The Journal of Stem Cell Therapy and Transplantation (JSCTT) upholds the highest ethical standards in stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and transplantation science. The journal ensures strict confidentiality in the peer review and editorial process, while maintaining transparency and ethical integrity in publishing.

Confidentiality and Ethics

1. Confidentiality in Peer Review and Publication

Editors, reviewers, and all individuals involved in the peer review process must uphold confidentiality to ensure fair and unbiased evaluation of research.

• Manuscript Confidentiality: Submitted manuscripts must not be disclosed to anyone outside of the editorial and peer review team.
• Reviewer Anonymity: If following a double-blind peer review process, the identities of both authors and reviewers must remain confidential.
• Unpublished Data Protection: Editors and reviewers must not use or distribute unpublished data or findings for personal research or gain.

2. Ethical Standards in Stem Cell Research

All research published in JSCTT must adhere to ethical principles governing stem cell biology, gene editing, and transplantation.

• Human and Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Studies involving human embryonic stem cells must comply with national and international ethical guidelines.
• Informed Consent and Ethical Approvals: Clinical studies involving stem cell therapy must obtain ethical approval from an institutional review board (IRB) and secure written informed consent from participants.
• Animal Research Ethics: Studies involving animal models must comply with humane treatment protocols and ethical research standards.

3. Ethical Conduct in Scientific Publishing

JSCTT enforces strict ethical publishing policies to ensure scientific accuracy, transparency, and accountability.

• Plagiarism and Duplicate Submission: All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate publication.
• Authorship Integrity: All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.
• Data Integrity: Research findings, figures, and clinical data must be presented accurately without falsification, fabrication, or selective reporting.

4. Managing Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence the research, peer review, or editorial decision-making process.

• Editorial Independence: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a personal, professional, or financial conflict of interest.
• Author and Reviewer Disclosure: All conflicts, including financial support, institutional affiliations, and industry relationships, must be transparently disclosed.
• Industry and Funding Transparency: Research supported by pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, or commercial entities must fully disclose funding sources.

5. Corrections and Retractions

JSCTT is committed to maintaining scientific integrity by addressing errors and ethical concerns transparently.

• Errata and Corrections: Minor errors that do not affect research validity will be corrected through an erratum.
• Article Retractions: Research misconduct, ethical violations, or significant errors may lead to article retractions with a formal statement.
• Expression of Concern: If an ethical concern is under investigation, an expression of concern may be issued to alert readers.

6. Transparency and Ethical Accountability

JSCTT ensures that its editorial policies and ethical guidelines are publicly accessible, consistently enforced, and aligned with global stem cell research standards.

• Ethical Complaints: Any ethical concerns raised by authors, reviewers, or readers will be investigated following COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
• Editorial Integrity: Editorial decisions are based solely on scientific quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to stem cell research and transplantation.
• Diversity and Inclusivity: JSCTT promotes diversity in authorship, peer review selection, and editorial board representation.

By submitting to the JSCTT, authors, reviewers, and editors agree to adhere to these confidentiality and ethical guidelines. For any ethical concerns or clarifications, please contact the editorial office.