Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Applied Science and Technology Application (IJAPSET) is committed to responsible scholarly publishing, research integrity, editorial independence, and transparent publication practices. This policy defines the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher throughout the publication process.

Ethical and Responsible Scholarly Publishing

IJAPSET recognizes that trust in scholarly publishing depends on the honesty of research, the fairness of editorial decisions, the independence of peer review, and the responsible handling of ethical concerns.

This policy is informed by the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including its core practices for scholarly journals. All participants are expected to act professionally, disclose relevant competing interests, protect confidential information, and cooperate in resolving credible concerns about research integrity.

COPE-Informed Publication Ethics

IJAPSET uses recognized publication-ethics principles to guide the responsibilities of authors, editors, and reviewers. These principles support fair editorial assessment, responsible peer review, appropriate disclosure, and the protection of the scholarly record.

Reference to COPE guidance does not imply formal COPE membership or accreditation.

Four Pillars of Publication Ethics

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical acceptability of their submitted work. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the information provided to the journal is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge.

Research Documentation and Permissions

Authors must obtain permissions for third-party materials and provide relevant ethics approval, participant consent, or other documentation where required. Supporting research records should be retained appropriately and made available when reasonably requested and ethically permissible.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for managing manuscripts fairly and maintaining the academic quality and ethical integrity of the journal.

• Publication decisions: Decisions must be based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological quality, and compliance with journal policies.
• Peer-review management: Editors should select appropriate reviewers and ensure that assessments are relevant, constructive, and impartial.
• Fair play: Manuscripts must be evaluated without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation.
• Confidentiality: Manuscript details and editorial communications must not be disclosed to unauthorized parties.
• Conflicts of interest: Editors must disclose relevant conflicts and avoid handling manuscripts when impartiality may be compromised.
• Ethical oversight: Editors should assess credible allegations of plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate publication, or other ethical violations.
• Post-publication responsibility: Editors should consider appropriate corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when evidence justifies action.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to the quality of published research by providing independent, evidence-based, and constructive assessments.

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts and review materials must be treated as confidential documents.
• Objectivity: Reviews should be respectful, unbiased, and supported by clear scholarly reasoning.
• Source acknowledgement: Reviewers should identify relevant uncited work where possible.
• Ethical concerns: Suspected plagiarism, unreliable data, duplicate publication, or other serious concerns should be reported to the editor.
• Conflicts of interest: Reviewers should disclose conflicts and decline assignments when impartiality may be affected.
• Promptness: Reviews should be completed within the agreed timeframe, or the editor should be notified if an extension is needed.
• Responsible use of information: Unpublished ideas and data must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

Raskha Media Group, as the publisher of IJAPSET, supports responsible scholarly publishing and the integrity of the journal's editorial process.

• Support editorial independence and fair editorial administration.
• Provide reasonable technical and publishing support for journal operations.
• Respect the confidentiality of manuscripts and personal information.
• Cooperate with editors in addressing credible publication-ethics concerns.
• Support appropriate correction of the scholarly record when errors or misconduct are established.
• Avoid inappropriate commercial or personal influence over editorial decisions.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

IJAPSET does not tolerate practices that undermine the reliability or originality of scholarly work. Concerns may include:

Similarity-checking tools may support the editorial assessment. Similarity percentages must be interpreted in context and do not, by themselves, establish plagiarism or determine acceptance.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest may arise when financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, scholarly judgment.

• Authors must disclose relevant competing interests and funding sources.
• Reviewers must declare conflicts and decline assignments when objectivity could be compromised.
• Editors must avoid handling manuscripts where a conflict may affect their judgment.
• Where necessary, the journal may assign an independent editor or reviewer.
• Relevant disclosures should be included in the published article when appropriate.

Human Participants, Animals, and Sensitive Data

Research involving human participants, animals, personal data, or sensitive information must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards.

• Identify the ethics committee or institutional review body and provide approval details where applicable.
• Explain how informed consent was obtained when required.
• Protect participant privacy, confidentiality, and personal data.
• Confirm compliance with applicable animal welfare requirements for animal studies.
• Obtain permission for identifiable images and third-party materials when necessary.
• Explain when a particular approval or consent requirement does not apply, where clarification is needed.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of their submissions, including content prepared with the assistance of generative AI tools.

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot accept responsibility for scholarly work.
• Substantive AI use in writing, analysis, image generation, or other research activities should be disclosed when relevant and required by the journal's instructions.
• Authors must verify AI-generated facts, references, quotations, code, images, and analytical outputs.
• AI must not be used to fabricate evidence, conceal plagiarism, manipulate findings, or misrepresent research procedures.
• Confidential, personal, or restricted information must be protected when using external AI services.
• Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts to external AI services unless explicitly permitted by applicable journal policy and confidentiality requirements.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

Unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial discussions, and confidential research information must be handled responsibly. Access should be limited to individuals who need the information for editorial or review duties. Personal and sensitive information must be processed in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and must not be disclosed without appropriate authorization.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

IJAPSET seeks to maintain an accurate and trustworthy scholarly record. When a significant error or credible integrity concern is identified after publication, the journal will assess the available evidence and determine an appropriate response.

Editorial actions should be proportionate to the evidence and the seriousness of the concern. Notices should identify the affected article and explain the reason for the action as clearly as appropriate.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit a reasoned complaint or appeal concerning an editorial decision through the journal's official contact channels. The request should identify the manuscript, explain the grounds for reconsideration, and provide relevant supporting information.

Complaints should be assessed fairly by an appropriate editorial representative. Where a complaint concerns a particular editor, independent assessment should be arranged where feasible. An appeal does not guarantee a change in the original decision.

Investigation and Appropriate Action

IJAPSET may investigate credible allegations of research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, authorship disputes, data fabrication, falsification, or other violations of publication ethics.

Depending on the evidence and circumstances, possible actions include requesting clarification or supporting documentation, rejecting a manuscript, publishing a correction or retraction, or referring a matter to a relevant institution or authority. Actions should be proportionate and consistent with the journal's applicable policies.

Publication Ethics Guidance

IJAPSET's publication ethics policy is informed by recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing. The following external resource provides additional guidance for journal editors and publishers.

COPE reference: publicationethics.org

Questions About Publication Ethics?

Questions, complaints, or concerns regarding publication ethics should be submitted through the official IJAPSET website using the journal's published contact information.