GSP conducts a single-blind peer review process, in which a minimum of two review reports are obtained for each submitted article. Please consult the submission guidelines of the journal you wish to submit to.
Authors are welcome to propose potential reviewers during the submission process. It is of paramount importance that the recommended reviewers have no discernible conflicts of interest with the authors. However, GSP retains the prerogative to determine the ultimate utilization of these recommended reviewers, at its discretion.
GSP extends invitations to distinguished experts in their respective fields to conduct reviews of submitted papers. Reviewers are expected to adhere to the following criteria:
- Hold no conflicts of interest with any of the authors;
- Originate from distinct institutions, ensuring an independent affiliation from that of the authors;
- Avoid recent collaborative publications with any of the authors;
- Possess an official and recognized academic affiliation.
Authors are urged to exercise meticulous diligence in scrutinizing their papers to make sure that all those who contributed to the paper are listed as authors prior to submission. Those individuals who have: 1) significantly contributed to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; 2) actively engaged in drafting or critically revising the article, with a focus on essential content; 3) provided their approval for the final version intended for publication; 4) acknowledged their willingness to assume responsibility for all facets of the work, thereby ensuring that any questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are diligently investigated and resolved, are eligible to be recognized as authors.
Individuals who have made contributions to the paper that do not meet the aforementioned criteria should be duly acknowledged in the designated acknowledgment section. For comprehensive guidance on authorship, we recommend referencing the authorship guidelines provided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), available at the following link: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html.
The corresponding author assumes the pivotal role of signing the publishing agreement on behalf of all co-authors and providing their contact information for inclusion in the article. They bear the primary responsibility for communication with the journal throughout the entirety of the editorial process. Additionally, they have to make sure that all the journal’s administrative requirements, such as providing ethics committee approval, gathering conflict of interest forms and statements, etc., are completed smoothly, even after the paper’s publication.
Authors must not use the words, figures or ideas of others without attribution. All sources must be cited at the point of use, and the reuse of wording must be limited and attributed or quoted in the text.
GSP uses the iThenticate to screen submitted manuscripts for unoriginal material. Authors should not engage in plagiarism, verbatim or near verbatim copying or very close paraphrasing of texts or results from other’s work. Self-plagiarism is known as duplicate or redundant publication, and the unacceptably close replication of author’s own previously published texts or results without an acknowledgement of the source is also not allowed.
ICMJE recommends that as a best practice, it is advisable to seek consent from non-author contributors whom you intend to acknowledge in your paper.
GSP journals require authors to declare any competing financial and/or non-financial interests to their readers and to the general public. GSP journals have to ensure that the research data in the paper is clear and unbiased and is not influenced by funding or reagent and/or product providers. Any potential conflict of interest that may cause possible biases in either the data or analytical methods will need to be disclosed for our readers to evaluate the data and opinions published in any GSP journal.
Financial competing interests encompass any of the following (but are not limited to):
- A way to gain or lose financially from the publication of the article, such as holding stocks or shares in an organization or receiving research support (consultation fees, salary, or other forms of remuneration), either now or in the future.
- The value of a patent or patent application (granted or pending) submitted by the author or the institution may be affected by publication. For patents and patent applications, the following information is required to be disclosed: the patent applicant (either the author or the institution), the name of the inventor, the application number, the status of the application, and the specific aspects of the manuscript involved in the patent application.
- The clarification of the role as a funder in the process of the research or preparation of the manuscript should be included.
Non-financial competing interests include any of the following (but are not limited to):
- Unpaid personal or professional relations with government or non-governmental organizations.
- Any unpaid role like an expert witness or consultant for an organization.
Therefore, GSP journals require that each manuscript must include all authors, their affiliations, funding sources, and a clear statement of any other potential conflict of interest that might be a possible source of biased opinions.