JF Publisher is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities and expectations for all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors. Our goal is to ensure the integrity, transparency, and quality of all published work.

As a publisher, we recognize that ethical publication practices are fundamental to the advancement of scholarly knowledge. All individuals participating in our publication process must adhere to these principles to maintain the credibility and value of academic research.

1. Author Responsibilities

1.1 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original and has not been published elsewhere. All manuscripts must present accurate research findings with sufficient detail and appropriate references to enable others to verify and build upon the work.

Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited. When using the words, ideas, or work of others, authors must provide proper citations and quotations. This includes:

• Properly citing all sources of information, data, and ideas
• Using quotation marks for verbatim text from other sources
• Acknowledging all contributors and sources appropriately
• Avoiding self-plagiarism by properly citing previous publications

1.2 Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript. All individuals who meet the following criteria should be listed as authors:

• Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
• Drafted the manuscript or revised it critically for important intellectual content
• Provided final approval of the version to be published
• Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors are properly included, have reviewed and approved the final manuscript, and agree to its submission for publication. Honorary or gift authorship is not acceptable. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the acknowledgments section.

1.3 Multiple and Simultaneous Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Work that has been previously published or is under consideration elsewhere should not be submitted to JF Publisher. Authors must disclose any previous publications or submissions that are closely related to the submitted work.

1.4 Data Accuracy and Integrity

Authors must present their research data accurately and honestly. Fabrication or falsification of data is a serious breach of research ethics. All data presented in a manuscript should contain sufficient detail to allow replication and verification of the results.

If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they have an obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in publishing a correction, erratum, or retraction as appropriate.

1.5 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing their research. This includes funding sources, employment relationships, consultancies, stock ownership, and any other potential conflicts of interest. Such disclosures should be included in the manuscript submission.

1.6 Ethical Approval and Research Involving Humans or Animals

Research involving human subjects must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and must have received approval from an appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee. The manuscript should include a statement confirming ethical approval, including the name of the ethics committee and approval number.

Research involving animals must follow appropriate national and international guidelines for animal care and use. Authors should provide details of the ethics approval and confirm that all procedures were conducted humanely and in accordance with relevant regulations.

2. Reviewer Responsibilities

2.1 Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. The content of manuscripts under review should not be shared with others or discussed publicly without explicit permission from the editor. Reviewers should not use information obtained during the review process for their own benefit or advantage.

2.2 Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

Reviews should be conducted objectively and professionally. Reviewers should provide constructive feedback that helps authors improve their manuscripts. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate and should be avoided. Comments should be clear, specific, and supported by evidence or reasoned arguments.

2.3 Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any observation, derivation, or argument that has been previously reported should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. Reviewers should also alert editors to any substantial similarity between the manuscript under consideration and any published work or manuscript under review elsewhere.

2.4 Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts when they have conflicts of interest that could bias their evaluation. This includes personal relationships with the authors, financial interests in the research outcomes, or competitive relationships. If a conflict of interest arises during the review process, reviewers should notify the editor immediately and recuse themselves if necessary.

2.5 Timeliness

Reviewers should complete their reviews in a timely manner. If a reviewer cannot complete the review within the requested timeframe, they should notify the editor promptly so that alternative reviewers can be identified.

3. Editorial Responsibilities

3.1 Editorial Independence and Decision-Making

Editors are responsible for making fair and unbiased decisions about which manuscripts to publish. Editorial decisions should be based solely on the manuscript's scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope. Decisions should not be influenced by the authors' nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal relationships.

Editors should evaluate manuscripts based on peer review reports and their own assessment. The editorial process should be transparent, and authors should be provided with constructive feedback regardless of whether their manuscript is accepted or rejected.

3.2 Confidentiality

Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information about manuscripts should not be disclosed to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and editorial staff unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Editors should not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research without the authors' explicit consent.

3.3 Peer Review Process

Editors are responsible for ensuring a rigorous and fair peer review process. All manuscripts should be reviewed by qualified experts who can provide objective assessments. Editors should select reviewers who are free from conflicts of interest and ensure that the review process is conducted in a timely manner.

The peer review process should be double-blind whenever possible to minimize bias. Editors should respect authors' requests to exclude certain reviewers if there are valid reasons for doing so, but retain the discretion to use those reviewers if their expertise is essential.

3.4 Conflicts of Interest

Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when they have conflicts of interest. This includes manuscripts from colleagues at their institution, collaborators, or individuals with whom they have personal relationships. In such cases, another editor should be assigned to handle the manuscript.

3.5 Responding to Misconduct Allegations

Editors have a responsibility to investigate and address allegations of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, and authorship disputes. Editors should follow COPE guidelines when handling such cases and may consult with the publisher, institutional authorities, or ethics committees as appropriate.

If misconduct is confirmed, editors should take appropriate action, which may include rejecting the manuscript, publishing a correction or retraction, or notifying relevant institutions and authorities.

4. Publication Misconduct

4.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the use of others' ideas, words, data, or work without proper attribution. This includes copying text verbatim without quotation marks, paraphrasing without citation, and presenting others' ideas as one's own. JF Publisher uses plagiarism detection software to identify potential instances of plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected. Authors who commit plagiarism may be prohibited from submitting to JF Publisher for a specified period or indefinitely. Published articles found to contain plagiarism will be retracted with a notice of retraction published in the journal.

4.2 Data Fabrication and Falsification

Fabrication involves creating false data or results. Falsification involves manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data to misrepresent research findings. Both practices are serious forms of research misconduct and are strictly prohibited.

If fabrication or falsification is discovered, the manuscript will be rejected, and the authors may face sanctions including prohibition from future publication with JF Publisher. Published articles will be retracted if such misconduct is confirmed.

4.3 Duplicate and Overlapping Publication

Duplicate publication occurs when authors publish the same work in multiple journals without disclosure. Overlapping publication involves publishing multiple papers that share substantial content without proper cross-referencing. Both practices waste editorial and reviewer resources and can mislead readers.

Authors must inform editors if their manuscript contains material that has been published or is under consideration elsewhere. Legitimate secondary publication is acceptable only with the consent of all parties involved and appropriate disclosure to readers.

4.4 Improper Authorship

Improper authorship includes listing individuals who have not made substantial contributions to the work (gift or honorary authorship) or excluding individuals who have made substantial contributions. Authorship disputes should be resolved before submission, but if they arise during the review or publication process, editors will investigate and may require documentation of each author's contributions.

5. Corrections, Errata, and Retractions

5.1 Corrections and Errata

If minor errors are identified in a published article that do not affect the overall conclusions, a correction or erratum may be published. The correction should be linked to the original article, and the original article should be updated to note that a correction has been published.

5.2 Retractions

Retractions are reserved for articles that contain serious errors or misconduct that invalidate the findings or conclusions. Articles may be retracted if they contain plagiarized material, fabricated or falsified data, represent duplicate publication, or violate ethical standards.

When an article is retracted, a retraction notice is published explaining the reason for the retraction. The retracted article remains in the journal but is clearly marked as retracted. The retraction notice is linked to the original article, and the article is linked to the retraction notice.

5.3 Expressions of Concern

In cases where there are concerns about the validity of published work, but the investigation is ongoing or inconclusive, editors may publish an expression of concern. This alerts readers to potential issues while the matter is being investigated.

6. Complaints and Appeals

6.1 Editorial Decisions

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should first contact the handling editor or editor-in-chief to discuss their concerns. Appeals should include a detailed explanation of why the authors believe the decision was inappropriate, along with any supporting evidence.

The editor-in-chief will review the appeal, considering the original reviews and the authors' arguments. The editor may seek additional independent opinions if necessary. The decision on appeals is final, and priority will be given to new submissions over appeals.

6.2 Publication Ethics Complaints

Complaints regarding research misconduct, reviewer conduct, or editorial conduct should be directed to the editor-in-chief. All complaints will be taken seriously and investigated according to COPE guidelines. Complainants will be informed of the outcome of the investigation and any actions taken.

If complainants are not satisfied with the handling of their complaint, they may escalate the matter to the publisher or submit their complaint to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

6.3 Process and Timeline Complaints

Complaints about delays in the review or publication process should be directed to the editor-in-chief. The editor will investigate the matter and provide appropriate feedback to the complainant. Feedback will also be provided to relevant stakeholders to improve processes and prevent similar issues in the future.

7. Copyright and Intellectual Property

7.1 Copyright Transfer

Authors are required to sign a copyright transfer agreement before their work is published. This agreement confirms that the work is original and has not been published elsewhere. For open access publications, authors retain copyright but grant the publisher a license to publish and distribute the work.

7.2 Permissions and Third-Party Material

Authors must obtain permission to reproduce any copyrighted material, including figures, tables, images, and substantial quotations from other sources. Written permission from the copyright holder must be obtained before submission. Authors are responsible for any fees associated with obtaining permissions.

8. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

JF Publisher is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the publication process. We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic.

We strive to ensure diverse representation among our editorial boards, reviewers, and authors. All manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively, regardless of the authors' backgrounds. We encourage the use of inclusive language in all publications and discourage stereotyping or discriminatory content.

9. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

JF Publisher encourages authors to make their research data available to support transparency and reproducibility. Authors should be prepared to provide access to data underlying their research findings or explain why such data cannot be made available (for example, due to ethical or privacy concerns).

When data cannot be shared publicly, authors should provide a clear statement explaining the restrictions and, where possible, describe how interested researchers can apply for access to the data. Data availability statements should be included in published articles to inform readers about how to access supporting data.

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

JF Publisher recognizes that AI tools can assist in the research and writing process. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their work. The use of AI tools should be disclosed in the manuscript.

AI tools may be used to improve readability, check grammar, or assist with data analysis. However, AI cannot be listed as an author, as only humans can take responsibility for the content and integrity of the work. Authors must carefully review and verify all AI-generated content before submission.

The use of AI to generate images, manipulate data, or create fabricated content is strictly prohibited. Any use of AI in the research or writing process must be clearly disclosed, including the specific tool used and how it was applied.

Conclusion

JF Publisher is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We expect all authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold these principles and to conduct themselves professionally and responsibly throughout the publication process.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines, we can ensure that published research is trustworthy, credible, and contributes meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge. Any questions or concerns about publication ethics should be directed to the editorial office.

Contact Information

For questions or concerns regarding publication ethics, please contact:

JF Publisher Editorial Team

Email: editor@jfpublisher.com