ISTF JOURNAL — Journal Policies

Submissions are assessed by an editor for scope and completeness. Suitable manuscripts are sent to independent reviewers. Editors make the final decision after considering reviewer reports. Reviewers must declare conflicts of interest and keep manuscripts confidential.

Authors must ensure their work is original, accurately reported, ethically conducted, and appropriately approved where human participants, animals, or sensitive data are involved. Suspected misconduct may be investigated and may lead to correction, rejection, or retraction.

Personal information is used to operate the submission, peer-review, publication, and communication services. Access is restricted to authorized journal staff and assigned reviewers. Contact the journal using its published contact address to request access or correction where applicable law provides such rights.

Submission files and editorial records are retained for the period required for editorial accountability, legal obligations, and research integrity. Access is restricted. Where retention is no longer necessary, records are securely deleted or anonymized unless a legal or preservation obligation applies.

The journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when reliable evidence shows that the scholarly record requires amendment. Decisions are made by the editorial team and notices remain linked to the published article.

Articles are published under the license stated on the article landing page. Authors are responsible for confirming they have the rights needed to publish all submitted content and third-party materials.