[Purposes] This paper aims to summarize the research outcome on publishing ethics of scientific journals abroad, which is expected to serve as a reference for the research on related topics in China. [Methods] Literature review method and content coding method were adopted to systematically sum up related research abroad. Then, the status quo and development trend were analyzed. [Findings] There are five main research topics: anomy of publishing ethics, elements of publishing ethics norms, status quo of publishing ethics implementation, knowledge of authors and editors on publishing ethics and their attitudes, and management of publishing ethics. [Conclusions] Foreign research on publishing ethics of scientific journals has achieved fruitful results with obvious characteristics, but there is a lack of research scope definition and systematic analysis of ethical norms. Chinese scientific journals should take international research outcome as a reference and strengthen the research on ethical norms to enhance the development of publishing ethics.

[Purposes] This paper aims to grasp the research hotspots and development trends of publication ethics in China and abroad, and to provide references for promoting domestic research on publication ethics. [Methods] VOSviewer software was used to visually analyze the Chinese literatures included in Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index and A Guide to the Core Journals of China and the foreign literatures selected in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Database before September 30, 2021. Then we summarized and compared the hotspots and development trends of researches on publication ethics in China and abroad. [Findings] There are major differences between domestic and foreign studies. In terms of research content, the hot keywords of domestic studies are mainly publication ethics, medical journals, editors' ethics, editors' morals, and publishing industry, while those of foreign studies are mainly publication ethics, misconduct, conflict of interest, authorship, and ethics. In terms of development trends, domestic studies are moving from editors' ethics and professional ethics to peer review and academic misconduct, with the objects of concern expanding from inside to outside. Foreign studies are more consistently characterized by research on ethical review, authorship, fraud, or academic misconduct. [Conclusions] The primary reasons for the differences in research hotspots are that the issue of publication ethics has not yet attracted widespread academic attention in China, and that the domestic research evaluation system and the publication process of academic journals are lacking in openness. In contrast, foreign research is broader and more specific and profound. In regards to future development trends, domestic research on publication ethics may focus on conflict of interest, authorship, and peer review, and meanwhile predatory journals, open access, and retractions will receive more attention. Foreign studies may make more progress in improving the quality of open access, enhancing the transparency of the publication process, criticizing predatory journals, and analyzing retraction issues.

[Purposes] This paper aims to summarize and analyze the ethical policies of international academic publishers and thereby propose suggestions for ethics construction of Chinese scientific journals. [Methods] With the methods of literature research, textual analysis, and content analysis, we recorded and interpreted the content on publishing ethics on official websites of five major international publishers, and analyzed it on the basis of normative ethics, to clarify the attitudes of the publishers toward publishing ethics and dynamic adjustment of ethics-related policies. [Findings] The ethical policies of the publishers cover the whole publishing process, which explicitly stipulate the responsibilities and obligations of authors, editors, and peer reviewers. Moreover, they are tailored to the latest publishing models, with corresponding feedback and error correction mechanisms. [Conclusions] With reference to the international ethics construction experience, Chinese scientific journals should improve ethics guidance services, emphasize ethical review under the changing publishing mode, and strengthen the warning and punishment on academic misconducts.

[Purposes] This paper investigates the peer-review ethics on websites of some representative university scientific journals and puts forward related suggestions. [Methods] The peer-review ethics on websites of 73 representative university scientific journals were probed and the word frequency and content attributes were analyzed. [Findings] Only 12 journals released peer-review ethics on official websites, despite the inconspicuous column and incomplete information. Journals should further improve the peer-review ethics in the handling of fake peer-review information, review independency, and appeal for dissent. [Conclusions] There are some problems in the construction of peer-review ethics of university scientific journals and such problems should be solved based on the principle of opening, independency, and envisaging of appeal.

[Purposes] This paper is to analyze the current status and development trends of publication ethics in China, and to provide theoretical guidance and references for further research and development, so as to improve the academic quality of periodicals in China. [Methods] Based on CNKI and VIP databases, the literatures on publication ethics published in China's journals from 2008 to 2019 were analyzed by bibliometrics method. A statistic analysis on the distributions of published years, authors, regions, affiliations, journals, and research subjects was conducted. [Findings] The research on publication ethics is increasing. Publication ethics has received increasing attention from the government and society. The scope of the studies on publication ethics is relatively narrow, the studies are superficial, and the literature quality is not high. Cross-regional and interagency cooperations on publication ethics are not enough, and cooperation between regions and agencies should be strengthened. [Conclusions] The construction of publication ethics has a good foundation in China. We propose that the construction of publication ethics discipline system should be standardized and improved, the academic research on publication ethics should be developed deeply, and the publicity and education on publication ethics should be strengthened. Only in this way can it give full play to its positive role in improving publication quality and enhancing social benefits.

[Purposes] This study aims to understand the awareness of medical editorial offices on medical ethics norms, investigate how to deal with papers that violate medical ethics, and propose countermeasures to these problems. [Methods] A self-made questionnaire was used to investigate the awareness of editorial offices of 23 medical journals in Chongqing on the main medical ethics standards at home and abroad, the main medical ethics content reviewed in the manuscript review about how editors deal with papers that violate medical ethics in the review process, and whether they encountered these issues in post-publication and how to deal with them. [Findings] The recognition of medical ethics norms in Chongqing medical journals is relatively high, and 95.65% of the editorial offices have requirements for medical ethics review. The main contents of the editorial office's daily work are whether the human test had been approved by the ethics committee (100.00%), whether the patient's informed consent had been obtained (95.45%), and whether the patient's privacy was protected (81.82%). But the editorial office's review of ethical approval of animal experiments and clinical trial registration needs to be strengthened. When the editors find that there is a violation of medical ethics during the review, the processing method is in line with international norms. But there is no corresponding countermeasure for how to deal with the published papers if there is a violation of medical ethics. [Conclusions] The editorial offices should further strengthen the review of medical ethics. There should be corresponding treatment measures and procedures for the violation of medical ethics before and after the publication of medical papers to promote medical research in China to meet medical ethics requirements.

[Purposes] This paper aims to investigate the ethics principles that should be followed by editors of medical scientific journals in paper review to deepen editors' understanding of scientific research and publishing ethics. [Methods] Through article reading and summary of work experience, the ethics principles that should be followed by editors of medical scientific journals in paper review were summed up. [Findings] The ethics principles that should be followed by editors in paper review of biomedical research involving human beings include informed consent, non-maleficence and benefit, and special protection. The ethics principle that should be followed by editors in paper review of biomedical research involving animal is 3R. Other ethics principles include sincerity, equity and justice, confidentiality, and prudent and responsibility. [Conclusions] Editors of medical scientific journals should follow different ethics principles in paper review according to the paper type, in order to improve the reviewing ability and publication quality.

[Purposes] This paper aims to study the role and core elements of editorial professional ethics construction in the new era, and provide references for improving the editorial ethical quality of scientific journals and promoting the healthy development of the editing and publishing career. [Methods] By using the method of literature analysis, the connotation of editorial professional ethics was defined, and the role of editorial professional ethics in the new era was concluded. On this basis, the core elements of editorial professional ethics were put forward. [Findings] The editorial professional behaviors are regulated by professional ethics through ethical legislation. The construction of editorial professional ethics of scientific journals in the new era could improve the comprehensive quality of editors, promote editors to perform their social responsibilities, improve the quality of scientific journals, and promote the development of editing career. Its construction should be based on core elements, such as rights and obligations, conscience and honor, emotion and reason, and courage and prudence, and be realized through the correct exercise of editor's rights and obligations, cultivation of editor's conscience, maintenance of editor's sense of honor, establishment of positive and rational editor's professional emotion, and improvement of courage and prudence. [Conclusions] It is very important to construct the editorial professional ethics of scientific journals in the new era, and we should fully understand the connotation of the professional ethics of scientific journal editors and actively construct it based on the relevant core elements.

[Purposes] This paper investigates the current situation of the construction of the publishing ethics system on the websites of university scientific journals, and explores the problems and countermeasures existing in the publicity and promotion of the publishing ethics system on the websites of university scientific journals. [Methods] The 338 Chinese university scientific journals which have official websites indexed in the General Catalogue of Chinese Core Periodicals (2017 edition) and 79 English university scientific journals indexed in the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) (2019-2020) were selected as the research objects, and the publishing ethics related contents in the process of submitting, reviewing, and editing on the official websites of journals were investigated. [Findings] Most of the Chinese university scientific journals and the English university scientific journals published by colleges and universities have imperfect publishing ethics system, unclear manuscript process, and lack of a platform for supervision and feedback of publishing ethics. The publishing ethics system of English university scientific journals, which cooperate with international famous publishing groups, is comprehensive and covers a wide range. [Conclusions] The editorial offices of journals should improve the awareness of publishing ethics, refer to the practice of internationally renowned publishing groups, set up the column of publishing ethics in a prominent position on the web page, improve the content of publishing ethics system on the web page, clarify the publishing process, establish an effective public supervision platform on the web page, and use the journal website to publicize and promote the knowledge of publishing ethics.

[Purposes] In order to promote the construction of animal ethics review system of medical scientific journals in China, this paper explores the present situation of animal ethics in medical scientific journals by analyzing the influence factors. [Methods] The 777 Chinese papers related to medical animal experiments were selected as research subjects. We analyzed the current status of the ethical norms for labeling animal experiments in these papers, and explored the correlation between classes of the published journals, the projects support, and the degree and professional title of the author or corresponding author and the ethical standards in animal experiments. [Findings] Of these 777 papers, only 82 papers (10.5%) are identified as having been reviewed by ethical censorship, 23 papers (3.0%) obey the laboratory animal management conditions and animals' breeding and the corresponding experiments comply with the 3R Principle, while 14 papers (1.8%) introduce the ethical review numbers, 383 papers (49.3%) reveal their animal breeding environment, 475 papers (61.1%) give complete account of animal anesthesia and their operation steps, and 150 papers (19.3%) present the detailed animal execution methods. Papers from core journals witness more ethical reviews, ethical review numbers, and statements of 3R Principle than those published in non-core journals (P<0.05 or 0.01). There is no significant difference (P>0.05) in the ethical examination relating to the research or the different levels of the funding projects on which the papers relied. There is also no significant difference for first authors or corresponding authors with different degree or different professional titles (H_c=0.322860 or 0.913902, P>0.05). [Conclusions] Medical scientific journals in China urge for improvements in the present animal ethical administration. More strength should be applied to construct the ethical examination system of animal experiment. Editors from journals should provide proper guidance to authors in animal ethical consciousness and its administration to improve the quality of publication.

[Purposes] This paper aims to investigate the status quo of ethical review in author guidelines and online thesis submission systems in top biomedical journals at home and abroad, and to provide reference for further standardization of ethical review of biomedical journals in China. [Methods] Twenty-five medical and nursing journals were included in this research and the author guidelines and online thesis submission systems of these journals were analyzed. [Findings] All the ten included international medical and nursing journals and the five Chinese medical journals which have been indexed by Science Citation Index (SCI) have stated the ethical guidelines in author guidelines or online thesis submission systems. However, of the ten Chinese medical and nursing journals which are published in Chinese, only two have stated the ethical guidelines. Furthermore, apart from one journal, all the included international medical and nursing journals and Chinese medical journals has stated the reporting of ethical approval and informed consent requirements in author guidelines. However, only one Chinese nursing journal have stated the ethical requirements in author guidelines. By the way, most of the included international medical and nursing journals and the five Chinese medical journals which have been indexed by SCI have stated the ethical requirements in online thesis submission systems. According to the ten Chinese medical and nursing journals which have been published in Chinese, no one has stated the ethical requirements in online thesis submission systems. [Conclusions] Compared with the international biomedical journals, Chinese biomedical journals should improve the emphasis on ethical review,and strengthen the use and publicity of current domestic and foreign ethical review and standardized reporting standards to promote the ethical regulations in medical research involving human in China.

[Purposes] This paper aims to explore the importance and strategies for strengthening the communication of bioethics knowledge in biomedical journals. [Methods] We analyzed the case of gene editing babies and the published papers of "gene editing ethics" in biotech journals. [Findings] There are serious ethical defects in gene editing research in China, and there are mismatches in the communication of gene editing ethics in Chinese biomedical journals. [Conclusions] As a carrier of knowledge in gene editing discipline, biomedical journals should shoulder the important task of spreading bioethics knowledge, do a good job of columns design, and publish enough articles on the ethics of gene editing timely and adequately.

[Purposes] This study aims to refine the ethics review and processing procedures, and provide reference for improving the relevant norms of Chinese medical journals. [Methods] Compared with the COPE specifications, we put forward the existing problems and corresponding solutions in the current ethics review of Chinese medical journals based on relevant foreign cases. [Findings] Chinese medical journals should pay attention to the review of the ethics review of papers, patient informed consent, protection of patient privacy, and clinical trial registration information, and deal with the author's failure to specify whether to obtain patient informed consent, failure to protect patient privacy, and failure to indicate whether to undergo ethics review by ethics committee. [Conclusions] Editors of medical journals should standardize and improve the medical ethics-related examination regulations and processing procedures to promote the internationalization of Chinese medical journals.

[Purposes] This study aims to explore the responsibilities and strategies that academic journals should take to avoid any violation on publication ethics. [Methods] Case analysis is used in this study. The practice and some cases from Light: Science & Applications and other journals were analyzed. [Findings] Journals should take actions. A detailed policy should be given to let relative participants (authors, reviewers, editors, and others) know what can be done and how to do. Besides, technical support (such as some necessary setting in manuscript tracking system), regular check on ethic aspects, and necessary assistance are helpful for all participants to obey publication ethics during writing, submission, manuscript review, and manuscript processing. [Conclusions] Academic journals are responsible and should take actions in advance to avoid any violation on publication ethics. They should also process any issue on publication ethics objectively and fairly. By this means it is possible to promote and keep pure scientific research and academic communication.