Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
Description
The "Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing" document outlines standards established by various scholarly organizations—including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)—to distinguish legitimate journals from predatory ones. These principles cover critical aspects of scholarly publishing such as the peer review process, editorial governance, author fees, copyright, handling research misconduct, ownership, journal accessibility, revenue sources, advertising policies, publishing schedules, and archiving practices. The aim is to ensure that journals maintain high ethical standards and transparency, ultimately fostering trust in the academic publishing landscape.