Ethical Principles of Article Publication

The Rangeland and Watershed Management journal, in adherence to ethical standards in academic publishing, follows the regulations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and complies with the Executive Bylaw on Preventing and Combating Academic Misconduct.

The Rangeland and Watershed Management journal is a scientific-research publication affiliated with the University of Tehran. Its ethical publication policies are based on the international principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editorial board members, the editor-in-chief, authors, and reviewers must adhere to these ethical guidelines when collaborating with this journal. Any violation by authors or reviewers will be addressed in accordance with international COPE regulations.

The detailed principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) are accessible at http://publicationethics.org.

Authors and journal stakeholders (including the editor-in-chief, editorial board members, specialized editors, managing editor, copy editors, and publisher) must acknowledge and agree to the ethical charter of the journal.

Authors

• Submitted articles must align with the journal’s scope, present educational aspects, and be derived from the author(s)’ research work.
• Manuscripts or portions thereof must not be simultaneously under review in any domestic or international journal. However, articles that have been previously presented as abstracts in congresses, symposia, or national and international seminars can be submitted in full article format.
• Articles derived from student theses and dissertations must include the supervisor and advisors as co-authors and require the supervisor’s approval and responsibility.
• Translations of articles from other languages will not be accepted.
• The corresponding author is responsible for the scientific and legal accuracy of the article’s content and for the views expressed within it. Publication does not imply endorsement of all its contents by the journal.
• If authors fail to respond to the reviewers' requested revisions within the given timeframe, the manuscript will be removed from the review process. Authors must then resubmit the revised version as a new submission.
• Proper citation must be given when using the results of other researchers.
• The corresponding author must accurately list all co-authors and ensure that no unrelated names are included.
• Authors must disclose all financial support received for their research.
• If an author identifies errors or inaccuracies in their published work at any time, they must promptly inform the journal and either correct or retract the article.
• The journal uses the Hamiyab plagiarism detection software to compare submitted manuscripts with previously published works. If plagiarism is confirmed, the author(s) will be blacklisted, and if the article has already been published, it will be retracted with a note stating: "This article contains plagiarism."

Journal Stakeholders

• Confidentiality: Personal information of authors must be kept strictly confidential by anyone who has access to the manuscript (including the editor-in-chief, editorial board members, managing editor, specialized editors, reviewers, and the publisher).
• Editor-in-Chief’s Role:
• Oversees journal policies and ensures scientific and editorial quality.
• Ensures fairness and accuracy in the peer review process.
• Provides assessments of submitted manuscripts without personal bias.
• The journal reserves the right to accept, reject, edit, summarize, or modify submitted articles. Manuscripts will not be returned to authors after submission.

Reviewers

• Reviewers assist the editor-in-chief in evaluating the scientific, qualitative, and content-related aspects of manuscripts and help authors improve their work.
• Selected reviewers must promptly notify the editor if they accept or decline the review request.
• Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscript content as confidential and ensure its protection.
• Reviews must be based on scientific evidence and reasoning, be clearly articulated, and avoid personal, racial, religious, or subjective biases.
• Reviewers must verify that all references are properly cited. Any research, statements, or quotations included in the manuscript must be fully referenced in the bibliography.
• Reviewers must decline to review any manuscript where there is a conflict of interest due to personal, institutional, or corporate affiliations.

By adhering to these ethical principles, the Rangeland and Watershed Management journal ensures the integrity, quality, and credibility of its published research.