In accordance with COPE guidelines on citation manipulation and best publishing practices, all cited material, including the authors’ previously published work, must be accurately and appropriately referenced. All sources must be cited, and permission must be obtained when substantial portions of other publications or illustrative material are used.
The following practices are not acceptable in our journals:
i) Excessive or inappropriate self-citation; ii) Copying references from other publications without proper use or verification; iii) Targeted or preferential citation practices (e.g., citing an author’s institution or colleagues without scholarly justification); iv) Citation of promotional or advertising materials.