Publication misconduct includes practices that undermine the integrity, reliability, or transparency of the scholarly record. Global Waste Valorization takes concerns about publication and research misconduct seriously and addresses them in accordance with applicable ethical standards and the Core Practices of COPE.

Examples of publication misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• Plagiarism: Presenting another person's ideas, words, data, images, or other intellectual work as one's own without appropriate attribution.

• Fabrication or falsification: Inventing data or results, or manipulating, altering, or selectively reporting research materials or results in a misleading manner.

• Duplicate or redundant publication: Publishing substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure, justification, or citation.

• Inappropriate authorship: Including individuals who do not meet appropriate authorship criteria or excluding individuals who have made substantial contributions.

• Peer-review manipulation: Attempting to interfere improperly with the peer-review process, including the use of fabricated reviewer identities or undisclosed relationships that compromise independent assessment.

• Undisclosed conflicts of interest: Failing to disclose relationships or interests that could reasonably affect the research or publication process.

The journal may use plagiarism-detection or similarity-screening tools, including iThenticate, as part of its editorial assessment. Similarity results are evaluated in context and do not, by themselves, constitute a finding of plagiarism or misconduct.

When a concern arises, the journal may request original data, research materials, supporting documentation, or explanations from the authors and may seek advice from appropriate experts or contact relevant institutions where necessary.

Depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the concern, possible actions may include:

• Rejection of a manuscript before publication;

• Correction of a published article where appropriate;

• Publication of an expression of concern;

• Retraction of a published article;

• Notification of relevant institutions or other appropriate parties; and

• Other proportionate measures considered appropriate under the circumstances.

Investigations will be conducted as fairly and confidentially as reasonably possible. The journal will consider relevant evidence and provide authors with an appropriate opportunity to respond to concerns. Good-faith reports of suspected misconduct will be handled responsibly, with appropriate confidentiality where possible.

Editors of Global Waste Valorization are responsible for maintaining the quality, fairness, confidentiality, and integrity of the editorial and peer-review process.

Fairness and Impartiality

Editors should evaluate manuscripts objectively and consistently, without discrimination based on authors' personal characteristics, institutional affiliations, geographic location, or other irrelevant considerations. Editorial decisions should be based primarily on the manuscript's scholarly quality, relevance, originality, and compliance with journal requirements.

Peer Review Integrity

Editors should:

• Select reviewers with appropriate expertise for the manuscript;

• Avoid assigning reviewers with conflicts of interest that could compromise impartial assessment;

• Monitor the quality and appropriateness of peer-review reports;

• Seek additional review when necessary to support a fair editorial decision; and

• Maintain the journal's applicable peer-review procedures, including double-blind review where applicable.

Information concerning reviewer participation and the peer-review process should be handled in accordance with the journal's reviewer policies.

Confidentiality

Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, unpublished research information, reviewer identities and reports, and other confidential information obtained through the editorial process.

Conflict of Interest

Editors should identify and manage potential conflicts of interest. Where an editor's relationship with an author, institution, manuscript, or research topic could reasonably affect impartiality, the editor should recuse themselves and, where appropriate, arrange for another qualified editor to handle the manuscript.

Academic Integrity

Editors should respond appropriately when they identify or receive credible concerns regarding plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship problems, peer-review manipulation, or other publication ethics concerns. Where necessary, editors may initiate an investigation, request further information, consult appropriate experts, or contact relevant institutions in accordance with applicable ethical procedures.

Editorial Communication

Editors should communicate decisions and requests clearly and professionally. Editorial decisions should be based on relevant evidence and the journal's stated policies and should not be influenced by personal, commercial, or other inappropriate considerations.

Global Waste Valorization follows established authorship principles, including the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) where applicable. Authorship should accurately reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the work and responsibility for the published research.

Authorship Criteria

Authors should meet appropriate authorship criteria, including substantial contributions to one or more of the following:

• Conception or design of the study;

• Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;

• Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;

• Approval of the final version to be published; and

• Accountability for the work and appropriate investigation and resolution of questions relating to its accuracy or integrity.

Author Approval and Responsibilities

All listed authors should have made a meaningful contribution to the work, should have reviewed and approved the final manuscript, and should agree to be accountable for their contribution to the research and publication.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript is original, that the information presented is accurate, and that relevant sources, permissions, funding, and conflicts of interest are appropriately disclosed.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author serves as the principal contact with the journal and should ensure that:

• All authors have approved the submission;

• All authors are aware of the manuscript's submission and editorial communications;

• Author information and affiliations are accurate;

• Relevant funding and conflict-of-interest information is disclosed; and

• Any necessary authorship or publication-related declarations are completed accurately.

Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission should be supported by an explanation and the agreement of the affected authors. The journal may request written confirmation from the authors before approving an authorship change.

Contributors

Individuals who have contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately where relevant and with their permission.

Copyright and Licensing

Articles published by Global Waste Valorization are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, unless otherwise stated for specific material.

Authors retain appropriate rights in their work while granting the rights necessary for publication and distribution under the CC BY 4.0 license. The CC BY 4.0 license permits others to share and adapt the published work, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes are indicated.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their manuscript. Material that is not covered by the article's CC BY 4.0 license should be clearly identified, and appropriate permission should be obtained where required.

Research Data and Records

Authors should maintain appropriate research records and supporting materials and should provide relevant information or documentation when reasonably requested during an editorial or publication ethics investigation.

Funding and Conflicts of Interest

Authors should disclose all relevant funding sources and any financial or non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before it is formally published. Withdrawal requests should normally be submitted by the corresponding author and should include the reason for withdrawal.

The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors are aware of the withdrawal request and, where appropriate, agree to the withdrawal. The journal may request confirmation from the authors if there is uncertainty concerning the request or authorship.

The journal may also withdraw a manuscript before publication in exceptional circumstances, including serious publication ethics concerns, suspected research misconduct, significant procedural problems, or technical issues that cannot reasonably be resolved.

Withdrawal before publication does not remove any applicable copyright, ethical, legal, or contractual obligations relating to the submitted work.

A published article may be retracted when substantial problems are identified that compromise the reliability, integrity, or scholarly record of the publication. Reasons may include major errors that invalidate the main conclusions, fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, duplicate publication, serious ethical violations, or other significant research or publication misconduct.

Retraction decisions will be made in accordance with applicable COPE guidance and will follow an appropriate editorial assessment or investigation. Concerns may be raised by authors, institutions, reviewers, readers, or other parties.

When an article is retracted:

• A clear and separate retraction notice will be published and permanently linked to the original article;

• The notice will explain the reason or reasons for the retraction to the extent appropriate;

• The original article will normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as retracted; and

• A retraction indication or watermark may be applied to the published version where technically appropriate.

Retraction of an article does not necessarily imply misconduct by every author. The circumstances and responsibilities of individual authors will be considered separately where appropriate.

A correction notice may be issued when an error or omission affects the accuracy, clarity, or completeness of a published article but does not justify retraction.

Examples may include:

• Errors or omissions in the presentation of data;

• Incorrect or incomplete references or citations;

• Errors in author names, affiliations, or other publication information;

• Methodological or analytical errors that do not invalidate the main conclusions; and

• Production or formatting errors that affect the published record.

Where appropriate, the online article will be corrected and a separate correction notice will be published and permanently linked to the affected article. Corrections will be made transparently so that readers can identify the nature of the change.

Removal of a published article is an exceptional measure and will generally be considered only when serious legal, ethical, privacy, or other substantial concerns cannot reasonably be addressed through correction or retraction.

Possible circumstances may include:

• A legal or court order requiring removal;

• Serious and demonstrable copyright or intellectual-property infringement;

• Disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information that cannot reasonably be corrected or redacted;

• Serious risks to individuals or other substantial legal or ethical harm; or

• Other exceptional circumstances in which continued public availability would create significant and demonstrable harm.

Where an article is removed, the journal will seek to preserve an appropriate bibliographic record and, where possible, provide a notice explaining that the article has been removed and the general reason for the action.

Article Processing Charges (APCs), where applicable, are normally non-refundable when an accepted or published article is withdrawn, retracted, or removed because of academic misconduct or serious ethical violations. The publisher may determine otherwise in exceptional circumstances.

Research involving human participants, human data, or animals must comply with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements. Authors should obtain the necessary ethical approval before conducting the research where such approval is required.

Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants should protect participants' rights, privacy, safety, dignity, and welfare. Where applicable, studies should follow the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national or institutional requirements.

Where required, informed consent should be obtained from participants. Appropriate approval from an ethics committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) should be obtained, and the name of the approving body and approval number should be stated in the manuscript where applicable. If an ethics review or informed consent requirement was waived, the manuscript should provide an appropriate explanation.

Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals should comply with applicable institutional, national, and international standards for animal welfare. Authors should apply the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (the 3Rs) where applicable and take reasonable measures to minimize animal suffering, distress, and unnecessary use.

Where required, authors should provide information about the relevant ethics approval, institutional oversight, and applicable animal-welfare requirements in the manuscript.

Global Waste Valorization recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools may assist authors during research and manuscript preparation. However, AI tools cannot replace human responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical conduct of scholarly work.

AI as an Author

AI tools, including generative AI systems, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Human authors remain fully responsible for the content submitted to and published by the journal.

Permitted Uses of AI

AI tools may be used for appropriate supportive purposes, including:

• Language editing, grammar, spelling, and style improvement;

• Translation or assistance with multilingual communication;

• Organizing or summarizing information, provided that authors independently verify the accuracy and sources;

• Technical, formatting, or accessibility assistance; and

• Other supportive uses that do not replace the authors' intellectual responsibility for the research and manuscript.

Prohibited Uses

Authors must not use AI tools in ways that compromise the integrity of the scholarly record, including:

• Fabricating or falsifying data, results, references, images, or other research evidence;

• Generating misleading or unsupported scholarly claims;

• Manipulating evidence or research results deceptively;

• Using AI to conceal plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct; or

• Uploading confidential, unpublished, personal, proprietary, or otherwise restricted information to an AI system without appropriate authorization.

Disclosure of AI Use

Substantive use of AI tools in the research or preparation of a manuscript should be disclosed by the authors in an appropriate section of the manuscript, including a description of the nature and purpose of the AI use where relevant.

Routine use of AI or other software for basic spelling, grammar, formatting, or language polishing generally does not require detailed disclosure, provided that the authors remain responsible for the final content.

Author Responsibility

Authors remain responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of AI-assisted content, ensuring appropriate attribution and citation, and complying with applicable copyright, confidentiality, privacy, intellectual-property, and research-ethics requirements.

Global Waste Valorization accepts manuscripts that have previously been posted on recognized non-peer-reviewed preprint servers. The posting of a manuscript on a preprint server does not, in itself, constitute prior publication and does not prevent the manuscript from being considered for publication in this journal.

Authors must disclose the existence of any preprint version at the time of submission and provide the name of the preprint server and the corresponding DOI or URL, where available.

To be considered for publication:

1. The manuscript must not have been formally published in a peer-reviewed journal or other primary publication.

2. The manuscript must not be under consideration for publication by another journal at the same time.

3. Authors must have the necessary rights to submit the manuscript for journal publication, and the preprint posting must not violate any copyright, licensing, confidentiality, or other third-party rights.

4. The existence of the preprint must be clearly disclosed to the journal during submission.

Examples of recognized preprint servers include, but are not limited to, Research Square, arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SSRN, ChemRxiv, and Zenodo.

Manuscripts previously posted as preprints will be subject to the same editorial assessment and peer-review process as other submissions. A preprint is not considered a substitute for peer review or formal journal publication, and its existence will not, by itself, determine the editorial decision.

If a manuscript is accepted and published, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a citation and link to the final published Version of Record.

Failure to disclose a relevant preprint may be considered a publication ethics concern.

The journal is committed to maintaining editorial independence and academic integrity.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on:

• Scholarly merit;
• Originality;
• Relevance to the journal's scope;
• Methodological rigor;
• Ethical compliance.

Editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board and are not influenced by:

• Publication fees;
• Waiver requests;
• Advertising;
• Sponsorship;
• Commercial interests;
• Publisher interests.

The publisher shall not interfere with editorial evaluations, peer review processes, acceptance decisions, or publication decisions.

All manuscripts are evaluated according to the same academic and ethical standards.

The journal is committed to handling complaints and appeals fairly, transparently, and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Complaints

Complaints may relate to:

• Editorial processes;
• Peer review procedures;
• Publication ethics;
• Alleged misconduct;
• Author, reviewer, editor, or publisher conduct.

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office with sufficient details and supporting evidence.

Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions if they believe that a decision was based on factual errors, procedural irregularities, or significant misunderstandings of the manuscript.

Appeals must:

• Be submitted within 30 days of the editorial decision;
• Clearly explain the grounds for appeal;
• Provide relevant supporting information.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent editor who was not involved in the original decision. Additional peer review may be requested when appropriate.(contact@explorerpress.com)

The final decision following the appeal process shall be considered binding.

The journal follows COPE recommendations when handling complaints and appeals.

The journal does not accept or publish commercial advertising in any form, including website advertisements, sponsored content, promotional materials, or paid advertisements.

As the journal does not carry advertisements, no advertising revenue is associated with editorial decision-making.

Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, peer review outcomes, ethical standards, and the journal's editorial policies.

The publisher, editors, and editorial board operate independently of any commercial influence.

Should the journal's advertising practices change in the future, this policy will be updated accordingly.