Publication Ethics

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ZIJIS is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the guidelines and principles set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure responsible scholarly publishing. This statement outlines the ethical duties of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

1.1 Originality and Integrity

• Submissions must be entirely original and not under review elsewhere.
• Authors must properly cite and acknowledge all sources.
• Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and text recycling are strictly prohibited.
• Maximum similarity (excluding references): 20%.

1.2 Authorship Criteria

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to:

• Conceptualization and design
• Data collection and analysis
• Manuscript drafting or revision
• Approval of the final version

Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is not acceptable.

1.3 Data Accuracy and Transparency

• Data must be real, accurate, and honestly represented.
• Authors may be asked to provide raw data for peer verification.
• Manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of data is considered serious misconduct.

1.4 Research Ethics Compliance

For research involving human participants:

• Ethical approval must be obtained.
• Informed consent must be documented.
• Authors must ensure confidentiality and the protection of participants.

1.5 Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

• Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts.
• All funding sources must be clearly stated.

1.6 Corrections and Retractions

If authors discover significant errors after publication, they must:

• Immediately notify the editor
• Cooperate in issuing corrections, retractions, or errata as needed

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

2.1 Editorial Independence

• Editors make decisions based solely on scholarly merit, relevance, and quality.
• Editorial decisions are not influenced by institutional, political, or commercial pressures.

2.2 Fair and Transparent Review Process

• Editors ensure a double-blind peer review process.
• Manuscripts are evaluated without regard to race, gender, religion, or nationality.

2.3 Handling of Confidential Information

• Editors must maintain strict confidentiality of all submissions.
• Manuscripts may not be used for editors’ personal research without permission.

2.4 Dealing with Ethical Misconduct

Editors must:

• Investigate allegations of misconduct
• Follow COPE guidelines for resolution
• Issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

3.1 Confidentiality

• Reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential.
• Content may not be shared or used for personal advantage.

3.2 Objective Evaluation

• Reviews must be conducted fairly, constructively, and without bias.
• Personal criticism of authors is not acceptable.

3.3 Timeliness

• Reviewers should complete evaluations within the assigned timeframe.
• Reviewers who cannot meet deadlines must inform editors promptly.

3.4 Conflict of Interest

• Reviewers must decline assignments where a conflict exists, including:
• Personal relationships with authors
• Financial or academic competition
• Previous collaboration within the last 3 years

3.5 Ethical Issue Identification

Reviewers should report:

• Plagiarism or potential duplication
• Inaccurate or manipulated data
• Unethical research practices
• Missing citations of relevant studies

4. Publisher’s Responsibilities (Zabags Qu Publish)

The publisher ensures:

• Journal stability and consistent availability
• Preservation of published content through archiving systems
• Support for editorial independence
• Prompt publication of corrections, retractions, and clarification statements

The publisher does not tolerate:

• Any form of publication malpractice
• Commercial influence over editorial decisions

5. Allegations of Misconduct

ZIJIS follows COPE flowcharts when handling:

• Plagiarism
• Duplicate submissions
• Authorship disputes
• Unethical research
• Data manipulation

Possible actions include:

• Manuscript rejection
• Retraction of published articles
• Notification of authors’ institutions
• Banning authors from future submissions for a defined period

6. Retraction, Correction, and Withdrawal Policy

6.1 Retractions

Articles may be retracted if:

• Serious ethical breaches are confirmed
• Data prove unreliable or fraudulent
• Authors fail to report major conflicts of interest

6.2 Corrections

Errata or corrigenda will be published for:

• Minor errors that do not affect the integrity of the findings

6.3 Article Withdrawal

Articles may be withdrawn pre-publication if:

• Errors are severe and discovered early
• Authors request withdrawal with proper justification