Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

The Zanco Journal of Human Sciences (ZJHS) ethical policy is based on the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and conforms to the ZJHS’s Editorial Board Rules of Conduct. Readers, writers, reviewers, and editors who work with ZJHS are expected to adhere to these ethical standards. ZJHS's Ethical Policy determines the selection of research papers or articles for publication in every issue.

 

Publisher's Duties and Responsibilities (ZJHS)

  • Recognizing the need to maintain an accurate and reliable repository for scholarly data, ZJHS emphasizes the preservation of all research documents including the submitted, accepted, and published versions.
  • With an emphasis on academic value and quality, ZJHS is fully committed to ensuring the final decisions on the editing and publication of the submitted articles.
  • To uphold the integrity of the scientific process, ZJHS ensures that manuscript submission decisions are exclusively based on professional expertise without any influence from financial objectives.
  • To uphold high ethical standards and practices, ZJHS carefully and rigorously evaluates the ethical conduct of key participants in the publishing process including the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Editorial Board Members, Reviewers, Authors, and Readers.
  • ZJHS maintains diligence in its continuous efforts to detect and address instances of plagiarism and fraudulent information in submitted publications reinforcing its commitment to academic integrity.
  • ZJHS is committed to promptly publishing corrections, clarifications, and retractions, and, when necessary, to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in its publications ensuring the accuracy and reliability of its data.

Editors' Duties and Responsibilities

  • Editors hold the authority to approve or reject submitted articles.
  • The confidentiality of submitted articles must be strictly protected throughout the review process until publication.
  • Collaboration between the Editor-in-Chief, editors, and reviewers is critical in determining the suitability of manuscripts for publication. Editors must ensure the confidentiality of reviewers' comments.
  • Editors must address and avoid any potential conflicts of interest in a transparent manner ensuring academic integrity while meeting the expectations of both readers and authors.
  • Editors must conduct thorough investigations into instances of plagiarism and inaccurate data, and, where appropriate, publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies. Their contribution should be limited to academic content.
  • Editors are not permitted to share any information about submitted manuscripts with anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, other editorial experts, and the publisher when applicable.
  • The editor or members of the editorial board are not allowed to use unpublished materials provided in the submitted articles. 

Reviewers' Duties and Responsibilities

  • Reviewers are expected to contribute to the journal's editors in deciding whether submitted papers merit publication, thereby playing a vital role in the peer review process.
  • The privacy of articles under review is critical, and reviewers must rigorously uphold confidentiality throughout the evaluation process.
  • Reviewers are expected to provide timely and constructive feedback to support editors in making informed decisions about the publishability of submitted articles.
  • To uphold and maintain ethical standards, reviewers must treat peer-reviewed articles with caution ensuring that information obtained during the review process is not used for personal advantage.
  • Reviewers are expected to provide technical, professional, impartial, and unbiased comments and feedback on invited articles contributing to the rigorous evaluation of academic work.
  • If reviewers detect a conflict of interest with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with a manuscript, they must recuse themselves from evaluating the submission to maintain objectivity.
  • Reviewers should transparently disclose any potential conflicts of interest and take steps to minimize them to ensure the integrity of the peer review process and the objectivity and fairness of their evaluations and decisions.

Authors' Duties and Responsibilities

  • The articles must be provided in English with correct grammar and vocabulary ensuring preciseness and clarity in communication.
  • Authors must verify that their submitted articles have not been previously published anywhere and are not currently under consideration by any other journal, whether by the same or any other publisher.
  • The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining consent from all co-authors for the publication of the work highlighting the importance of mutual consensus within the co-authoring teams.
  • Authors are encouraged to actively engage in the peer-review process by reviewing and analyzing articles from their peers, thereby contributing to the integrity and effectiveness of the peer-review system.
  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts originating from a particular institution are submitted with the necessary consent from the relevant institution fostering a culture of institutional compliance and accountability.
  • Authors must permit their articles to be edited for improved readability recognizing the importance of editorial contribution in improving the overall quality.
  • Transparency is vital, therefore, authors are requested to completely comprehend and disclose any financial support for the study and article preparation, and clearly explain the role of the funder or sponsor in the research process.
  • Collective consent is required, and all co-authors are expected to authorize the corresponding author to communicate with the editorial office for the approval of the edited manuscript and proofs ensuring streamlined and efficient communication.
  • Authors must promptly notify the journal editor or publisher if significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered in their published work enabling timely retractions or revisions and maintaining the integrity of scientific publications.
  • Authors should be aware that all submissions to ZJHS are reviewed using plagiarism detection software emphasizing the serious consequences of plagiarism and the importance of adhering to ethical standards of publishing practices.
  • Authors are encouraged to ensure that all co-authors carefully review and examine the submission's final checklist before submission to ZJHS promoting a rigorous and thorough submission process.