Publication Ethics Policies
1. Integrity and Honesty
All research published must reflect honest, accurate, and transparent reporting. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is prohibited.
All research submitted and published by the Innovative Academic Research Publisher must adhere to the highest standards of integrity and honesty. This includes:
Accurate Reporting:
All data, results, and interpretations must be reported truthfully and without distortion.
Authors must avoid selective reporting or omission of data that could mislead readers.
Prohibition of Misconduct:
Fabrication: Creating data or results that never existed is strictly forbidden.
Falsification: Manipulating research processes, data, or images to produce misleading outcomes is prohibited.
Manipulation: Any deliberate misrepresentation of data, methods, or outcomes is unacceptable.
Transparency in Methodology:
Authors must provide sufficient details about experimental design, data collection, and analysis methods so that the study can be replicated by others.
Any limitations, assumptions, or potential sources of error must be clearly acknowledged.
Acknowledgment of Sources:
All previous work, ideas, or findings that influenced the research must be appropriately cited.
Avoid misrepresenting another researcher’s work as your own.
Accountability:
Authors are responsible for the integrity of the research they publish.
Editors and reviewers also uphold integrity by evaluating manuscripts objectively and reporting concerns about possible misconduct.
Correction of Errors:
If errors are discovered post-publication, authors must promptly notify the publisher and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.
Purpose:
Maintaining integrity and honesty ensures trust in scholarly communication, protects the credibility of the research community, and promotes the responsible advancement of knowledge.
2. Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must submit only original work. All sources must be properly cited. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is not allowed.
All submissions to the Innovative Academic Research Publisher must be the authors’ own original work. Maintaining originality ensures the integrity, credibility, and scholarly value of published research. This section outlines expectations and responsibilities:
Original Work:
Authors must submit research that is completely original and has not been published elsewhere.
Work that is under consideration by another journal or publisher must not be submitted simultaneously.
Proper Citation of Sources:
All ideas, text, data, and graphics derived from previous work must be clearly cited using accepted academic referencing standards.
Direct quotations must be clearly marked and attributed.
Paraphrased content must accurately represent the original source and be properly cited.
Plagiarism Prohibition:
Textual Plagiarism: Copying text from other sources without proper attribution is forbidden.
Data or Figure Plagiarism: Using data, tables, images, or illustrations from other works without permission and attribution is prohibited.
Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one’s own previously published work or parts of it without acknowledgment is unacceptable.
Use of Plagiarism Detection Tools:
Submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software.
A high similarity index may result in rejection or mandatory revision before consideration.
Responsibility of Authors:
Authors are accountable for ensuring originality and accurate citation.
Misrepresentation of originality, intentional plagiarism, or failure to cite sources is considered research misconduct and may result in rejection, retraction, or reporting to relevant institutions.
Ethical Purpose:
Upholding originality safeguards the intellectual property of others, advances knowledge responsibly, and fosters trust in scholarly publishing.
3. Authorship Criteria
Authorship should be limited to individuals who made significant contributions to the research. All authors must approve the final manuscript.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher requires that authorship accurately reflects individuals’ contributions to the research. Authorship carries responsibility and accountability for the work published.
Significant Contributions:
Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to at least one of the following should be listed as authors:
Conception or design of the study
Data collection, analysis, or interpretation
Drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content
Approval of Final Manuscript:
All listed authors must review and approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.
Authors must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring accuracy and integrity.
Accountability and Responsibility:
Each author is responsible for ensuring that parts of the work they contributed to meet ethical and academic standards.
All authors share responsibility for the integrity of the entire manuscript.
Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributions:
Contributions that do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, general supervision, funding acquisition) should be acknowledged in a separate section.
These individuals should not be listed as authors unless they meet the full criteria.
Avoiding Authorship Misconduct:
Guest or Honorary Authorship: Listing individuals who did not contribute significantly is prohibited.
Ghost Authorship: Omitting individuals who contributed substantially is unacceptable.
Conflicts regarding authorship order or credit should be resolved by all authors before submission.
Ethical Purpose:
Correct authorship attribution promotes accountability, transparency, and fairness in scholarly publishing.
4. Peer Review Process
The publisher uses a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review system. Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively and disclose conflicts of interest.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher is committed to a rigorous, fair, and transparent peer review process to ensure the quality, credibility, and integrity of published research.
Fair and Objective Evaluation:
Manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of scholarly merit, originality, and relevance.
Reviewers assess methodology, analysis, interpretation, and clarity without bias based on gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal relationships.
Confidentiality:
Manuscripts under review are confidential documents.
Reviewers must not share or use information from the manuscript for personal gain or research before publication.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest:
Reviewers must declare any financial, professional, or personal conflicts that could influence their judgment.
If a conflict exists, the reviewer should decline the invitation to review.
Constructive Feedback:
Reviews should provide clear, constructive, and professional feedback to help authors improve the manuscript.
Criticism should focus on content and methodology, not the author.
Review Models:
The publisher may implement single-blind, double-blind, or open peer review, depending on the journal’s policy.
Authors are informed of the peer review process used by the journal at submission.
Timeliness:
Reviewers are expected to provide feedback within the agreed timeframe to ensure prompt and efficient publication.
Editors may reassign manuscripts if reviews are delayed without reasonable cause.
Editorial Responsibility:
Editors oversee the review process and ensure that all decisions are fair, unbiased, and evidence-based.
Editors may mediate disagreements between reviewers and authors, maintaining transparency and integrity.
Ethical Purpose:
A robust peer review system maintains the credibility of the scholarly record, encourages rigorous research standards, and protects the interests of authors, readers, and the research community.
5. Conflicts of Interest
Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may affect their work.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher requires transparency regarding any conflicts of interest to maintain the integrity, objectivity, and credibility of the research and publication process.
Definition:
A conflict of interest (COI) exists when personal, financial, professional, or other relationships could inappropriately influence the research, review, or editorial decision-making process.
Disclosure by Authors:
Authors must disclose all relevant financial support, affiliations, or relationships that could affect the interpretation or presentation of research findings.
Examples include:
Funding from commercial organizations with a vested interest in the outcomes
Employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or patents
Close personal or professional relationships that may bias results
Disclosures must be included in a dedicated section of the manuscript.
Disclosure by Editors:
Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict could compromise impartiality.
Conflicts include personal relationships, collaborations, or financial interests related to the work.
Disclosure by Reviewers:
Reviewers must declare conflicts that could bias their assessment, including:
Competing research projects
Institutional or personal relationships with authors
Financial interests connected to the study’s outcome
If a conflict exists, reviewers should decline the invitation to review.
Management of Conflicts:
The publisher ensures that disclosed conflicts are appropriately managed, such as:
Assigning alternate reviewers or editors
Publishing disclosure statements alongside the article
Implementing transparent procedures to mitigate bias
Ethical Purpose:
Full disclosure protects the integrity of research, preserves trust among authors, reviewers, and readers, and ensures that editorial and publishing decisions are based on scholarly merit rather than personal or financial interests.
6. Data Transparency
Authors should make research data available upon request when appropriate, ensuring compliance with privacy and ethical standards.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher requires authors to maintain transparency in data reporting and sharing to ensure the reproducibility, reliability, and integrity of published research.
Availability of Data:
Authors should make all underlying data, materials, and protocols available to editors, reviewers, and, where appropriate, the research community upon request.
Data availability statements should be included in manuscripts, specifying how and where data can be accessed.
Data Sharing and Repositories:
Authors are encouraged to deposit data in recognized public repositories (institutional or discipline-specific) when feasible.
When data cannot be shared publicly, authors must provide a clear justification, such as ethical, legal, or privacy restrictions.
Compliance with Ethical Standards:
Data sharing must comply with ethical guidelines, institutional approvals, and national/international regulations.
Sensitive data involving human participants, animals, or confidential information must be anonymized or protected to safeguard privacy.
Transparency in Reporting:
Authors must provide sufficient information about research methods, analyses, and datasets so that other researchers can replicate and validate the findings.
Any modifications, exclusions, or limitations of data must be clearly reported in the manuscript.
Responsibility of Authors:
Authors are accountable for the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of the data presented.
Misrepresentation, selective reporting, or withholding data that affects the study’s conclusions is considered research misconduct.
Ethical Purpose:
Transparent data practices enhance reproducibility, foster trust in research findings, and support collaborative, open science that benefits the broader scientific community.
7. Ethical Research Standards
All research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data must comply with institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher requires that all research complies with the highest ethical standards to protect participants, maintain integrity, and ensure the credibility of published work.
Human Research:
All studies involving human participants must adhere to international ethical guidelines such as the Declaration of Helsinki.
Authors must obtain informed consent from participants or their legal guardians.
Research must be approved by a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee.
Confidentiality and privacy of participants must be strictly maintained.
Animal Research:
Studies involving animals must comply with internationally recognized standards (e.g., ARRIVE guidelines, or local regulations).
Researchers must ensure humane treatment, minimize pain or suffering, and justify the use of animals.
Ethical approval from a qualified Animal Ethics Committee is required before experimentation.
Sensitive Data:
Research involving sensitive information (e.g., health, financial, or personal data) must comply with data protection laws such as GDPR or relevant national regulations.
Anonymization and secure storage of data are mandatory to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure.
Institutional and Legal Compliance:
Authors are responsible for ensuring compliance with institutional policies, national legislation, and international standards governing research ethics.
Any permits, approvals, or certifications required for the study must be documented and available upon request.
Reporting Ethical Considerations:
Manuscripts must include a statement describing ethical approvals, informed consent, and measures taken to protect participants or animals.
Any ethical issues, deviations, or limitations must be transparently reported.
Accountability:
Authors, editors, and reviewers share responsibility for maintaining ethical standards.
Misconduct or unethical research practices, such as failure to obtain consent or unethical treatment of participants, will lead to rejection or retraction and may be reported to relevant authorities.
Ethical Purpose:
Upholding ethical standards protects research subjects, ensures scientific integrity, and maintains public trust in scholarly research.
8. Editorial Independence
Editors make publication decisions based on scholarly merit, free from commercial or personal influence.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher ensures that all editorial decisions are made objectively, fairly, and without undue influence from commercial, personal, or political interests.
Decision-Making Based on Scholarly Merit:
Editors must make all publication decisions solely on the quality, originality, and relevance of the submitted research.
Manuscripts must be evaluated fairly, regardless of the author’s affiliation, reputation, or geographic location.
Freedom from Commercial Influence:
Editorial decisions must remain independent of advertisers, sponsors, or funding bodies.
Financial considerations must never compromise the rigor or integrity of the peer review and publication process.
Freedom from Personal Influence:
Editors must avoid personal bias or conflicts of interest in handling manuscripts.
Relationships with authors, colleagues, or institutions should not affect editorial judgment.
Transparent Editorial Policies:
Clear, publicly available editorial guidelines ensure transparency of the decision-making process.
Editors must document decisions and provide authors with objective feedback.
Conflict Management:
Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where personal, professional, or financial conflicts could affect impartiality.
Alternate editors or independent reviewers will be assigned in such cases.
Accountability:
Editors are responsible for upholding the integrity and credibility of the journal.
Decisions must be defensible, transparent, and consistent with established ethical and scholarly standards.
Ethical Purpose:
Editorial independence safeguards trust in the peer review process, ensures fair treatment of authors, and maintains the academic integrity of the published research.
9. Handling Misconduct
The publisher will investigate all allegations of misconduct. Corrections, retractions, or sanctions will be applied when necessary.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher is committed to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the scholarly record. Allegations of misconduct are treated seriously, with a clear and fair investigation process.
Definition of Misconduct:
Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
Fabrication: Making up data, results, or information.
Falsification: Manipulating research processes, data, or results to misrepresent findings.
Plagiarism: Using others’ work without proper acknowledgment, including text, data, or ideas.
Improper Authorship: Ghost authorship, honorary authorship, or misrepresentation of contributions.
Ethical Violations: Breaches of human or animal research ethics, conflicts of interest, or other violations of ethical standards.
Reporting Misconduct:
Authors, reviewers, editors, or readers can report suspected misconduct.
Reports should be submitted to the editorial office with relevant evidence.
Investigation Process:
The publisher will conduct a thorough, fair, and confidential investigation of all allegations.
Involved parties will be informed and given an opportunity to respond.
External experts may be consulted if necessary to ensure objectivity.
Actions Upon Confirmation of Misconduct:
Depending on the severity of the misconduct, the publisher may take actions such as:
Corrections: Issuing a correction notice to amend minor errors.
Retractions: Removing articles from the public record in cases of serious misconduct.
Expressions of Concern: Alerting readers while an investigation is ongoing.
Sanctions: Banning authors from submitting future work or notifying affiliated institutions.
Transparency and Accountability:
Decisions related to misconduct will be documented and communicated to all relevant parties.
The publisher ensures that actions taken are consistent with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and international best practices.
Ethical Purpose:
Proper handling of misconduct protects the integrity of the scientific record, upholds trust among authors, reviewers, and readers, and maintains the credibility of the journal and publisher.
10. Post‑Publication Responsibilities
Authors and editors must promptly correct errors discovered after publication and cooperate in retraction or correction processes.
The Innovative Academic Research Publisher expects authors, editors, and the journal team to maintain ongoing responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of published research even after publication.
Correction of Errors:
Authors must promptly notify the publisher if they discover errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in their published work.
Editors will assess reported errors and determine the appropriate course of action, such as issuing a correction notice or erratum.
Retractions and Expressions of Concern:
If serious issues are identified (e.g., research misconduct, ethical violations, or invalid findings), the publisher may issue a retraction or expression of concern.
Authors are expected to cooperate fully in these processes.
Retraction notices clearly indicate the reason for retraction and maintain transparency in the scholarly record.
Transparency and Communication:
Corrections, retractions, or updates must be clearly labeled and linked to the original article.
Readers must have access to accurate and updated information regarding the publication.
Responsibility of Editors:
Editors must monitor post-publication feedback and reports of potential issues.
Decisions regarding corrections or retractions should follow established ethical guidelines (e.g., COPE) and be consistent across all journals.
Preventing Future Errors:
The publisher encourages authors and editors to reflect on errors to improve research and editorial processes.
Lessons learned should be used to prevent similar issues in future publications.
Ethical Purpose:
Post-publication responsibility ensures the integrity, reliability, and credibility of the scholarly record.
Maintaining transparency after publication fosters trust among readers, authors, and the research community.