly investigate in collaboration with the relevant authorities. Any irregularities identified in the peer review process will be addressed with diligence and transparency.

• Reviewers provide a detailed, constructive, and unbiased evaluation of the manuscript in a timely manner.
• Reviewers assess whether the writing is relevant, concise, and clear, while also evaluating the originality and scientific accuracy of the work.
• Reviewers maintain strict confidentiality throughout the entire review process.
• Reviewers must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest and decline the manuscript review if such conflicts exist.
• Reviewers must alert the journal editor of any ethical concerns identified during the review process, including violations of ethical treatment of animal and/or human subjects or significant similarities between the reviewed manuscript and previously published articles.

• Authors ensure that all submitted work must be original and free of plagiarism.
• Authors ensure that the manuscript must not have been previously published or be under consideration by any other journal(s) at the time of submission to Bentham Open Science.
• All potential conflicts of interest must be clearly disclosed.
• Proper acknowledgements must be given to all referenced or cited works, whether from individuals, companies, or institutions. Necessary permissions must be obtained where required.
• Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, analysis, or composition of the work should be listed as ‘authors’; all others should be acknowledged appropriately in the Acknowledgements section.

Bentham Open Science is committed to collaborating closely with journal editors and clearly defining their roles and responsibilities, to support transparent, informed, and ethically sound editorial decision-making throughout the publication process.

Bentham Open Science upholds the integrity, autonomy and originality of every published article, ensuring compliance with the highest ethical standards in the following areas:

• Publication and research funding
• Publication ethics and integrity
• Conflict of interest
• Confidentiality
• Authorship
• Article corrections and modifications
• Timely publication of content