Ethics and Transparency

At the International Journal of Science and Innovation, we uphold the principles of honesty, integrity, and academic rigor in every stage of the publication process. We strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expect all parties involved—authors, reviewers, editors, and readers—to commit to the highest ethical standards.

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Our ethical framework includes the following components:

 

Conflict of Interest Statement

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal affiliations that could influence the research outcomes or their review/decision-making process. This includes grants, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, or paid expert testimony. A declaration of “no conflict of interest” is required when applicable.

 

Plagiarism Policy

We enforce a strict anti-plagiarism policy. All submissions are evaluated using plagiarism detection tools such as iThenticate. The editorial office investigates any flagged similarities, and manuscripts with unacceptable levels of duplication (typically over 15%) will be rejected or returned to authors for correction. This applies to both text and visual elements (figures, tables, etc.).

 

Data Availability Statement

Transparency and reproducibility are critical to scientific progress. Authors must:

• Provide a clear statement on the availability of data used in the study.

• Deposit data in recognized public repositories (e.g., Dryad, Zenodo, GenBank) when appropriate.

• Ensure datasets are accessible during the peer review process and after publication.

• Include a “Data Availability” section in the manuscript.

 

Ethical Approval for Human and Animal Research

Any study involving human participants or animals must include a statement confirming that all necessary institutional or national ethical approvals have been obtained. For human research, informed consent must be documented. The journal follows the Declaration of Helsinki and equivalent ethical standards.

 

Authorship and Contribution Statement

Authorship must be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the work. All listed authors should approve the final manuscript. Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited. A contributorship statement may be requested, outlining each author’s role.

 

Retraction, Correction, and Expression of Concern Policy

In cases of proven scientific misconduct, data fabrication, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or major errors, the journal will:

• Issue corrections or retractions in accordance with COPE guidelines.

• Publish expressions of concern when investigations are ongoing.

• Ensure transparency by linking such notices directly to the original articles.

 

Misconduct Reporting and Handling

Anyone (authors, reviewers, readers) may report suspected ethical violations. The journal treats all allegations seriously and conducts investigations confidentially. Decisions will be based on objective evidence and will involve editorial board consultation when needed.

 

Editorial Independence

The editorial process is independent and unbiased. Editors are prohibited from making decisions on manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. All editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific merit of the work, not on commercial or personal interests.

By enforcing these policies, the International Journal of Science and Innovation ensures that the integrity and quality of its publications are maintained at the highest professional standard.