Terms and Conditions

 Terms and Conditions of Use and Submission

Last Updated: [2025]

GENERAL

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Sustainable and Emerging Research Network ("SERN"). SERN is a digital platform designed to host open-access journals that independently publish scholarly content. SERN itself does not act as a publisher of individual research papers or articles but provides the technological infrastructure and services to support journal hosting, discoverability, indexing, and visibility. Each journal hosted on the SERN platform retains complete editorial and publishing autonomy.

By accessing this website or submitting content for publication in any journal hosted by SERN, you are agreeing to the following Terms and Conditions. These terms apply to authors, editors, reviewers, users, and any third parties who interact with the platform.

2. Definitions

·                     SERN: Refers to the Sustainable and Emerging Research Network, its infrastructure, administrators, and digital properties.

·                     Journals: Independent scholarly publications hosted on the SERN platform.

·                     Author: A person or group submitting original work to a journal.

·                     Reviewer: A peer selected to assess the quality, accuracy, and originality of submitted content.

·                     Editorial Board: Group responsible for the acceptance, peer review, and publication of content in a journal.

·                     Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0): A standard license under which accepted work is published, allowing for sharing and adaptation with attribution.

·                     Submission: Any article, paper, dataset, graphic, or media sent for consideration in a hosted journal.

3. Role of SERN

SERN is not a publisher of scholarly articles. It is a technical and service-oriented platform that enables journals to:

·                     Use web infrastructure for open-access publishing.

·                     Manage peer-review processes through integrated systems.

·                     Ensure metadata standards for indexing.

·                     Provide support and ensure research visibility.

All decisions regarding editorial content, peer review, acceptance, and publication rest solely with the independently operated journals.

SERN does not influence nor claim ownership of published materials, and does not mediate disputes between authors and journals.

4. Author Responsibilities

By submitting work to a journal hosted on SERN, the author agrees to:

·                     Submit original work that is not under review elsewhere.

·                     Disclose all conflicts of interest and funding sources.

·                     Participate in peer review if requested.

·                     Acknowledge co-authors and contributors appropriately.

·                     Comply with journal-specific submission and formatting guidelines.

Authors understand that submission to a journal constitutes entering a contract with that journal under the terms outlined below and in the respective journal’s policies.

5. Licensing and Copyright

All published work on journals hosted by SERN is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license:

·                     Others can copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the work for any purpose, even commercially.

·                     Proper attribution must be given to the original authors.

·                     There must be a link to the license.

·                     Any changes must be indicated.

By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to publish under this license if their paper is accepted.

Authors retain full copyright but grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and index the content.

6. Journal Responsibilities

Each journal hosted by SERN is expected to:

·                     Provide clear editorial and peer review policies.

·                     Uphold academic integrity and publication ethics.

·                     Handle misconduct, corrections, and retractions according to COPE guidelines.

·                     Disclose all fees or publication charges up front.

·                     Ensure all metadata and file formats are properly submitted for indexing.

7. Peer Review Policy

Journals hosted on SERN must specify the type of peer review they use:

·                     Single-blind

·                     Double-blind

·                     Open peer review

The peer review process should:

·                     Be transparent and timely.

·                     Avoid bias or discrimination.

·                     Be free from conflicts of interest.

·                     Maintain reviewer anonymity where applicable.

8. Research Integrity and Ethical Conduct

Authors, editors, and reviewers must adhere to the highest standards of academic conduct, including but not limited to:

·                     No plagiarism or data fabrication.

·                     Ethical treatment of research subjects.

·                     Declaration of conflicts of interest.

·                     Transparent funding disclosures.

SERN encourages journals to use plagiarism detection tools and to follow Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

9. Indexing and Visibility

Journals hosted by SERN are encouraged to seek indexing in:

·                     Google Scholar

·                     DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)

·                     Scopus (if applicable)

·                     Other discipline-specific databases

SERN supports open metadata formats such as Dublin Core, CrossRef XML, and OAI-PMH to facilitate global visibility.

10. Data Privacy and Author Information

SERN does not disclose personal information submitted during manuscript submission or account registration unless required by law.

Authors agree to have the following published:

·                     Names and institutional affiliations

·                     ORCID iD (if provided)

·                     Email address (if required by the journal)

No payment information is collected or processed by SERN. All payment systems, if any, are handled by the respective journals or third-party providers.

11. Hosting Terms

By using SERN, journals agree to:

·                     Keep content openly accessible.

·                     Ensure the reliability of publication timelines.

·                     Provide backup and preservation strategies.

·                     Allow long-term access to archived material.

SERN reserves the right to discontinue hosting a journal if it repeatedly violates ethical or technical standards.

12. Withdrawal and Retraction Policy

Authors can request withdrawal prior to acceptance. Once accepted, withdrawal is at the discretion of the journal editor.

Retractions may occur if:

·                     Fraud or ethical misconduct is discovered.

·                     Duplicate publication is identified.

·                     Author requests retraction for valid reasons.

All retractions must follow COPE recommendations.

13. Dispute Resolution

Disputes arising from submissions, reviews, or editorial decisions should be resolved at the journal level. SERN does not mediate content or authorship disputes but will act to enforce platform-wide ethical guidelines where gross misconduct is proven.

14. Modifications to Terms

SERN may revise these terms at any time. Users will be notified of major changes via the SERN website. Continued use of the platform implies agreement with updated terms.

15. Termination of Access

SERN reserves the right to terminate access or hosting of any journal or user account that violates these Terms and Conditions, engages in academic fraud, or disrupts platform integrity.

16. Contact Information

For inquiries regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact:
Email: [editor@sern.online]
Website: [sern.online]

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

1.                  Overview

Authors play a central role in the scholarly publishing ecosystem. The following guidelines are intended to support authors who intend to submit manuscripts to journals hosted on the Sustainable and Emerging Research Network (SERN) platform. While SERN does not publish research papers directly, it serves as a facilitator by providing infrastructure and visibility to individual journals, each of which may maintain independent editorial boards, review policies, and thematic scopes.

Authors are encouraged to carefully read the policies of the specific journal they intend to submit to, as each journal may include unique submission requirements, review timelines, and thematic constraints.

2.                  Manuscript Submission

·                     All manuscripts must be submitted through the online submission system of the relevant journal hosted on the SERN platform.

·                     Authors must ensure that all manuscript files are complete, correctly formatted, and include all required components (e.g., title, abstract, keywords, full text, references, and figures/tables if applicable).

·                     Submissions must be original and not under review elsewhere at the time of submission.

·                     Duplicate submission and plagiarism are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate rejection and possible blacklisting.

3. Authorship Criteria

·                     All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.

·                     Ghost authorship and guest authorship are considered unethical.

·                     All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

·                     Any changes in authorship (e.g., addition, removal, order change) after submission must be accompanied by a statement signed by all authors.

4.                  Article Types

Journals hosted by SERN may accept a variety of article types, including but not limited to:

·                     Original Research Articles

·                     Review Articles

·                     Technical Reports

·                     Case Studies

·                     Short Communications

·                     Commentary and Perspectives

·                     Book Reviews

Each journal may define specific formatting and structure requirements for each type.

5. Formatting and Style Requirements

·                     Manuscripts should be prepared using standard academic language and must adhere to the formatting guidelines of the relevant journal.

·                     Generally accepted referencing styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE, though the specific journal will specify which to use.

·                     All tables and figures must be numbered and titled.

·                     Avoid excessive jargon and ensure the manuscript is accessible to the journal’s readership.

6. Language and Accessibility

·                     All manuscripts must be written in English, unless the journal specifies otherwise.

·                     Authors whose native language is not English are encouraged to seek language editing prior to submission.

·                     Inclusive and non-discriminatory language is required.

7. Ethical Compliance

·                     For research involving human subjects, animal experiments, or sensitive data, the manuscript must include evidence of ethical approval by a relevant body.

·                     A statement of conflict of interest must be included with every submission.

·                     Funding sources must be acknowledged in the manuscript.

8. Peer Review Process

·                     Most journals on the SERN platform follow a double-blind or single-blind peer review process.

·                     Authors should not include any identifying information in the manuscript unless the journal follows an open review model.

·                     The timeline for review is journal-specific, but authors can typically expect an initial decision within 4 to 12 weeks.

·                     Authors are expected to respond to reviewer comments professionally and in a timely manner.

9. Copyright and Licensing

·                     Upon acceptance, the author agrees to publish the article under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license unless otherwise specified.

·                     Authors retain copyright of their work, but grant the journal and the SERN platform the non-exclusive right to publish, archive, and distribute the work.

·                     Authors are responsible for securing necessary permissions for any third-party content included in their work.

10. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

·                     Authors are encouraged to make underlying data publicly available via institutional repositories, data archives, or as supplementary files.

·                     Journals may mandate data availability for specific research domains.

11. Withdrawal and Retraction Policy

·                     Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript only before peer review has commenced.

·                     Once a manuscript is under review, withdrawal requests must be justified and approved by the journal's editorial team.

·                     Retractions will follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and may be issued in cases of serious error, misconduct, or ethical violations.

12. Post-Publication Communication

·                     Authors are encouraged to engage with readers, respond to post-publication commentary, and participate in discussions initiated through journal forums or SERN channels.

·                     Authors may be contacted for clarifications or errata, which must be submitted through the appropriate journal channels.

13. Visibility and Indexing

·                     Journals hosted on SERN may be indexed in services such as DOAJ, Google Scholar, and others.

·                     Authors benefit from increased visibility via open access publication and cross-linking between SERN content and third-party databases.

14. Fees and Charges

·                     While SERN is committed to affordability, journals may charge minimal Article Processing Charges (APCs) to cover operational costs.

·                     Fee waivers or reductions may be available based on financial hardship or country of origin.

15. Contact and Queries

For questions regarding manuscript preparation, submission, or status, authors should contact the editorial office of the specific journal to which they are submitting. General questions regarding SERN as a platform may be directed to: Email: editor@sern.online
Website: sern.online

16.               Authorship Criteria and Contributions

To uphold academic integrity and ensure appropriate credit is given, all authors listed on a manuscript must meet the following authorship criteria, as adapted from ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) guidelines:

a.                  Authorship Eligibility:

Each author must have made substantial contributions to at least two of the following areas:

·                     Conception or design of the work

·                     Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data

·                     Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content

·                     Final approval of the version to be published

·                     Accountability for all aspects of the work in ensuring accuracy and integrity

Mere involvement in data collection, funding acquisition, or general supervision does not qualify for authorship.

b.                  Contributor Roles (CRediT Taxonomy)

To promote transparency, journals hosted on SERN may require authors to specify individual contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy), including but not limited to:

·                     Conceptualization

·                     Methodology

·                     Software

·                     Validation

·                     Formal analysis

·                     Investigation

·                     Resources

·                     Data curation

·                     Writing – Original Draft

·                     Writing – Review & Editing

·                     Visualization

·                     Supervision

·                     Project administration

·                     Funding acquisition

c.                   Changes to Authorship

·                     Any changes in authorship (additions, deletions, or reordering) after submission must be approved in writing by all listed authors and justified to the journal editor.

·                     Ghost authorship, guest authorship, and honorary authorship are considered ethical violations and may result in rejection or retraction.

By submitting a manuscript, the corresponding author certifies that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria and that no one meeting these criteria has been omitted.

17.                Data and Supplementary Materials

SERN encourages open research practices, including the sharing of data, code, and materials necessary to validate the findings of a study. As such:

·                     Authors are encouraged to submit supplementary materials that enhance the reproducibility and transparency of their work. These may include:

o                  Raw or processed datasets

o                  Code scripts or software

o                  Extended tables or figures

o                  Multimedia files (e.g., videos, interactive diagrams)

·                     Journals may require:

o                  A Data Availability Statement outlining where and how data can be accessed.

o                  Deposit of data in recognized public repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad) with DOI or permanent links.

·                     Confidential or sensitive data (e.g., patient information, protected populations) must follow ethical and legal guidelines for anonymization or restricted access.

·                     Supplementary files should be submitted in accessible formats (e.g., .csv, .xlsx, .pdf, .zip) and clearly labeled during the manuscript submission process.

Failure to include necessary data may result in delays or rejection. Journals reserve the right to require data sharing as a condition of publication.

JOURNAL GUIDELINES

17.1 Establishing a Journal on SERN

To establish a journal on the SERN platform, the founding editorial team must submit:

·                     A formal proposal including the journal title, scope, and editorial structure.

·                     A description of the peer review model to be used (single-blind, double-blind, open).

·                     Information on editorial board members with institutional affiliations.

·                     A proposed publishing schedule (e.g., quarterly, rolling, annual).

·                     Policies for ethical standards, retractions, and corrections.

·                     A statement declaring open access commitment under Creative Commons licensing.

Journals are accepted based on alignment with SERN’s values: accessibility, sustainability, emerging research, and academic quality.

17.2 Journal Autonomy and Responsibilities

Each journal is an independent publication entity. SERN only provides hosting infrastructure. Journals are responsible for:

·                     Managing editorial workflows and peer review processes.

·                     Appointing editors, section editors, and reviewers.

·                     Defining aims and scope, including thematic and disciplinary focus.

·                     Drafting and enforcing submission policies.

·                     Ensuring timely publication and maintaining publishing ethics.

·                     Responding to allegations of misconduct or ethical violations.

·         17.3 Naming Conventions and Branding

All journals must be named using the format:
Journal of [Subject/Theme]

Branding should be consistent with:

·                     Professional and academic tone.

·                     Alignment with subject matter.

·                     Unique identity to avoid confusion with existing journals.

The use of the SERN logo is permitted but must not suggest ownership or publishing by SERN.

17.4 Licensing and Copyright

All journals hosted on SERN must publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0). This ensures:

·                     Authors retain copyright.

·                     Work is freely available and legally reusable with attribution.

·                     Journals can distribute and archive content indefinitely.

Journals must ensure licensing details are visible on each article page and PDF.

17.5 Publication Fees and Transparency

Journals must clearly state:

·                     Whether there are any submission, review, or article processing charges (APCs).

·                     What those charges cover (e.g., DOI registration, formatting, hosting).

·                     If waived, under what criteria (e.g., low-income country authors).

Fee structures must be visible before submission.

17.6 Editorial Board Standards

Every journal must maintain a diverse and qualified editorial board. Editors should:

·                     Possess expertise in the journal’s field.

·                     Commit to ethical editorial practices.

·                     Maintain transparent decision-making.

·                     Avoid conflicts of interest in manuscript handling.

Board member names, affiliations, and ORCID IDs should be public on the journal’s “About” page.

17.7 Article Types

Journals may publish, depending on scope:

·                     Original research articles

·                     Review papers

·                     Short communications

·                     Technical reports

·                     Case studies

·                     Conference proceedings

·                     Editorials and letters to the editor

The permitted types must be listed with formatting and length requirements.

17.8 Peer Review Management

Journals must implement robust peer review practices, including:

·                     Reviewer selection criteria

·                     Review timelines and reminders

·                     A review form or rubric

·                     Mechanisms for editorial decisions (accept, revise, reject)

·                     Procedures for appeals or re-review

SERN encourages use of Open Journal Systems (OJS) or equivalent systems.

17.9 Archiving and Digital Preservation

Each journal must commit to:

·                     Regular backups of content.

·                     Use of metadata standards (Dublin Core, CrossRef).

·                     Registering DOIs for all published works.

·                     Participating in long-term preservation initiatives (e.g., LOCKSS, PKP PN).

SERN supports OAI-PMH harvesting for metadata syndication.

17.10 Publication Schedule and Consistency

Journals must:

·                     Declare a regular publishing frequency (quarterly, biannual, annual, rolling).

·                     Meet deadlines for each issue or volume.

·                     Communicate clearly if issues are delayed.

·                     Notify authors and reviewers of any disruptions.

Consistency enhances visibility and indexing chances.

17.11 Inclusion in Indexes and Databases

SERN journals should strive to be indexed in:

·                     DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)

·                     Google Scholar

·                     CrossRef (via DOI registration)

·                     Subject-specific indexes (e.g., ERIC, PubMed Central, EconBiz)

SERN provides support for metadata preparation, but the journal handles applications.

17.12 Journal Website Structure

Each journal must include on its homepage:

·                     Aims and scope

·                     Editorial board

·                     Author guidelines

·                     Submission instructions

·                     Current and archived issues

·                     Licensing terms

·                     Contact information

This structure ensures accessibility, transparency, and professional presentation.

17.13 Discontinuation or Dormancy

Journals that:

·                     Fail to publish for more than 24 months, or

·                     Are abandoned without communication

…may be flagged as dormant. If no reactivation occurs within a reasonable period, SERN may discontinue hosting.

All published articles will remain archived and accessible permanently.

17.14 Journal Conflicts and Disputes

Disputes regarding authorship, editorial decisions, reviewer behavior, or publishing ethics must be resolved internally by the journal.

If such issues violate platform-wide ethical policies, SERN reserves the right to:

·                     Conduct independent review

·                     Freeze journal activity

·                     Recommend changes or remove hosting

SERN will not mediate disputes over editorial judgments unless there is documented academic misconduct.

18. REVIEWER GUIDELINES

18.1 Role of Peer Reviewers

Reviewers are essential to maintaining the quality, integrity, and credibility of the scholarly publication process. By agreeing to review a submission, reviewers commit to:

·                     Providing constructive, objective, and timely feedback

·                     Evaluating the work’s originality, significance, clarity, and methodology

·                     Helping editors make informed decisions

·                     Upholding the ethical and academic standards of the journal

Reviewing is a voluntary activity, and reviewers must inform the editor promptly if they are unable to complete the review within the requested timeframe.

18.2 Confidentiality

All materials received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not:

·                     Share manuscripts or data with others without permission

·                     Use any unpublished data for their own research

·                     Discuss content with unauthorized parties

Confidentiality continues even after the review is completed.

18.3 Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that might bias their review, including:

·                     Personal or professional relationships with the authors

·                     Financial interest in the outcome of the research

·                     Competing or similar research under development

If such a conflict exists, reviewers should decline the invitation or consult with the editor before proceeding.

18.4 Ethical Standards

Reviewers must report any concerns related to:

·                     Plagiarism

·                     Data fabrication or falsification

·                     Unethical research practices

·                     Duplicate or redundant publication

·                     Inappropriate citations or undeclared conflicts

Any suspected misconduct should be confidentially shared with the editor using clear, factual evidence.

18.5 Reviewer Anonymity

Journals hosted on SERN may use:

·                     Single-blind review (reviewer anonymous, author known)

·                     Double-blind review (both parties anonymous)

·                     Open review (both parties known)

Reviewers must adhere to the journal’s chosen model. If anonymous, reviewers should avoid revealing their identity within the review comments or file metadata.

18.6 Review Quality

Reviews should be:

·                     Professional: Avoid language that is aggressive, dismissive, or sarcastic.

·                     Evidence-based: Comments should be supported with clear reasoning or citations.

·                     Structured: Address specific aspects such as originality, methodology, significance, writing quality, and references.

·                     Actionable: Offer recommendations for improvement or clarification.

Sample review templates may be provided by the journal.

18.7 Timeliness

Reviewers should complete their review within the time requested by the journal, typically:

·                     2–4 weeks for initial reviews

·                     1–2 weeks for revised manuscripts

If a delay is anticipated, the reviewer must notify the editor as early as possible to arrange alternatives.

18.8 Recognition and Credit

Reviewers may be offered:

·                     Acknowledgment in journal issues or websites

·                     Certificates of contribution (upon request)

·                     Integration with reviewer recognition platforms such as Publons or ORCID

Journals should clearly state their recognition policy.

18.9 Reviewer Training and Resources

SERN encourages journals to provide:

·                     Access to reviewer guidelines and expectations

·                     Ethics training modules on peer review

·                     Optional participation in reviewer mentorship programs

New reviewers should review the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers as a reference standard.

18.10 Withdrawal or Replacement

Reviewers may decline or withdraw from a review request at any time, especially if:

·                     They realize they are not qualified

·                     A conflict of interest is discovered

·                     Time constraints prevent a proper evaluation

Editors may also replace reviewers if reviews are delayed, unprofessional, or unresponsive.