Publication Ethics

Ethical principles and responsibilities for authors, editors, reviewers, and all parties involved in the scholarly publication process.

1. Ethical Commitment

The Journal of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Communications (JOCSAIC) is committed to maintaining integrity, transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the publication process. All participants are expected to uphold responsible research practices and comply with applicable ethical standards.

This policy addresses the responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the journal in preventing and responding to publication misconduct. Allegations of misconduct will be assessed fairly and on the basis of relevant evidence. An allegation alone does not establish that misconduct has occurred.

JOCSAIC recognizes the importance of internationally established publication ethics principles and refers to the guidance provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in developing and reviewing its editorial policies and publication procedures.

COPE provides resources and guidance for editors, publishers, reviewers, and authors on responsible scholarly publishing, research integrity, publication misconduct, conflicts of interest, corrections, and retractions.

JOCSAIC seeks to apply relevant ethical principles in a manner appropriate to its editorial practices, including fair editorial assessment, transparent peer review procedures, responsible handling of allegations, and appropriate action when publication ethics concerns arise.

Reference: Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) — https://publicationethics.org/

3. Core Ethical Principles

4. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JOCSAIC are responsible for ensuring that:

• The submitted work is original and properly acknowledges previous research.
• Sources, quotations, adapted materials, datasets, software, and other contributions are appropriately cited or acknowledged.
• Research data, results, images, tables, and analyses are reported accurately and are not fabricated, falsified, or manipulated deceptively.
• The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal and has not been published previously in substantially the same form, except where permitted and clearly disclosed.
• All listed authors have made qualifying scholarly contributions, approve the submitted version, and accept responsibility for their contributions.
• Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria are acknowledged appropriately, where relevant and with their permission.
• Funding sources and relevant financial or non-financial conflicts of interest are disclosed.
• Research involving human participants, animals, personal data, or other regulated subjects has obtained required approvals, consent, and safeguards where applicable.
• Material errors discovered after publication are promptly reported to the journal.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

• Evaluate manuscripts objectively and without discrimination based on irrelevant personal characteristics or affiliations.
• Make editorial decisions based on scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance, and journal scope.
• Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and unpublished information.
• Select appropriate reviewers based on their expertise, independence, and potential conflicts of interest.
• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when a conflict could compromise impartiality.
• Investigate credible concerns about plagiarism, data integrity, authorship, duplicate publication, or other ethical breaches.
• Consider corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when supported by evidence and applicable procedures.
• Protect editorial independence from improper commercial, financial, or personal influence.

6. Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Provide objective, constructive, evidence-based, and timely assessments.
• Declare potential conflicts of interest and decline reviews when impartiality or adequate expertise cannot be maintained.
• Keep manuscripts, review materials, and unpublished findings confidential.
• Not use unpublished material obtained through peer review for personal research or advantage without appropriate authorization.
• Identify relevant published work that has not been cited and alert the editor to possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or questionable research practices.
• Base recommendations on scholarly content rather than personal criticism of authors.

7. Research and Publication Misconduct

JOCSAIC does not tolerate research or publication misconduct. Potential violations include, but are not limited to:

• Plagiarism: presenting another person's words, ideas, data, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.
• Data fabrication: inventing data, observations, experiments, or results.
• Data falsification: manipulating research materials, processes, data, or results in a misleading manner.
• Duplicate or redundant publication: publishing substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure or justification.
• Authorship misconduct: inappropriate inclusion or exclusion of authors or misrepresentation of contributions.
• Citation manipulation: adding irrelevant citations or practices intended to distort citation records.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest: failing to disclose relevant interests that could influence research or evaluation.
• Peer-review manipulation: attempting to compromise the independence or integrity of the review process.
• Misleading image or figure presentation: altering or selectively presenting visual evidence in a way that misrepresents findings.
• Undisclosed use of generative AI: failing to comply with the journal's applicable AI-use disclosure requirements.

Allegations will be assessed according to available evidence, the nature of the concern, and applicable journal procedures. Similarity-checking software may assist screening but does not, by itself, determine whether plagiarism or misconduct has occurred.

8. Peer Review and Confidentiality

Manuscripts are subject to editorial screening and peer review in accordance with the journal's published Peer Review Process. Reviewers are expected to assess manuscripts independently and confidentially. Editors are responsible for protecting confidential information and managing conflicts of interest throughout the process.

Acceptance or rejection must not be determined by an author's ability to pay a fee, personal relationships, or pressure unrelated to legitimate editorial considerations.

9. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly validity of their submissions, including material prepared with AI-assisted tools.

• AI tools must not be listed as authors because they cannot assume authorship responsibilities or accountability.
• Authors must verify AI-assisted content, including factual statements, references, calculations, code, and interpretations.
• AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, invent references, misrepresent results, or conceal plagiarism.
• Where required by the journal's AI policy, authors must disclose the use of generative AI and describe its role in preparing the manuscript.
• Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscript content to external AI systems where doing so would breach confidentiality or applicable data-protection obligations.

Authors and reviewers should also consult the journal's separate AI Ethics & Procedure policy.

10. Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other interests that could reasonably be perceived to affect their judgment. Relevant funding sources and the role of funders in the research, manuscript preparation, or publication decision must be reported where applicable.

When a conflict is identified, the journal will take appropriate steps to manage it. These may include reassignment of editorial handling or review, additional disclosure, or other measures necessary to protect publication integrity.

11. Complaints and Allegations

Concerns about possible ethical violations may be submitted to the journal's editorial team through its official contact channel. Reports should identify the manuscript or published article, explain the concern clearly, and provide relevant supporting evidence where available.

The journal will assess reports fairly and confidentially to the extent reasonably possible. Depending on the circumstances, the process may include an initial assessment, a request for clarification or response from relevant parties, consultation with appropriate experts or institutions, and a decision on further action.

An allegation will not be treated as proof of wrongdoing. Parties involved should be given a reasonable opportunity to respond where appropriate, and reports made in good faith should be handled without retaliation.

12. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

When a published article is found to contain a significant error or when credible concerns arise about its reliability or ethical status, JOCSAIC will assess the matter and determine an appropriate response.

• Correction: used when a published error can be corrected without invalidating the overall findings or conclusions.
• Expression of Concern: may be issued when a serious concern remains under investigation or available evidence is not yet conclusive.
• Retraction: may be considered when findings are unreliable, serious misconduct is established, or other circumstances justify retraction under the journal's procedures.

Editorial actions should be transparent, appropriately documented, and linked to the affected publication where technically possible. Further details are provided in the journal's Correction & Retraction Policy.

13. Research Involving Human Participants, Animals, or Personal Data

Research involving human participants, animals, identifiable personal information, or other regulated subjects must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical principles. Authors should provide details of relevant ethics committee approval, informed consent, permissions, and data-protection safeguards where applicable. The journal may request supporting documentation when necessary.

14. Implementation and Policy Review

JOCSAIC applies this policy alongside its Author Guidelines, Peer Review Process, Plagiarism Policy, AI Ethics & Procedure, Allegation of Research Misconduct, and Correction & Retraction Policy.

The journal may review and update its procedures to reflect developments in scholarly publishing ethics, applicable legal requirements, and recognized best practices, including relevant guidance from COPE. Policy updates should be communicated through the journal website.

Commitment to Responsible Publishing

Ethical scholarly publishing depends on honesty, fair evaluation, accountability, and respect for the research community.