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Publication ethics guidelines

Ensuring integrity in your research publications

We’re committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics. These guidelines help authors, editors, and reviewers navigate ethical considerations throughout the publishing process. A commitment to research integrity and publishing ethics is at the heart of our mission and foundational to the communities we serve. Because ethical research is good research.

For more detailed information, visit our Guidelines on research integrity and ethics.

Contact the research integrity team

Have an integrity concern? You can contact Wiley's Research Integrity Team directly by filling out the provided form. This form lets you specify concerns such as plagiarism, data manipulation, or conflicts of interest, ensuring a quick and focused response. By providing details like name, organization, journal title, and the concern, users can receive prompt and clear support to uphold ethical research practices.

Contact the Research Integrity Team >

Publishing policies

Our publishing policies emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to foster a fair and supportive environment. We uphold research integrity and ethical practices through comprehensive guidelines for editors, authors, and reviewers while encouraging open access, data sharing, and reproducibility to accelerate innovation. Authors can choose flexible licensing options, experience fair peer reviews, and access waivers for researchers in low- and middle-income countries. We also support content sharing, text and data mining, and updating author details, reflecting their commitment to transparency, accessibility, and respect in global research.

Learn more about our publishing policies >

Editor community

Designed for Editors-in-Chief and handling editors of journals published by Wiley, this online platform provides the latest news and updates on industry events and workshops. You also have access to a catalog of resources on peer review, author experience, and ethics and integrity.

Join the editor community >


For authors


Authorship & contributions

Who qualifies as an author? Authors should have contributed substantially to the research and taken responsibility for the content. Consider these points:

  • All listed authors must have significantly contributed to the research

  • Everyone who made substantial contributions should be listed

  • Contributors who don't meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors

Author order should be determined collectively by all authors, typically reflecting the level of contribution.

Research integrity

Maintain the highest standards in your research and reporting:

  • Data accuracy: Present results honestly without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation

  • Research methods: Describe your methodology clearly to allow replication

  • Data sharing: Make underlying data available when appropriate

  • Statistical analysis: Use appropriate methods and report them transparently

Publication practices

Ensure your submission meets these ethical standards:

  • Originality: Submit only original work that hasn't been published elsewhere

  • Duplicate submission: Don't submit to multiple journals simultaneously

  • Citation practices: Cite sources properly and avoid excessive self-citation

  • Corrections & retractions: Promptly report errors or concerns about published work

Disclosure requirements

Be transparent about factors that might influence your research:

  • Conflicts of interest: Disclose any relationships that might appear to influence your work

  • Funding sources: Declare all financial support for your research

  • Use of AI tools: Disclose any AI technologies used in manuscript preparation


For editors & reviewers


Editor code of conduct

Journal editors play a crucial role in the research publishing process. To support them, we have established clear expectations to uphold research integrity. Our Editor Code of Conduct outlines the responsibilities of journal editors throughout the publishing lifecycle, based on COPE’s Core Practices and Wiley’s Best practice guidelines on research integrity and publishing ethics. 

Editorial responsibilities

Editors must maintain journal integrity through:

  • Fair and unbiased evaluation of submissions

  • Clear communication with authors

  • Appropriate handling of ethical concerns

  • Confidentiality throughout the review process.

Peer review ethics

Reviewers should uphold these principles:

  • Confidentiality: Keep all manuscript information confidential

  • Conflicts of interest: Decline reviewing when conflicts exist

  • Constructive feedback: Provide objective, well-reasoned evaluations

  • Timeliness: Complete reviews within the agreed-upon timeframe.

Handling ethical concerns

When ethical issues arise:

  • Contact the journal editor promptly with specific concerns

  • Provide documentation or evidence when available

  • Understand that investigations follow established protocols

  • Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions may be published when necessary.


Special topics in research ethics

Research involving humans or animals

  • Obtain appropriate ethical approval before conducting research

  • Document compliance with relevant guidelines and regulations

  • Respect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

Artificial Intelligence in research

  • Use AI tools as companions to the research process, not replacements

  • Take full responsibility for AI-generated content

  • Disclose AI use transparently in your manuscript

  • Never list AI as an author or delegate peer review to AI tools.

Image integrity

  • Present images accurately without inappropriate manipulation

  • Maintain original data and be prepared to provide it if requested

  • Explain any necessary adjustments to images.

Best practice guidelines

Covering topics such as authorship, peer review, plagiarism, artificial intelligence, and data sharing, these guidelines provide practical recommendations to address conflicts of interest, promote inclusivity, and investigate ethical concerns. By fostering transparency, accountability, and diversity, they support clear and trustworthy research publishing across disciplines while upholding global ethical standards.

Maintain high ethical standards and research integrity with our Best Practice Guidelines >

Learn more about publication ethics

For complete details on all aspects of publication ethics, including specific guidelines for different research areas:

Explore Wiley's complete ethics guidelines

These guidelines reflect Wiley's commitment to publishing integrity and align with recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other leading organizations in scholarly publishing.