To enhance the academic integrity of the journal Hydrometallurgy of China, standardize the processes of paper writing, submission, review, editing and publication, and prevent academic misconduct, this journal adheres to recognized publishing ethics and norms. Based on the relevant guidelines published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and in light of the specific circumstances of this journal, we have formulated the "Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement of Hydrometallurgy". The following are several key publishing ethics concepts and guidelines that are particularly important for this journal, for the reference of contributors.

1.Publication Ethics and Morality of Author

1) Originality. The author guarantees that this paper is an original research work (reviews excluded), not generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools for its main structure, core viewpoints, and key content. It contains no fabricated, deceptive, or plagiarized material, is not classified, and has never been published before. There are no issues related to intellectual property rights infringement.

2) Multiple submissions. I guarantee that this paper has not been submitted elsewhere and its content has not been published in any other language in any other publication or media. I also promise not to submit it to any other publication before receiving a rejection notice from the editorial department.

3) Authorship.Indicating authorship is to ensure that those who have contributed to the research are recognized and to indicate their responsibility for the research. Intentionally distorting the relationship between the researcher and the research is an improper behavior that can undermine the credibility of the research results. The submitting author must obtain the authorization and consent of the co-authors before submitting the manuscript.

4) Citation of references. All the sources of the references cited in the paper have been clearly marked, and the references are listed at the end of the paper.

5) Copyright transfer agreement signed. The exclusive license to use the copyright and the exclusive agency rights of the submitted paper after publication are granted to the Editorial Department of Hydrometallurgy.

2. Publication Ethics and Morality of Reviewers

The journal implements a three-level review system based on peer review (initial review by the editor, external review by experts, and final review by the chief editor). The editorial department judges whether to accept the author's manuscript by having experts in the same field review the manuscript, in order to ensure the academic quality of the journal. Before the manuscript is sent for review, the author's name, affiliation and other relevant information are deleted, that is, the review process is double-blind.

1) Reviewers should adhere to the principles of maintaining academic integrity and respecting academic freedom, providing honest, objective and fair evaluations of manuscripts, and ensuring the scientific nature, originality, logic and standardization of the manuscripts. They must not disclose the research content of the authors.

2) When there is a conflict of interest between the reviewer and the author (such as a kinship, a teacher-student relationship, an alumni relationship, a colleague relationship, or a competitive relationship), to ensure the fairness of the review, the reviewer should promptly inform the editorial office so that the editorial office can promptly terminate the review invitation and re-invite reviewers.

3) When the reviewers find that the research content of the author is similar to their own, the review opinions must not contain unverified or malicious criticism, as well as unfair and unobjective comments.

4) Reviewers should review manuscripts in a timely manner as agreed upon. If they are unable to complete the review on time, they should promptly inform the editorial office and provide reasons. They may also recommend other reviewers to the editorial office. Without the consent of the editorial office, reviewers are not allowed to entrust their students, colleagues, etc. to review on their behalf.

3. Publishing Ethics and Morality of Editors

1) Editors should strictly abide by relevant national laws and regulations, observe academic publishing ethics and norms, handle manuscripts impartially and fairly, and make decisions to accept or reject manuscripts based on the journal's scope of publication, the innovation and academic value of the manuscripts. They should promptly send manuscripts for review after the initial review and promptly edit and publish manuscripts that pass the final review.

2) The editorial office has the obligation to protect, preserve and keep confidential the information of authors and reviewers, the research achievements of authors, and the intermediate materials of manuscript processing. It encourages academic debate and has the obligation to respond to authors' different opinions on the comments of reviewers. The editor should ensure the fairness and reasonableness of the paper review. Once there is a conflict of interest or a cooperative relationship between the author, the author's unit or enterprise and the reviewer due to competition or cooperation, the editor must promptly replace the reviewer.

3) Editors have the responsibility to avoid multiple submissions and duplicate publications and other academic misconduct. They have the obligation to investigate and communicate about such misconduct. Once there is an academic ethics complaint regarding a submitted paper or published article, the editor must take effective measures to deal with it. ① Editors should handle papers ultimately identified as involving academic misconduct with caution, promptly notify the authors, and allow them to explain and defend themselves before making a decision. ② If the paper has not yet been accepted, the editorial department will immediately terminate the processing and reject it, while providing criticism and education to the author. ③ If the paper has been accepted but not yet officially published, the editorial department will reject it, revoke its acceptance, and file a record and issue a warning to the author. ④ If the paper has been officially published, the editorial department will publish an official notice of retraction in both print and online versions, and notify the cooperating databases to remove the online version, thus stopping the spread of the paper. At the same time, the editorial department will inform the author's institution of the incident. If the editorial department suffers any damage to its reputation or otherwise, it reserves the right to continue to pursue compensation. ⑤ Papers submitted by authors who have seriously plagiarized or submitted the same paper to multiple journals as the first or corresponding author will not be accepted.

4) Editors should provide authors with as detailed revision suggestions or rejection reasons as possible, objectively state the review situation of the manuscript, and refrain from making personal evaluations or attacks on reviewers or authors. All commercial needs and interest exchanges that are detrimental to academic ethics should be strictly prohibited.

5) During the process of editing and publishing, editors should not only pay attention to editing and publishing norms, but also respect the author's viewpoints and writing style. Any key modifications to academic viewpoints should be agreed upon by the author. Before the publication of a paper, the final typeset version should be returned to the author for verification and confirmation.

4. Appeal, Retraction and Correction

      1) Appeal process: When an author has objections to the review results or the decision of the editorial department, they can submit a written appeal to the editorial department (the journal 's email: shifayejin@cnmstc.com), requesting reasonable reasons for each review opinion in dispute. The editorial department will verify, handle and respond as soon as possible.

       2) Retraction circumstances:

        ① Editorial department withdrawal of manuscripts: For manuscripts that have been finally accepted, if academic misconduct is found, the editorial department will handle the rejection. If academic misconduct is discovered after the first online publication or print distribution, the editorial department will handle the retraction, including issuing a retraction statement, notifying the author and their affiliated institution, and requiring the relevant database to delete the online version, etc.

        ② Author's Retraction: Before the publication of a paper, if an author wishes to withdraw the paper, they must submit a written application to the editorial department, stating the reasons for the retraction and attaching the handwritten signatures of all authors. The editorial department reserves the right to decide whether to approve the retraction based on the actual situation.

      3) Correction Statement: If any errors or missing information are found after the publication of the paper, the editorial department will promptly issue a correction statement to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the academic information.

        5. Copyright Policy

Authors retain copyright but assume full responsibility for content. Hydrometallurgy of China is indexed in:

• CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure)

• VIP (Chinese Scientific Journals Database)

• Wanfang Data

• Chaoxing Journal Database

• Titan Academic Platform

• China Post Reading Network

• Bokan Network

• CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service)

• EBSCO(EBSCO Information Services)

     By submitting, authors consent to digital reproduction and distribution via these platforms. Article fees cover all indexing services.