Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

JOECSA is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity in all aspects of its editorial and publishing processes. The journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and follows COPE's Guidelines on Good Publication Practice to prevent, identify, and address research and publication misconduct. pkp.sfu+2

Authors are expected to submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal. Plagiarism in any form—including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution, or self-plagiarism (duplicate publication)—is strictly prohibited. Authors must ensure the accuracy and completeness of their data, avoid fabrication or falsification of results, and refrain from inappropriate image manipulation that misrepresents findings. pkp.sfu+2

Editors are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, ensuring fair and unbiased peer review, and making publication decisions based solely on scientific merit, originality, and relevance. Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists. pkp.sfu+2

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents, declare any conflicts of interest, and provide objective, constructive evaluations based on evidence and expertise. Reviewers should not use unpublished data or ideas from manuscripts for their own purposes without explicit author permission.sajip.co

JOECSA employs plagiarism-detection software (e.g., iThenticate, Turnitin) to screen all submissions. Cases of suspected misconduct—including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, image manipulation, or unethical authorship—are investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts and may result in manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification of the authors' institutions. pkp.sfu+2

This ethics statement aligns with PMC's expectations for robust ethical oversight and demonstrates JOECSA's commitment to trustworthy, transparent scholarly publishing. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+2