This Journal follows COPE’s Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines-new/principles-transparency-and-best-practice-scholarly-publishing) and seeks to adopt to the best of its ability COPE’s Core Practices in Promoting Integrity in Scholarly Research and its Publication (https://publicationethics.org/core-practices). This statement is based on COPE’s Core Practices.

Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher of IJIF seeks to ensure that good practices are maintained according to COPE’s Core Practices in Promoting Integrity in Scholarly Research and its Publication (https://publicationethics.org/core-practices).

Editor Responsibilities

• The editor has a duty to act in an objective, balanced, and fair manner while carrying out expected duties, without any form of discrimination whatsoever to the authors.

• The editor ensures that the details of authors (e.g. names, email addresses, etc.) pertaining to manuscripts submitted to the Journal will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this Journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

• The editor endeavours to evaluate manuscripts submitted to the Journal solely based on academic merit and not based on any kind of influence.

• The editor should avoid any types of conflict of interest regarding submissions received at the level of the Journal.

• The editor ensures that manuscripts submitted to the Journal remain confidential while under review.

• The editor ensures that the peer review process is conducted fairly, without bias and on a timely basis.

• The editor ensures that the Journal publishes articles of the highest quality and standard.

• The editor ensures that cases of research misconduct or unethical behaviour are investigated, whether these cases relate to published or unpublished articles submitted to the Journal. 

• The editor should address complaints received at the level of the Journal and follow necessary procedures in handling those complaints.

Reviewer Responsibilities

• Reviewers are expected to review manuscripts objectively based on academic merit and should provide a timely decision to the editor on the suitability of the manuscript for publication.

• Reviewers are expected to uphold strict confidentiality relating to manuscripts submitted to them for the purpose of review. They should ensure that the information transmitted is not to be used, circulated or kept for other purposes, except being used for the purpose of review.

• Reviewers are expected to inform the editor of any suspected cases of plagiarism or absence of relevant published work which has not been cited.

• Reviewers are expected to avoid any potential conflicts of interests and inform the editor if there are any.

Author Responsibilities

• Authors should take full responsibility for all aspects of their work, including originality of their work, the accuracy of information/data or research integrity (e.g. cite all related references, maintain accurate records of data, etc.).

• Authors should respond swiftly to queries during the publication process.

• Authors should treat all communications with the journal editor as confidential until an editorial decision has been made.

• Authors should recognize all individuals who have contributed to the work and exclude anyone who has not contributed to the research or anyone who does not wish to be associated with the research.

• Authors should acknowledge any financial assistance received from funding agencies in their research work.

• Authors should declare at the time of submission of their articles if a substantial part of the work has been previously published, for example in conference proceedings, on online institutional repositories, on specific websites, or any other forms of publication. They should submit a copy of such related materials to the Journal (if required).

• Authors should get written permissions for the use of any material in their articles that a third party has created (e.g. reproducing a figure/table, publishing a conference paper, or reproducing part of a book or part of a Journal article).

• Authors should declare any conflict of interest at the time of article submission.

• Authors should inform the Journal editor or publisher in case any significant error is detected in their publication and submit an erratum, addendum, or corrigendum notice, to be published or retract the paper altogether if necessary.

Allegation of Research Misconduct

At the level of the Journal, we take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of articles where research misconduct has occurred. This includes but is not limited to: plagiarism, citation, manipulation, data falsification or fabrication. We do not encourage or knowingly allow such misconduct to take place.

Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct

In the event that we are made aware of any allegation of research misconduct or unethical behaviour relating to articles submitted to or published in the journal, such information and the identity of the whistleblower shall be treated with strict confidentiality. We would require that sufficient information and evidence be provided so that a full investigation relating to the misconduct or unethical behaviour could be investigated. We do not encourage such misconduct and all allegations should be treated seriously, fairly and with strict confidentiality at all times.  

In the case of minor breaches, the issue may be handled at the level of the editor, in consultation with the Publisher and the Editorial Committee. Authors will be given the necessary opportunities to respond to any allegations.

In the case of serious breaches, necessary action will be taken in consultation with the Publisher, Editorial Committee and experts in the field. It may lead to the Journal formally removing the published article from its online archives post-publication and reporting the matter to relevant authorities at the authors’ institutions. Parties (authors or reviewers) involved in any research misconduct shall also be barred from any future contribution to the Journal. 

Complaints Process

Any complaints against the editor or peer reviewers’ conduct, publication decisions, or other administrative concerns may be directed to the Chair of the Editorial Board. The Chair will communicate with all parties, as necessary, about the process to be followed so that cases of complaints are handled promptly, transparently, fairly and objectively.

Appeals Process

All submissions to the Journal usually go through an initial review process to decide if the submission fits the Journal’s scope and is suitable for further consideration. Many submissions may be rejected at this stage, without seeking external reviewers’ opinions, with general comments to justify the rejection decision. Such decisions are not eligible for appeals.

The Journal also adopts a double-blind peer review process to facilitate editorial decisions. Generally, the editor has quite broad discretion to decide on the suitability of a manuscript to undergo the publication process or to reject the manuscript.

If an author is dissatisfied with the Journal’s decision to reject a manuscript, the author may appeal the decision by providing the editor with a detailed response to the reviewers’ and editor’s comments. The editor will review the peer review process and determine if the decision is justified. If the decision is made in accordance with editorial criteria, the editor’s decision to reject will be final.

Authors may also appeal against corrective actions taken in cases of serious breaches involving the removal of a published article from the Journal’s online archives post-publication. Such appeals will be discussed in consultation with the Publisher, Editorial Committee and experts in the field in light of any new evidence that may impact the initial decision. The ultimate decision on such appeals will then be final.  

Conflicts of Interest

IJIF upholds strictly the principles of transparency, integrity and objectivity in scholarly research. The editor, authors and reviewers are expected to avoid any types of conflict of interest and make a declaration if any conflict of interest that may affect their judgements on what is being published prevails. The editor and reviewers are expected to ensure that decisions are not biased by conflicts of interest. The editor is expected to avoid potential conflicts of interest regarding submissions received at the level of the journal. Reviewers are expected to inform the editor of any conflict of interest, especially if a personal or financial relationship exists between an author (or the author’s institution) and reviewers that may affect a fair review process of manuscripts. Relationships between authors and reviewers that are considered of conflicting interest include current or recent colleagues, recent co-authors, teacher/supervisor/lecturer and student relationship, or any other personal or financial relationship they may share.

Advertising

This Journal does not accept advertisements from third parties to be published in the Journal.

IJIF may publicize research materials that have been published by the publisher. However, the advertisements are not related in any way to editorial decision-making and are kept separate from the Journal’s published content.