Publication Ethics

Journal of Intelligent Systems Technology and Informatics (JISTICS) is a peer-reviewed international journal. All articles submitted to JISTICS are subject to a rigorous peer review process by experts in their respective fields. Publishing an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential building block in developing a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It directly reflects the quality of the authors' work and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. Therefore, JISTICS is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior for all parties involved in publishing: authors, journal editors, peer reviewers, the publisher, and the scholarly community. These standards are arranged to ensure high-quality scientific publications, public trust in scientific findings, and appropriate credit for scholarly contributions throughout the process of submission, review, publication, and post-publication.

This publication ethics statement binds the ethical behavior of all parties involved in publishing an article in this journal. This statement is based on Elsevier’s publishing ethics policies and COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

A. Duties of Authors

  1. Reporting Standards: Authors must present an accurate account of their research and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data must be represented accurately. Results must be presented honestly and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. Methods and findings must be described clearly to permit reproducibility. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior.
  2. Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is entirely original and not under consideration or published elsewhere in any language. Proper acknowledgment of prior work is required, and the primary literature should be cited where possible. Plagiarism in all forms constitutes unethical behavior.
  3. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting essentially the same research to multiple journals is unacceptable.
  4. Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.
  5. Authorship: Authorship should reflect individuals’ significant contributions to conception, design, execution, or interpretation. All listed authors must approve the submitted version and any subsequent revisions.
  6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work.
  7. Fundamental Errors: Authors discovering significant errors in their published work must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the paper.
  8. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: Authors must clearly identify any unusual hazards in their research. Research involving human participants or animals must include a statement of ethical approval from an appropriate institutional review board.

B. Duties of Editors

  1. Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which articles to publish based on importance, originality, clarity, and relevance. They must follow the policies of the editorial board and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, and plagiarism. Editorial independence must be maintained.
  2. Review of Manuscripts: Editors must ensure the review process is fair, unbiased, and timely. Reviewers must be chosen based on expertise, diversity, and absence of conflicts of interest.
  3. Fair Play: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on intellectual merit, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
  4. Confidentiality: Editors must protect the confidentiality of submissions and communications. Unpublished materials must not be used in editors’ own research without authors’ written consent.
  5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have competing interests.

C. Duties of Reviewers

  1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and in improving manuscripts through constructive feedback.
  2. Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential. Privileged information must not be used for personal advantage.
  3. Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should ensure proper acknowledgment of prior work and notify the journal of suspected plagiarism, misconduct, or redundant publication.
  4. Standards of Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively, with clear arguments and without hostility or personal criticism.
  5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must decline reviews where conflicts of interest exist. If they lack sufficient expertise, they must notify the editor promptly.
  6. Promptness: Reviewers should only agree to review if they can meet the agreed deadline and notify the editor if circumstances change.

D. Corrections and Retractions

JISTICS follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines. Retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern will be issued when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

  1. Retractions may occur if findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) or honest error (e.g., miscalculation).
  2. Redundant or duplicate publication without proper cross-referencing or justification.
  3. Cases of plagiarism.
  4. Unethical research practices.

Corrections may be issued for minor errors that do not invalidate the research, or to update author/contributor information. Expressions of Concern may be issued where inconclusive evidence of misconduct exists.