Authors
Responsible for originality, accuracy, ethical approval, authorship transparency and proper citation.
COPE-Aligned Ethical Publishing Framework for Scholarly Integrity
International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology (IJACST) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic honesty, research integrity and scholarly accountability.
The journal follows internationally recognized ethical publishing principles inspired by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), responsible editorial governance practices, transparent peer-review standards and long-term protection of the scholarly record.
Editors
Responsible for fair evaluation, confidentiality, conflict management and editorial independence.
Reviewers
Responsible for objective, confidential, timely and constructive scholarly assessment.
Publisher
Responsible for policy transparency, metadata accuracy, preservation and editorial independence support.
Purpose of the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Publication ethics is not a single policy. It is a complete academic responsibility shared by authors, editors, reviewers, publisher, readers, institutions, research supervisors and funding bodies.
Plagiarism
Duplicate Publication
Data Fabrication
Image Manipulation
Unethical Authorship
Undisclosed Conflict
Peer-Review Manipulation
AI Misuse
Protecting the Accuracy, Trust and Permanence of the Scholarly Record
IJACST treats every manuscript as part of the permanent academic record. Therefore, each article must be original, ethically prepared, methodologically sound, properly cited and transparent in authorship, funding and research conduct.
Truthful Reporting
Research findings must be presented honestly, accurately and without misleading manipulation.
Transparent Decisions
Editorial decisions must follow responsible governance, peer review and ethical evaluation.
Confidential Peer Review
Submitted manuscripts and reviewer comments must be handled as confidential academic material.
Post-Publication Accountability
The journal corrects the scholarly record when errors or misconduct are identified.
Originality, Accountability and Responsible Research Reporting
Authors submitting to IJACST must ensure that the manuscript is original, unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere.
Submit original work only
Give proper citation
Avoid self-plagiarism
Declare funding sources
Disclose conflicts
Obtain ethical approval
Respect copyright
Correct errors honestly
Zero-Tolerance Approach to Academic Misconduct
IJACST maintains strict standards against plagiarism and copied content. Manuscripts must be written in the authors’ own scholarly voice and must properly acknowledge all borrowed ideas, data, images, tables, text, theories and previous studies.
Direct and Mosaic Plagiarism
Copied text, close paraphrasing or patchwork writing without proper citation is not acceptable.
Self-Plagiarism
Reusing previous work without proper disclosure or citation may lead to rejection.
Salami Slicing
Dividing one study into multiple weak fragments to inflate publications is prohibited.
AI-Fabricated Content
AI-generated copied references, false claims or fabricated academic content are not accepted.
No Fabrication, Falsification or Misleading Presentation
Authors must present research data honestly and accurately. Data fabrication, falsification or selective reporting is a serious form of research misconduct.
No Fabricated Data
Invented datasets, false experiments and unsupported field data are not permitted.
No Manipulated Results
Misleading statistical reporting or selective deletion of results is prohibited.
No Image Manipulation
Graphs, images, maps or visuals must not be altered to mislead readers.
Raw Data May Be Requested
Authors may be asked for raw data, survey tools, consent records or supporting materials.
Credit Must Reflect Real Scholarly Contribution
Authorship should be limited to individuals who made a meaningful intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation or writing of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version and accept accountability for the content.
Financial, Personal, Institutional and Academic Transparency
Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose any conflict of interest that may influence, or appear to influence, research, review or editorial decision-making.
Funding Support
Employment Relationship
Consultancy
Institutional Pressure
Personal Relationship
Patent or Commercial Interest
Responsible AI Assistance and Human Accountability
IJACST recognizes that authors may use digital tools for grammar checking, formatting, translation support, language improvement or data organization. However, AI tools cannot replace scholarly responsibility.
Verification Required
AI-assisted content must be fact-checked by human authors.
No Fabricated References
Invented citations, false DOI links and fake sources are not accepted.
Disclosure Expected
Relevant AI assistance should be disclosed according to journal requirements.
No AI Authorship
AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot accept accountability.
Fair, Independent and Confidential Editorial Governance
Editors are responsible for protecting the fairness and credibility of the publication process. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by commercial gain, institutional pressure, personal relationship or author identity.
Fair Evaluation
Manuscripts are evaluated based on academic merit and ethical compliance.
Confidentiality
Submitted manuscript details are protected throughout editorial processing.
Editorial Independence
Academic decisions remain separate from publisher or commercial influence.
Record Correction
Editors may issue corrections, concerns or retractions when required.
Confidential, Objective and Constructive Peer Review
Reviewers play a central role in maintaining academic quality. Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and provide timely, respectful and evidence-based feedback.
Objectivity
Reviews must be supported by clear academic reasoning, not personal criticism.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts must not be shared, discussed or used before publication.
Conflict Disclosure
Reviewers must decline review if a conflict of interest exists.
Constructive Feedback
Comments should help editors decide and help authors improve the manuscript.
Technical, Ethical and Archival Responsibility
UnivColl Publications, as publisher, supports the ethical and technical environment in which IJACST operates. The publisher’s role is to strengthen trust, not to override editorial judgment.
Policy Transparency
Editorial Independence
DOI Accuracy
Metadata Accuracy
Record Preservation
Complaint Support
Ethical Approval, Consent and Welfare Protection
Research involving human participants, personal data, clinical information, vulnerable groups, educational subjects, community-based surveys or animal subjects must follow relevant ethical standards.
Human Subjects
Institutional ethics approval, informed consent, privacy protection and data anonymization may be required.
Animal Subjects
Animal research must confirm appropriate ethical clearance and humane treatment standards.
Protection of Participants, Institutions and Sensitive Data
Authors must protect confidential information collected from individuals, schools, colleges, companies, communities, hospitals or institutions. IJACST does not permit publication of identifiable personal information without proper consent.
Names
Photographs
Medical Details
Student Records
Institutional Records
Location-Sensitive Data
Honest Acknowledgment of Scholarly Sources
References must be accurate, relevant and honestly used. Citation manipulation weakens academic credibility and may result in rejection or post-publication action.
No Fake References
Fabricated references, false DOI links and misleading citations are prohibited.
No Citation Padding
Irrelevant citations and excessive self-citation weaken scholarly quality.
No Citation Cartels
Coordinated citation manipulation or forced citation pressure is unethical.
Protecting the Journal from Systematic Publishing Fraud
IJACST is committed to preventing organized publication malpractice, including paper mill submissions, fake reviewer identities, fabricated affiliations and manipulated peer review.
Fake Reviewer Identity
Suspicious Email Domains
Template-Based Manuscripts
Fabricated Affiliations
AI-Fake References
Duplicate Submission Patterns
Corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retractions
IJACST recognizes that post-publication action may be required when serious concerns arise. The purpose of these actions is to protect the scholarly record and inform readers accurately.
Correction / Corrigendum
Issued when an honest error is identified but the overall findings remain reliable.
Expression of Concern
Issued when serious concerns exist but investigation is incomplete or evidence remains unresolved.
Retraction
Issued when reliability is seriously compromised or confirmed misconduct affects the article.
Evidence-Based Investigation and Due Process
When a concern is raised, IJACST follows a fair and documented process. Confidentiality is maintained during investigation as far as possible.
Preliminary Assessment
Initial review of concern, article identity, evidence and policy relevance.
Evidence Collection
Collection of supporting documents, similarity reports, data concerns or institutional details.
Author Communication
Corresponding author may be contacted for explanation or supporting material.
Editorial Consultation
Editors, reviewers or institutions may be consulted where necessary.
Final Editorial Action
Correction, concern notice, retraction or no action may be issued based on evidence.
Transparent Channel for Publication Integrity Concerns
Authors, reviewers, readers and institutions may submit complaints or ethical concerns regarding editorial process, peer-review fairness, plagiarism, authorship disputes, data concerns, citation manipulation, conflict of interest or post-publication errors.
Include These Details
- Article title
- DOI or manuscript ID
- Clear description of concern
- Supporting evidence
- Contact details
- Institutional details, if relevant
Official Ethics Communication
editor@ijacst.com
Subject Line:
Publication Ethics Concern – [Article Title / DOI]
Long-Term Protection of Published Scholarship
IJACST supports long-term preservation of the scholarly record through stable article pages, metadata continuity, DOI-linked citation identity and archival access.
Publication History
Correction Notices
Retraction Notices
Metadata Continuity
No Silent Deletion
DOI Traceability
Frequently Asked Questions
Publication Ethics and Malpractice FAQ
Does IJACST follow COPE principles?
Yes. IJACST follows publication ethics principles inspired by COPE core practices and international scholarly publishing standards.
What is considered plagiarism?
Plagiarism includes copying text, ideas, data, images, tables or interpretations without proper citation. Self-plagiarism and duplicate publication are also prohibited.
Who qualifies as an author?
Only individuals who made substantial scholarly contributions and accept responsibility for the manuscript should be listed as authors.
Are conflicts of interest mandatory to disclose?
Yes. Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose financial, personal, institutional or academic relationships that may influence objectivity.
Does IJACST allow AI-generated manuscripts?
AI tools may be used only responsibly for limited assistance. Authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, references and disclosure.
What happens if misconduct is found after publication?
The journal may issue a correction, expression of concern or retraction depending on the seriousness and evidence.
Building Trust Through Transparency, Accountability and Integrity
IJACST is committed to strengthening academic trust through transparent policies, responsible editorial governance, accountable scholarly publishing and long-term protection of the scholarly record.