Publication Ethics Statement

Author Responsibilities

Ethical Board Approval
When reporting on experiments involving human beings, state whether the study was approved by the (local) ethical board prior to implementation. Where experiments involving animals are the case, state whether the constitutional and national regulations and guidelines for the breeding and experimental use of animals were observed or attach a statutory declaration proving that consent was granted by the ethical board.

Research Participants’ Right to Privacy
Research participants have a right to privacy that should not be infringed without informed consent. Identifying information, including names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be published in written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and the participant (or parent or guardian) gives written informed consent for publication. Informed consent for this purpose requires that a participant who is identifiable be shown the manuscript to be published. Identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. Complete anonymity is difficult to achieve, however, and informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt. For example, masking the eye region in photographs of participants is inadequate protection of anonymity. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning and editors should so note.

Informed Consent
When informed consent has been obtained it should be indicated in the published article.

Double Publishing
By submitting the manuscript to the Psychoterapie journal the authors assert that the manuscript is not under consideration or accepted for publication elsewhere.

Plagiarism
The authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript is an entirely original work. Whenever the authors have used the work or words of others, they must appropriately cite the sources in the manuscript.

Authorship
Only people who have significantly contributed to the design, execution, interpretation, and writing of the study should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in specific aspects of the paper (e.g., language editing) should be included in the paper acknowledgements. Authors should identify individuals who provided writing assistance and disclose the funding source for this assistance.

Data Records
Authors are expected to have their data available during the review process and for at least 5 years after the date of publication. During this time, the authors need to keep accurate data records associated with their reviewed or published work. On a substantiated request, authors must provide access to these data.

Errors in Published Works
Authors should notify the journal editor without delay if they become aware of a significant error in their publication. Authors are required to cooperate with the editor or publisher when a decision to publish an erratum, addendum, or to retract the paper is considered necessary.

Conflict of Interest
All submissions must include disclosure statement of all relationships which present a potential conflict of interest. All sources of financial support and sponsors for the research and preparation of the manuscript must be disclosed. Specifically, any role of sponsors in the study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, in the manuscript writing, and in submitting the manuscript, should be described. If there is no potential conflict of interest, this needs to be stated in the manuscript.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Unbiased Consideration
Reviewers must consider each reviewed manuscript without bias. They should judge each manuscript solemnly on its quality, without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, gender, seniority, or institutional affiliation of the manuscript authors.

Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must disclose to the editor any conflict of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative or other relationships between the reviewer and the author) which could affect their review impartiality. With clear concerns regarding their conflict of interest, the reviewers should reject considering the manuscript.

Confidentiality
Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of any information they receive as a part of the review process from the editor or publisher. Without a clear indication of necessity for the review process, the reviewers must not retain, copy, or distribute the reviewed manuscript without the permission of the editor and authors.

Alertness to Ethical Issues
Reviewers should inform the editor if they become aware of any published or considered content significantly similar to the manuscript under review. Reviewers should be alert to any potential ethical issues within the considered manuscript and they should inform the editor if any concerns regarding research or publication ethics arise.

Editor and Publisher Responsibilities

The Role of the Editor and Publisher
The publisher and editors of the Psychotherapy journal take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers where research misconduct has occurred. In no case does the Psychotherapy journal or its editors encourage such misconduct, or knowingly allow such misconduct to take place. In the event that the Psychotherapy journal publisher or editors are made aware of any allegation of research misconduct, the publisher or editors deal with allegations appropriately. The Psychotherapy journal and its editors are always willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies when needed.

Unbiased Consideration
The editor of Psychotherapy journal evaluates manuscripts for their content and quality without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, gender, seniority, institutional affiliation or other characteristics of the authors.

Conflict of Interest
The Psychotherapy journal editor abstains from decisions on papers which they have written themselves, which have been written by the editor’s significant others or collaborators, or which relate to products or services in which the editor has an interest. All submissions are always subject to the journal’s usual procedures.

Confidentiality
The Psychotherapy journal editor protects the confidentiality of all information made available by the authors to the journal and the identities and communications with reviewers, unless agreed otherwise in writing with the authors and reviewers. Unpublished content present in submitted manuscripts must not be used by the editor for their own research or personal advantage, unless the editor obtains the authors’ written consent.

Ensuring Fair Peer-Review Process
The Psychotherapy journal editor ensures that the peer review process is fair and without unnecessary delays. Research articles are always considered by at least two external independent reviewers. The editor selects reviewers who have expertise in the relevant field and makes reasonable steps to avoid the selection of fraudulent reviewers. The editor reviews all disclosures of conflicts of interest to check for potential bias.

Artificial Influencing of Journal Ranking
The Psychotherapy journal editor does not attempt to artificially influence the journal’s ranking. Specifically, except for genuine scholarly reasons, the editor does not prompt authors to add references to the articles published in Psychotherapy, articles published by the editor, or to products in which the editor has an interest.

Procedure for Dealing with Misconduct Suspicions

In case of any complaints from the readership or any particular concerns about ethics, plagiarism or data fabrication, the Editor will consult with other Editorial Board members to determine what action should be taken (e.g., publishing a correction, clarification, apology, or retracting an article). After a decision is made, appropriate action will be taken as soon as possible.