Publication Ethics

Addressing Misconduct

1. Definition of Misconduct: For this publication, misconduct encompasses any act of dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or violation of publication ethics by the authors, reviewers, or any party involved in the process of manuscript submission, review, and publication. This includes, but is not limited to, data fabrication, data falsification, plagiarism, and unauthorised duplication of content.
2. Reporting Misconduct: Any individual who suspects or identifies potential misconduct related to a submission or published article must report the matter immediately to the editorial board or the designated ethics committee of the Journal.
3. Investigation: Upon receiving a report of alleged misconduct, the Journal will initiate a thorough investigation in a fair, impartial, and confidential manner. All parties involved in the alleged misconduct will be allowed to respond to the allegations.
4. Consequences of Misconduct: Should the investigation confirm the misconduct, the Journal reserves the right to take appropriate action. This may include, but is not limited to:

·         Rejecting the implicated manuscript.

·         Retracting the published article.

·         Banning the offending author(s) or reviewer(s) from future submissions for a specified period.

·         Reporting the findings to the affiliated institutions of the involved parties.

·         Notifying readers and the academic community of the misconduct.

5. Preventive Measures: The Journal commits to fostering an environment of academic integrity and will routinely deploy tools and checks to identify potential issues, thereby minimising the likelihood of misconduct.
6. Transparency and Appeals: All decisions related to misconduct will be communicated transparently with all parties involved. Those found guilty of misconduct will have the right to appeal the decision, provided they present compelling evidence in their defense.

By submitting their work to this Journal, all authors acknowledge and agree to abide by this misconduct policy and understand the implications of any violations.

Management of Complaints

1. Scope of Complaints: This clause pertains to all grievances related to the publication process, editorial decisions, reviewer feedback, alleged misconduct, or any other aspects associated with the Journal’s operations.
2. Submission of Complaints: Individuals or entities wishing to raise a complaint must do so in writing, providing a detailed description of the nature of the grievance and if possible, suggesting a preferred resolution. Complaints should be directed to the designated complaints officer or the editorial board, as the Journal specifies.
3. Acknowledgement of Complaints: All complaints will be acknowledged within a predefined period, typically within 10 working days of receipt, along with an estimated timeline for resolution.
4. Investigation and Deliberation: Upon receipt of a complaint, the Journal will initiate an impartial and thorough investigation, ensuring that all relevant parties can present their views. The Journal is committed to resolving complaints fairly, transparently, and timely.
5. Outcome and Communication: Once a decision has been reached regarding the complaint, the complainant will be informed in writing about the outcome, the reasons for the decision, and any remedial actions taken or to be taken.
6. Confidentiality: All complaints will be handled with the utmost confidentiality, and details will only be shared with those who need to be involved in the resolution process.
7. Appeals: If a complainant is unsatisfied with the decision or resolution provided, they have the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted within a predefined period, typically within 30 days of receiving the decision, and should clearly outline the reasons for the appeal.
8. Commitment to Continuous Improvement: The Journal continually improves its processes and operations. Feedback and resolutions from the complaint process will be considered in future policy and procedural reviews.

By engaging with the Journal, whether as an author, reviewer, or reader, all parties acknowledge and agree to abide by this complaints management clause and trust the Journal to address grievances judiciously.

Managing Conflict of Interest

1. Definition: A conflict of interest arises when there’s a divergence between an individual’s private interests and their professional obligations to the Journal. An independent observer might reasonably question whether considerations of personal gain, financial or otherwise, determine the individual’s professional actions or decisions.
2. Disclosure Requirement:
   
   • Authors: Upon manuscript submission, all authors are required to disclose any financial, personal, or professional interests that might be construed as a conflict of interest pertaining to the submitted article.
   • Reviewers: Reviewers must declare any potential conflicting interests related to the manuscript or its authors before reviewing a submission.
   • Editors: Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts if they have any potential conflict of interest, such as collaborative, financial, or personal relationships with the authors.
3. Transparency: Any declared conflicts of interest will be made available to readers alongside the manuscript, should it be published. If a conflict of interest emerges after publication, the Journal will issue a correction or retraction as deemed necessary.
4. Undeclared Conflict of Interest:
   
   • The Journal will investigate the matter if a conflict of interest is discovered after publication and was not declared during the submission and review process. This may result in corrections to or retraction of the article and can potentially influence the future participation of the authors, reviewers, or editors in the publication process.
5. Resolving Conflicts:
   
   • For submissions with declared conflicts, the editorial team will decide on a case-by-case basis whether the nature of the conflict affects the integrity of the scientific process. A decision might range from proceeding with the review process with a declared conflict to seeking additional independent reviews or even declining the manuscript.
6. Training and Awareness: The Journal will periodically offer training and resources to its editors and reviewers to identify and manage potential conflicts of interest, reinforcing the importance of transparency and integrity in publication.
7. Revisions and Updates: This clause will be revisited periodically to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in managing conflicts of interest.

All individuals involved in the manuscript submission, review, and publication process – authors, reviewers, or editors—are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards, ensuring the integrity of the Journal’s contributions to the academic community. All parties acknowledge and agree to adhere to this conflict of interest policy by participating in this process.

Article Retraction and Withdrawal

1. Grounds for Retraction: Articles may be retracted or withdrawn due to:
   
   • Falsification or fabrication of data.
   • Plagiarism or breach of copyright.
   • Duplicate or redundant publication (previously published in another journal).
   • Ethical violations, including research carried out without necessary permissions or informed consent.
   • Incorrect or misleading claims or conclusions that invalidate the research.
2. Initiation of Retraction: A request for retraction can be initiated by:
   
   • The article’s author(s).
   • The Journal’s editors.
   • Readers or external entities presenting valid evidence for the retraction.
3. Retraction Procedure:
   
   • The editorial board will evaluate the concerns upon receiving a request or evidence pointing towards misconduct.
   • If preliminary evidence suggests validity to the concerns, the author(s) will be notified and given a chance to respond.
   • If misconduct is confirmed, the article will be retracted. A retraction notice will be published online where the article was originally published. This notice will detail the reason for the retraction and provide a reference to the original article.
4. Withdrawal by Authors: Authors can request the withdrawal of an article:
   
   • The article will be withdrawn without penalties if the request is made before the peer review is complete.
   • Post peer-review but pre-publication withdrawals may be subject to penalties or processing fees.
   • Once published, an article can only be retracted, not withdrawn.
5. Records and Transparency: All retraction or withdrawal process stages will be documented and archived for transparency and future reference.
6. Impact on Authors: Authors involved in articles that are retracted due to misconduct may face additional consequences, including scrutiny of their other published works and potential reporting to their affiliated institutions.

By submitting their work to this Journal, all authors acknowledge and agree to this article retraction and withdrawal clause. The Journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the academic record and ensuring the trust of its readers and contributors.