4 Policies & Ethics
4.1 Peer Review
Pabst Science Publishers is committed to peer-review integrity and upholding the highest standards of review. Once your paper has been assessed for suitability by the editors, it will then be blind peer-reviewed by two independent, anonymous expert referees.
4.1.1 Peer Review Policy
To ensure a complete evaluation of the article, the comments of at least two independent experts are generally consulted.
The editor takes into account the details of the comments as well as the general recommendations of the peer reviewers in the decision-making process, but the final responsibility for acceptance or rejection lies solely with the editor.
All submissions that an editor cannot handle will be assigned to a member of the editorial board or a guest editor.
4.1.2 Peer Review Process
Psychosoziale und Medizinische Rehabilitation uses a blinded peer review system.
The editors ensure a throughout and fair peer-review process with the highest scientific standards.
All Editors, reviewers and authors shall adhere to COPE Core Practices to maintain high standard of peer-review.
The editors ensure a thorough and fair peer-review process with the highest scientific standards. Upon submission, the manuscript is first assessed by the editorial team for scope, originality, ethical compliance, and clarity. It is then sent simultaneously to two independent reviewers, who recommend major or minor revisions, rejection, or acceptance without revision; the handling editor evaluates these reports and makes an initial decision. The consolidated reviewer comments and editorial guidance are forwarded to the authors, who must address each suggestion through revision or provide a clear rationale for any unimplemented recommendations. The editor-in-chief makes the final determination on whether the revised manuscript meets the journals´ standards for publication. Throughout the entire process, all editors, reviewers, and authors adhere to Pabst Science Publishers’ editorial policies and best practices to maintain the highest international standard of peer review.
4.1.3 Confidentiality, Appeals & Complaints
Confidentiality
It is imperative that the confidentiality and integrity of the peer review and editorial decision-making process is guaranteed at all stages, in compliance with data protection rules (GDPR). This also requires the invited reviewer to declare any competing interest before submitting his or her report to the journal. In the case that a colleague is to be invited to act as co-reviewer for an article, the reviewer should first contact the journal editors before submitting the manuscript and also indicate their name, affiliation, and any relevant competing interests in the comments to the editors when they return their report.
When investigating an ethical issue, the submitted manuscript, the author, the reviewer, and all other persons involved (including whistleblowers) will be treated confidentially. However, during an investigation, it may happen that the editor has to pass on information to third parties, such as the ethics committee and/or the authors‘ institution.
Authors may also propose reviewers themselves, but these reviewers must have a current publication report in the area of the submission, must not have published with the authors in recent years, and must not come from the same institution as the authors. It is at the discretion of the editor whether these reviewers are ultimately consulted. This decision is made in accordance with the publishing guidelines of Pabst Science Publishers.
Appeals and Complaints
Pabst Science Publishers journals follow the Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines in the case of appeals against decisions of the editors and complaints about the editorial management of the peer review process.
We welcome genuine appeals to editor decisions, but in such cases, you must provide hard evidence or new data/information in response to comments made by the editors and reviewers.
A written submission of each appeal must be sent to… (e.g., the corresponding editorial office).
All cases will be reviewed in accordance with … (e.g., COPE guidelines).
4.2 Reporting Standards & Statements
All submitted manuscripts must include a Statement of Ethics and a Conflict of Interest Statement after the main body of the text, but before the reference lists.
4.2.1 Standards of reporting
Important aspects in the communication of research include verification and reproducibility. For this reason, authors are encouraged to provide comprehensive descriptions of their research rationale, protocol, methodology, and analysis.
In this context, study-design-specific guidelines for reporting have been developed to help the authors with the implementation. It is recommended that these guidelines be used as a guide before the manuscript is submitted.
Checklists are available for a number of study designs, including:
- Randomized controlled trials (CONSORT) and protocols (SPIRIT)
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and protocols (PRISMA-P)
- Observational studies (STROBE)
- Case reports (CARE)
- Qualitative research (COREQ)
4.2.2 Ethics
Statement of Ethics
All research published in Pabst Science Publishers journals must be based on international and local ethical guidelines. These guidelines guarantee ethically correct research.
It is essential that all research studies in humans (individuals, samples, or data), including research on identifiable human material and data, have been conducted with the approval of an appropriate ethics committee and with the informed consent of the appropriate participant, in accordance with the principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki.
Authors should include in the manuscript the name of the ethics committee or other competent authority that approved the study protocol. Where appropriate, they should also indicate the reference number. It should also be stated in the manuscript if ethical approval was not required or if the study has been granted a waiver of ethical approval. Again, the name of the ethics committee that took that decision must be included.
Editors have the possibility to reject manuscripts if they feel that the research has not been conducted within an appropriate ethical framework. Furthermore, in response to concerns expressed after publication, a correction, revocation, or expression of concerns may be made in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Informed consent
If human subjects are part of a research project, written consent to participate in the study should be obtained from the participants (or their parents/guardians, if applicable). In this case, the manuscript should include a statement that deals with it.
4.2.3 Author Contributions
The listing of authors’ names is of great importance for the appreciation of people who have contributed significantly to the work.
For this purpose, authors who are listed on an article must meet the following criteria:
- significant contribution to the reported work
- drafting, writing, or substantial revision or critical review of the article
- agreement on the journal to which the article is to be submitted
- review and agreement on all versions of the article before submission, during revision, on the final version accepted for publication, and on any significant changes introduced during the correction phase
- agree to take responsibility for and account for the content of the article and to share responsibility for resolving any issues raised regarding the accuracy or integrity of the published work.
Defining authorship
The decision as to who should be listed as authors and the order in which they are listed is the collective responsibility of all people who have contributed to the work.
Further contributors to the paper can be credited in the Acknowledgment section.
4.2.4 Conflict of Interest
To ensure transparency and uphold the journal’s integrity, every manuscript must include a Conflict of Interest Statement. It should disclose any financial or non-financial relationships—such as employment, consultancy, grants, sponsorships or personal ties—that might influence the research or its interpretation. Additionally, any support or involvement from the past three years that could reasonably be perceived as a competing interest must be declared.
4.3 Misconduct, Plagiarism & Harassment
Misconduct
Any form of misconduct is taken seriously by Pabst Science Publishers. In case of misconduct, Pabst Science Publishers will take all appropriate measures in accordance with COPE guidelines to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
In case of suspicion of misconduct in research or publication, the editor or publisher may contact third parties, including author institutions and ethics committees, and provide the details of the submission in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Examples of misconduct include (but are not limited to):
- Affiliation misrepresentation
- Use of third-party material without appropriate permissions
- Citations manipulation
- Duplicate submission/publication
- Image or data manipulation/fabrication
- Peer review manipulation
- Plagiarism
- Self-plagiarism
- Unethical research
- Harassment
4.4 Copyright Options
Copyrights allow you to protect your original material and stop others from using your work without your permission.
The articles published in this journal are protected by copyright. All rights, especially those of translation into foreign languages, are reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced, edited, or stored in electronic systems in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Photocopies for personal and other personal use may only be made of individual articles or parts thereof as single copies.
The Submission Statement deals with the license and copyright regulations. It is necessary that a copy of the Submission Statement, signed by all authors, is received by the editorial office. To make the submission legally binding, please print and sign the form and upload it during submission.
4.5 Data Sharing Policy
Authors are encouraged to share or disclose the data supporting the results or analyses presented in their paper, provided this does not violate the protection of human subjects or other applicable privacy or security issues.
We encourage authors to deposit the record(s) in a recognized data repository that can form a durable digital identifier, preferably a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and recognizes a long-term preservation plan.
If there is a record associated with the submitted paper, authors can provide the DOI, the pre-registered DOI, the hyperlink, or other persistent identifier associated with the record(s).
Authors transfer to the publisher the exclusive, spatially and temporally unrestricted right to print, reproduce, and evaluate any kind of material for all languages and countries. This applies both to the text and to graphic representations and photographic images.