Policies
The rules that govern how we edit, review, and publish — for authors, reviewers, and editors alike. Start with the document that applies, or jump straight to a common question below.
Editorial PoliciesEditorial independence, open access and licensing, article processing charges, preprints, corrections, appeals, and how the record is preserved.Peer ReviewHow review works: single-anonymised assessment by at least two independent experts, our decision types, and what we expect from reviewers.Publication EthicsAuthorship, competing interests, research integrity, plagiarism screening, corrections and retractions, and how misconduct is investigated.
Common questions
The questions authors ask most, each linking straight to the relevant section of the full policy.
- Who counts as an authorICMJE authorship criteria, contributor statements, and changes to the author list.
- Competing interestsWhat you must declare — funding, employment, and financial or personal ties.
- Data & code availabilityEvery research article carries a data availability statement. Repositories are preferred.
- Plagiarism screeningAll submissions are screened for text overlap and image manipulation before review.
- PreprintsAlready posted a preprint? That's fine — it does not affect your submission here.
- Use of AI toolsAI tools may not be listed as authors, and any substantive use must be disclosed.
Still have a question?
For anything about editorial policy, peer review, or a specific submission, contact the editorial office directly.
Editorial office
inquiries@oakpub.comInclude your manuscript ID if your question is about a specific submission, and we'll respond as quickly as we can.