CMC is committed to the following ethical principles:
-
The respect of the core principles of the Diamond OA model
-
A reasoned impact factor strategy
CMC develops its impact factor strategy in a way that considers the intrinsic quality of published papers. In particular, the CMC publishes papers that propose an original vision of circularity, based on sound scientific and methodological principles, and robust experimental approaches. CMC also welcomes papers reporting negative results.
-
A reasoned use of AI
CMC promotes a reasoned approach to AI, with a focus on verifying orthography, grammar, syntax and other formal aspects. Each author should use the CRediT taxonomy to indicate their contribution to the paper.
-
A strong attention to diversity in the boards
CMC places particular importance on diversity in its broadest sense, both within its boards and in its publications. The variety of approaches, topics and research covered by CMC mirrors the full spectrum of circularity. Furthermore, CMC is committed to avoiding all forms of discrimination based on gender, sex, ethnic origin, nationality or social background. The selection of board members and reviewers is based exclusively on scientific merit.
-
The non-involvement of political and private interests
CMC is committed to maintaining its independence from political influence. It is crucial that scientific independence is defended against political and ideological agendas. As a Europe-based journal, CMC adheres to European regulations that ensure academic and intellectual freedom, and freedom of expression in science. Topics of research and experiments, as well as the language used to communicate the results, are validated only by the scientific community and experts in the relevant field.
CMC’s commitment to ethics also lies in its efforts to distance itself from industrial and commercial interests that could influence the results of published research. CMC has a strict code of ethics to prevent conflicts-of-interest among board members and authors.
Members of the journal’s various boards are selected to ensure they are not in a situation that could compromise the journal’s scientific freedom and independence, such as a conflict-of-interest. In addition, articles submitted to the journal are screened to assess the risk of conflicts-of-interest for authors, such as research funded by companies with a vested interest or authors working for or advising such companies. Authors are required to sign a conflict-of-interest statement before publication. Board members and reviewers are also required to adhere to strict ethical conduct, including the absence of conflicts-of-interest.