Publication Ethics & Policies

1. Conflict of Interest Policy

Global Trends in Science and Technology (GTST) requires full transparency regarding any relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation. Authors must disclose financial, institutional, personal, or professional associations that may be perceived as potential conflicts of interest.

A Conflict of Interest statement must be included in every manuscript. If no conflicts exist, authors should state:

“The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.”

Disclosure Requirements

Authors should clearly report:

  • Sources of financial support and grant numbers
  • Institutional affiliations related to the study
  • Consultancy roles, advisory positions, or employment relationships
  • Any financial or non-financial interests related to the manuscript

Editors and reviewers must also disclose potential conflicts and withdraw from the evaluation process when necessary.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may lead to:

  • Manuscript rejection
  • Publication of corrections
  • Retraction of the article
  • Notification to affiliated institutions when appropriate

2. Human and Animal Rights Policy

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards.

Human Studies

Authors must confirm that:

  • The study followed ethical principles consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 revision)
  • Approval was obtained from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee
  • Participants provided informed consent prior to participation

A statement confirming ethical approval must be included in the manuscript.

Animal Research

Studies involving animals must:

  • Follow institutional and national animal welfare regulations
  • Comply with recognized guidelines such as ARRIVE guidelines
  • Minimize animal suffering and use appropriate experimental design

The journal reserves the right to request documentation of ethical approval. Manuscripts that fail to meet ethical standards may be rejected.

3. Informed Consent Policy

For studies involving human participants, authors must obtain written informed consent for:

  • Participation in the study
  • Collection of data
  • Publication of findings

For minors or individuals unable to provide consent, permission must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.

When identifiable information is included (e.g., images, clinical details, case reports), explicit consent for publication must be obtained.

All manuscripts must include an Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate statement clearly describing consent procedures.

4. Data Sharing Policy

Global Trends in Science and Technology (GTST) promotes transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility of research data. Authors are encouraged to make supporting data available whenever possible.

Data may be shared through:

  • Supplementary files
  • Public repositories
  • Institutional databases
  • Data included within the manuscript

All submissions must include a Data Availability Statement explaining:

  • Where the data can be accessed
  • Repository links (if applicable)
  • Conditions for access
  • Reasons for restricted access (if data cannot be shared)

Acceptable reasons for restricted data include:

  • Ethical considerations
  • Privacy or confidentiality requirements
  • Legal restrictions
  • Third-party ownership

Authors are responsible for ensuring that shared data is accurate, properly documented, and compliant with ethical and copyright regulations.