Publication Ethics

1. Ethical Standards:

  • Commitment to Integrity: SIPJ is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in all aspects of its publishing process, ensuring that published research is accurate, credible, and original.

2. Responsibilities of Authors:

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit original work that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted to other journals. All sources and ideas from other works must be appropriately cited to avoid plagiarism. Any instances of plagiarism will lead to rejection of the manuscript.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that may affect the research, interpretation of results, or decision-making process. If any conflicts arise during the peer review or publication stages, they must be promptly disclosed.
  • Ethical Research Practices: Authors are expected to conduct their research in accordance with accepted ethical standards, including obtaining necessary permissions (e.g., informed consent for human subjects, animal research ethics approval) and following guidelines for data collection, analysis, and reporting.
  • Data Availability and Transparency: Authors should provide access to the data supporting the findings of the manuscript, where applicable, and ensure that data is presented transparently and accurately. If the data is not publicly available, reasons for its exclusion should be clearly stated.
  • Duplicate Publication and Self-Plagiarism: Authors must not submit the same manuscript or substantial portions of it to multiple journals or publish it in multiple sources. Self-plagiarism, or reusing one’s own previously published work without proper citation, is prohibited.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Authors are responsible for informing the journal if they discover any errors or inaccuracies in their published article. The journal will work with authors to issue corrections or retractions when necessary.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers:

  • Objectivity and Confidentiality: Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, without personal bias, and maintain confidentiality throughout the review process. They must not share or discuss the manuscript with others without prior consent from the editorial team.
  • Expertise: Reviewers should have the relevant expertise to assess the manuscript's content and must provide constructive and evidence-based feedback. If they do not have the required expertise, they should recuse themselves from reviewing the manuscript.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could affect their impartiality. If they are in a conflict situation, they should notify the editorial team and decline to review the manuscript.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to complete their reviews in a timely manner, typically within 2-3 weeks. If they are unable to meet the deadline, they must notify the editorial team as soon as possible.
  • Ethical Evaluation: Reviewers should evaluate the manuscript for ethical issues, including concerns related to plagiarism, falsification of data, ethical research practices, and adherence to human/animal rights standards. If unethical practices are suspected, reviewers should alert the editorial team.

4. Responsibilities of Editors:

  • Editorial Independence: The editorial team, including the Chief Editor and Associate Editors, makes decisions regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection based solely on the academic merit of the manuscript, without any personal, financial, or institutional bias.
  • Fair and Impartial Decision Making: Editors must treat all submissions with fairness and impartiality. Decisions should be based on the quality of the research, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical standards.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must handle all manuscripts and associated information confidentially. Manuscripts should not be shared with anyone outside the editorial and review process.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors should disclose any conflicts of interest regarding the submitted manuscripts and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts if necessary.
  • Peer Review Process: Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, rigorous, and transparent peer review process. This includes selecting appropriate reviewers, ensuring timely feedback, and making final decisions based on reviewer comments.
  • Correcting Errors: If an error or inaccuracy is identified in a published article, the editor is responsible for working with the author to correct the issue. In the case of serious errors, retraction or correction may be necessary.
  • Promoting Transparency: Editors should promote transparency and openness in the peer review process and provide authors with clear and detailed feedback, including reviewer comments when appropriate.

5. Publication Ethics and Malpractice:

  • Plagiarism and Fraudulent Practices: SIPJ will not tolerate plagiarism, falsification of data, or other fraudulent practices. If plagiarism or data fabrication is detected, the manuscript will be rejected and the issue may be reported to the relevant institutions or organizations.
  • Authorship and Credit: Disputes regarding authorship and credit should be resolved by the authors before submission. The journal will not intervene in authorship disputes unless there is a clear violation of ethical standards.
  • Respecting Intellectual Property: Authors, reviewers, and editors must respect intellectual property rights and ensure that proper acknowledgment is given to the original sources of ideas, data, or research.

6. Handling Complaints and Appeals:

  • Appeals: Authors who disagree with editorial decisions, including manuscript rejection or acceptance, may appeal the decision by providing a well-documented request. The editorial team will review the appeal and make a final decision.
  • Complaints: Any complaints about ethical issues (e.g., plagiarism, conflicts of interest, ethical violations) can be submitted to the editorial board. The journal will investigate complaints thoroughly and take appropriate action in line with COPE guidelines.

7. Ethical Considerations in Special Cases:

  • Corrections and Retractions: If serious issues are identified in a published article (e.g., errors in data, ethical violations), the journal will issue a correction, clarification, or retraction. Authors and readers will be notified in a timely manner.
  • Conflict Resolution: If an ethical issue arises during the submission, review, or publication process, the editorial team will work with the authors, reviewers, and relevant stakeholders to resolve the issue according to established ethical guidelines.