Editorial Policies

 

Peer Review Process

  1. Observation of the Author Guidelines by the authors is pre-evaluated upon receipt of the article.
  2. The Editor-in-Chief or Associate Editors check that the topic of the paper is appropriate for the journal and appoint the Reviewer, an expert on the subject of the article, having at least 3 publications on this research topic during the last 3 years.
  3. The reviewers' work is strictly confidential. The reviewer follows the recommendations of the Journal and gives a detailed evaluation of the relevance of the study, the significance and novelty of the data obtained, and of the validity of the conclusions.
  4. A review with the suggestion "to accept", "to reject" the manuscript (with the justification of the decision) or to "send manuscript for revision" (including the critical comments and recommendations) is examined at the Editorial Board meeting. After discussion of the article and the review, the members of the Board make the decision to agree (or not) with the opinion of the reviewer, or to invite an additional reviewer.
  5. A collective opinion of the Editorial Board is given to the author(s) of the article. The name of the reviewer remains unknown to the author.
  6. Articles received after revision, are re-reviewed and then re-considered collectively by the Editorial Board.
  7. The reviews are kept in the Editorial Office for 5 years. The copies of the reviews may be forwarded to the Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation upon an appropriate request.

 

Publication Frequency

  • Quarterly, 4 issues per year
  • Continuously Ahead-of-Print (Online First).

The "Online First" service allows the accepted articles to be published online in a preliminary PDF format available for download.
Readers will access the article earlier on our site in the "Articles in press" section. At the same time, authors will gain the opportunity for their work to be cited with DOI (Digital Object Identifier), registered in the Crossref database, before the inclusion in a final print and online journal issue.

 

Archiving

The journal uses the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) to digitally preserve all the published articles. The PKP PN is a part of LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) program offers decentralized and distributed preservation, seamless perpetual access, and preservation of the authentic original version of the content.

Also, the journal makes full-text archives on the Russian Science Electronic Library (http://elibrary.ru/) platform.

 

Issue Purchase

Readers without a subscription may still purchase individual issues. The following payment options and fees are available.

Access for an Issue: 288.00 (USD)

You can purchase the access for all articles published in one issue. Access to articles will be provide for an unlimited time.

Access to issue allows you to read, download and print full text (PDF and HTML) of all articles, but does not allow to distribute, copy or reproduce articles materials until the end of the embargo period (3 years) since the publication of the article).

 

Article Purchase

Readers without a subscription may still purchase individual articles. The following payment options and fees are available.

Access for an Article: 35.00 (USD)

You can purchase the access for the article to read, download and print its fulltext (PDF, HTML). Access to article will be provide for an unlimited time.

Purchased access does not allow to distribute, copy or reproduce article's materials until the end of the embargo period (3 years) since the publication of the article).

 

Indexing

The journal is indexed in the following international databases and directory editions:

  • Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI by Web of Science)
  • Google Scholar
  • Ulrich's Periodical Directory
  • WorldCat

 

Publishing ethics and standards

The Ethics Policy of the Morphology journal is based on recommendations from international committees:

Reporting standards

The Morphology journal editorial team asks authors of reports of original research to present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.  Reviews (including systematic reviews) should also be accurate and objective.

Authors should use inclusive language that acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. Articles should make no assumptions about the beliefs or commitments of any reader, should contain nothing which might imply that one individual is superior to another on the grounds of race, sex, culture or any other characteristic, and should use inclusive language throughout. Authors should ensure that writing is free from bias, for instance by using “he or she” and “his or her” or the gender neutral pronouns “they, their”, and by making use of job titles that are free of stereotyping (e.g. “chairperson” instead of “chairman” and “flight attendant” instead of “stewardess”).

Authors should list all funding sources in the Acknowledgments section. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their funder designation. If in doubt, please check the Open Funder Registry for the correct nomenclature.

Data access and retention

The editors reserve the right to request the authors to provide the original (raw) data related to a paper submitted for editorial review.  Authors should be prepared to provide the editors access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable period of time after publication.

Plagiarism

The Morphology journal does not publish plagiarism, including works containing plagiarism of text, plagiarism of ideas and plagiarism of data.  Manuscript authors must submit completely original work. Reference to the results of work of other authors should be accompanied by citations of the corresponding primary sources, which are to be included in the list of references. The citation of text previously published elsewhere should be reported as direct speech with the quoted text being enclosed in quotation marks and written in italics, accompanied by an obligatory citation of the source. The inclusion of large fragments of borrowed text in the manuscript is unacceptable.

Manuscripts submitted to the Morphology journal are checked for plagiarism through the . If unauthorized borrowings are identified, or if the originality of the text is low (< 85%), the manuscript will be rejected from publication.

Identification of plagiarism of ideas and plagiarism of data is carried out as part of the scientific review, as well as after the publication of a manuscript - upon the fact that readers submit relevant statements. If unauthorized borrowing of data (results of scientific work) or ideas is established, the manuscript (article) will be withdrawn and retracted from publication, even if it has already been published.

Multiplicity, redundancy and simultaneous submission of publications

The Morphology journal considers only original content, i.e. articles that have not been previously published, including in a language other than English. Articles based on content previously made public only on a preprint server, institutional repository, or in a thesis will be considered.  If authors have used their own previously published work, or work that is currently under review, as the basis for a submitted manuscript, they must cite the previous articles and indicate how their submitted manuscript differs from their previous work. Reuse of the authors’ own words outside the Methods should be attributed or quoted in the text. Reuse of the authors’ own figures or substantial amounts of wording may require permission from the copyright holder and the authors are responsible for obtaining this.

Authors should not publish many manuscripts, mainly devoted to the same study, in more than one journal as original works.  Redundant publication, the inappropriate division of study outcomes into more than one article (also known as salami slicing), may result in rejection or a request to merge submitted manuscripts, and the correction of published articles.  Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal will be regarded as a violation of publication ethics. The Morphology journal will reject from publication any manuscripts that are found to be under consideration or previously published in other publications.

The publication of a certain type of articles (for example, clinical guidelines, translated articles) in some cases is permissible (subject to certain conditions). The Morphology journal will consider extended versions of articles published at conferences provided this is declared in the cover letter, the previous version is clearly cited and discussed, there is significant new content, and any necessary permissions are obtained. Duplicate publication of the same, or a very similar, article may result in the retraction of the later article and the authors may incur sanctions.

Authors, when submitting a manuscript for a “secondary” publication, must notify the editors and substantiate in detail its appropriateness. In the case of a "secondary" publication, the settlement of issues related to copyright of the publication is decided individually on a case by case basis.

The general rules for a manuscript as a "secondary" publication are:

  • Citation of a full bibliographic reference to the “primary” publication
  • Preservation of the original bibliography (reference list) of the "primary" work

More information on the acceptable forms of secondary (repeat) publications can be found on ICMJE web pages.

Citation Manipulation

Authors whose submitted manuscripts are found to include citations whose primary purpose is to increase the number of citations to a given author’s work, or to articles published in a particular journal.  Similarly, editors and reviewers must not ask authors to include references merely to increase citations to their own or an associate’s work, to the journal, or to another journal they are associated with.

Source recognition

The contribution of others to the study should always be recognized. Authors should refer to publications that were important in carrying out the scientific work covered in the manuscript. Data obtained unofficially (for example, during a conversation, correspondence or in a process of discussion with third parties) should not be used or presented without the explicit written permission of the source. Information obtained from confidential sources (for example, the provider of a research grant) should not be mentioned in the manuscript without the express written permission of the manuscript authors who are directly related to the relevant confidential sources.

Authorship of publications

The Journal and Publisher assume that all authors agree with the content of the submitted manuscript and that all have given explicit consent to submission.  The Journal and Publisher also assume that consent for submission has been obtained from the responsible authorities at the institute or organization where the work has been carried out.

Authors of publications can be only those people who have made a significant contribution to the formation of the work plan, the development, execution or interpretation of the results of the presented research, as well as to the process of writing the manuscript (including those who conducted scientific and stylistic editing and design in accordance with the requirements of the Journal).

1  First author. The first author in the list of co-authors should be the head of the manuscript authors who took the greatest part in the process of preparing the text and is familiar with the whole process of conducting the scientific work. The leader of the team of authors should become the "author for correspondence", to communicate with the editorial staff and readers (after the publication of the article).

2  Co-authors may be those who made a significant contribution to the preparation of the manuscript text and the study. In those cases where the study participants made a significant contribution in a certain direction in the research project, they should be indicated as persons who made a significant contribution to this study. The authors must make sure that all participants who have made a significant contribution to the study are presented as co-authors. Persons who did not participate in the study should not be listed as co-authors.  All Co-authors should approve the final version of a manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication.

Research subjects and associated risks

The journal publishes only the results of studies conducted in compliance with biomedical ethics and in accordance with GCP (Good Clinical Practice) standards.

Manuscripts should reflect all risks (obvious and potential) to which the subjects of study (people or animals) were exposed: exposure to chemicals (including drugs), procedures or equipment, and other situations that could be harmful to health or be dangerous to the life of the subjects of study.

If living people or animals are the research subjects in the experimental study, the authors should reflect in their manuscript that all stages of the study were carried out in accordance with the law and regulatory documents. Authors should also provide information that the study protocol was reviewed by an ethics committee with an obligatory indication of the name of the committee (or organization by which the committee was created), the date and reference number of the minutes of the meeting at which the study was approved. The editors have the right to require from the team the author certified copies of the relevant protocols.

All clinical trials should be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of Good Clinical Practice and comply with the requirements of Federal Law No. 61 “On the Circulation of Medicines” (2010), as well as other applicable laws of the Russian Federation.

Research involving human embryos, gametes, and stem cells

Manuscripts that report experiments involving the use of human embryos and gametes, human embryonic stem cells and related materials, and clinical applications of stem cells must include confirmation that all experiments were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

The manuscript should include an ethics statement identifying the institutional or national research ethics committee (including the name of the ethics committee) approving the experiments and describing any relevant details. Authors should confirm that voluntary informed consent was obtained from all recipients and donors of cells or tissues, where necessary, and describe the conditions of donation of materials for research, such as human embryos or gametes. Copies of approval and redacted consent documents may be requested by the Journal.

We encourage authors to follow the principles laid out in the 2016 ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation.

In deciding whether to publish papers describing modifications of the human germline, the Journal is guided by safety considerations, compliance with applicable regulations, as well as the status of the societal debate on the implications of such modifications for future generations. In case of concerns regarding a particular type of study the Journal may seek the advice from the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group (SNRIG).

The decision to publish a paper is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal.

Disclosure of conflicts of interest

All authors are obliged to disclose (declare in the appropriate section of the manuscript) financial or other obvious or potential conflicts of interest that may be perceived as having an impact on the results or conclusions presented in the work.

Examples of potential conflicts of interest to be disclosed:

  • receiving financial reward for participating in a study or writing a manuscript
  • any connection with organizations that have a direct interest in the subject of the study or review (for example: work under contract, consultation, stock ownership, receiving fees or royalties, providing expert opinion)
  • patent application or registration of a patent for research results (copyright, etc.)
  • obtaining financial support for any of the stages of the study or manuscript writing (including grants and other financial support)
  • close personal connections
  • beliefs or activism, for example, political or religious, relevant to the work
  • competitors or someone whose work is critiqued.

Explicit and potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible.

Information about conflicts of interest received from the authors of manuscripts is not provided to reviewers and is available only to the editorial board when deciding on the publication of the manuscript. Information about conflicts of interest is published as part of the full article.

Significant errors in published works

If the author finds significant errors or inaccuracies in the publication, the author must promptly inform the editorial office of the journal or the publisher in order to retract the publication or to correct errors. If the editorial board or the publisher receives substantiated information from a third party that the publication contains significant errors, the author is obliged to retract the work or correct the errors as soon as possible, or to refute the statement of errors by presenting the necessary evidence to the editorial office.  When errors are identified in published articles, the publisher will consider what action is required and may consult the editors and the authors’ institution(s).  Errors by the authors may be corrected by a published corrigendum, and errors by the publisher by a published erratum.

If there are errors that significantly affect the conclusions or there is evidence of misconduct, this may require retraction or an expression of concern following the COPE Retraction Guidelines. All authors will be asked to agree to the content of the appropriate notice.

If the Morphology journal becomes aware of breaches of our publication ethics policies the following sanctions may be applied:

  • Rejection of the manuscript and any other manuscripts submitted by the author(s).
  • Not allowing submission for 1–3 years.
  • Prohibition from acting as an editor or reviewer.

The Morphology journal may apply additional sanctions for severe ethical violations.

 

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial expressions of concern Policies

Morphology journal is committed to uphold the integrity of the literature and publishes Errata (Corrections), Expressions of Concerns or Retraction Notices dependent on the situation and in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines. In all cases, these notices are linked to the original article.

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the authors obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

If the editor or the publisher learn from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the correctness of the original paper.

When errors are identified in published articles, the publisher will consider what action is required and may consult the editors and the authors’ institution(s). 

Errors by the authors may be corrected by a corrigendum, and errors by the publisher — by an erratum (see more).

If there are errors that significantly affect the conclusions or there is evidence of misconduct, this may require retraction or an expression of concern following the COPE Retraction Guidelines. All authors will be asked to agree to the content of the appropriate notice.

According to the rules of the Council on Ethics of Scientific Publications of Association of Science Editors and Publishers, the grounds for article retraction are:

  • detection of plagiarism in the article;
  • detection of falsifications (for example, manipulation of experimental data);
  • detection of serious errors that cast doubt on scientific value of the article;
  • incorrect list of authors;
  • duplication of the article in several journals;
  • republishing the article without the author’s consent;
  • concealment of conflict of interest and other violations of publication ethics;
  • the fact that the article hasn’t been peer reviewed.

After the decision to retract the article is made, the editor-in-chief informs its authors, indicating the reason and date of retraction. The article remains on the journal’s site as part of the corresponding journal issue, but is marked “retracted” with the retraction date (the mark is placed on top of the text of the article and in the table of contents); in addition, a message about retraction is placed in the news section of the site, and the chief editor sends information about the article retraction to all online libraries and databases in which the journal is indexed.

Information on COPE Retraction Guidelines can be found here: Retraction Guidelines

More details can be observed on the Eco-Vector CrossMark Policy page: http://doi.org/10.17816/crossmarkpolicy2018

 

Sources of Income and Advertising Policy

Our advertising policy is consistent with the principles mentioned in the Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies for Medical Journals which issued by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

http://www.wame.org/recommendations-on-publication-ethics-policie

  1. The Morphology journal generate revenue for Publisher (Eco-Vector) from advertising, which creates a potential conflict of interest. Editors’ decisions do not depend on the cost of advertising or producing reprints. Advertisers and sponsors have no influence over the editor’s decisions, regardless of the terms of advertising or other agreements.
  2. All advertisements are subject to the approval of the Publisher staff, which reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time.
  3. The functions of Morphology journal editors and Publisher's advertising managers are separate.
  4. In Morphology journal professional (physician-directed) publications and web sites, the intentional placement of advertising adjacent to articles discussing the company or product that is the subject of the advertisement is prohibited. Advertising content must be distinguished from editorial and other materials so that the difference between them is obvious.
  5. Eco-Vector will not publish “advertorial” content in Morphology journal, and sponsored supplements must be clearly indicated as such. If a supplement did not undergo peer review or underwent a peer review-process different from the rest of the journal that should be explicitly stated.
  6. Morphology journal editorial team has the right to refuse any advertisement that, in its sole discretion, is incompatible with its mission or inconsistent with the values of members, the publication/web site or the Publisher organization as a whole, and to stop accepting any advertisement previously accepted. Advertisements are subject to review by the Morphology journal editors and Eco-Vector’s adverticement managers. In no case shall separate agreements with Eco-Vector or its subsidiaries supersede this policy.
  7. Once an advertisement has been deployed online, it will be withdrawn from the journal site at any time if the Editor(s)-in-Chief or Eco-Vector’s staff request its removal.
  8. Advertising for the following categories is prohibited:
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Weapons, firearms, ammunition
  • Fireworks
  • Gambling and lottery
  • Pornography or related themes
  • Political and religious advertisements
  • Advertisements that claim to have a “miracle” cure or method
  • Advertisements that make unsubstantiated health claims for the products advertised
  • Advertisements directed at children
  1. Advertisements may not be deceptive or misleading, and must be verifiable. Advertisements should clearly identify the advertiser and the product or service being offered. Exaggerated or extravagantly worded copy will not be allowed. Advertisements will not be accepted if they appear to be indecent or offensive in either text or artwork, or if they relate to content of a personal, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, or religious nature.
  2. All advertisements are accepted and published by Eco-Vector in Morphology journal on the warranty of the advertisement agency and advertiser that both are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter of the advertisement.
  3. In consideration of publication of an advertisement, the advertiser and the advertisement agency, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless Eco-Vector, its officers and Morphology journal editorial team members, agents and employees against expenses (including legal fees) and losses resulting from the publication of the contents of the advertisement, including, without limitation, claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, copyright infringement, or plagiarism.
  4. Any references to Eco-Vector and Morphology journal or their products or services in advertisements, promotional material, or merchandising by the advertiser or agency is subject to Eco-Vector’s written approval for such use.
  5. All advertisements for drug-specific campaigns must comply with the relevant Russian legislation that regulates advertising. Advertisers should make available to Eco-Vector the marketing authorization and summary of product characteristics when submitting their advertisement. In the case of drug advertisements, proprietary names of pharmaceutical products must be accompanied by the chemical, generic, or official name; the quantity of all active substances must be stated along with the recommended dosage. Each page of an advertisement for a prescription-only medicine should be clearly labeled as intended for health professionals.
  6. Advertisements for products not approved by the FDA or the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation that make any kind of health claims must carry the following disclaimer: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and/or the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
  7. While Morphology journal welcomes and encourages information-rich advertising, advertisements, advertising icons and advertiser logos must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content and may require special labeling to distinguish them as such. All advertisements must clearly and prominently identify the advertiser by trademark or signature.
  8. Reprints should be published only in the form in which they were originally published in the journal (including subsequent corrections), so there should be no additions or changes in them.
  9. Publisher is not responsible for incidental or consequential damage for errors in displaying or printing an advertisement.
  10. Advertisements may not imply endorsement by the Morphology journal or its publications/web sites except as may be provided for under a separate agreement — in which case advertising must be pre-approved to ensure adherence to the letter and spirit of that separate agreement.
  11. The full rules for any market research or promotion associated with an advertisement must be displayed in the advertisement or available via a prominent link.
  12. The following online advertising formats are prohibited:
  • Pop-ups and floating advertisements.
  • Advertisements that collect personally identifiable information from visitors without their knowledge or permission.
  • Advertisements that extend across or down the page without the visitor having clicked or rolled-over the advertisement.
  • Advertisements that send visitors to another site without the visitor having clicked the advertisement.

Morphology journal published advertising policies are not exhaustive and are subject to change at any time without notice.

Eco-Vector partner with third-party advertising companies to serve ads and/or collect certain information when you visit our website. These companies may use cookies or web beacons to collect non-personally identifiable information [not including your name, address, email address or telephone number] during your visit to this website to help show advertisements on other websites also likely to be of interest to you.

For contact with the Advertisement department of the Publisher, please, follow the link https://eco-vector.com/.

 

Publication fees

Publication in "Morphology" journal is free of charge for all authors.

The "Morphology" journal charge no obligatiry publication fees from authors — including those of manuscript submission, peer-review management, manuscript processing, journal production, Open-Access, online hosting and archiving.

The paid optionally services for authors are Open Access for articles and Fast-Track (see details). 


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