Publication Ethics & Misconduct
The Journal of Intelligent and Sustainable Systems (JISS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We follow the core practices and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record.
1. Duties of Authors
Authors submitting to JISS must certify that their work meets the following ethical standards:
- Originality & Integrity: Manuscripts must be entirely original and free from plagiarism. Verbatim copying or paraphrasing of others' work must be clearly cited.
- Authorship Criteria: All listed authors must meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship. A CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) statement must be provided to accurately reflect each author’s contribution.
- Conflict of Interest: Authors are required to disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as biasing their work.
- Data Access & Retention: In the interest of transparency, authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review, consistent with the ALPSP-STM statement on Data and Databases.
2. Duties of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play a critical role in maintaining scientific rigor. Their duties include:
- Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with unauthorized parties.
- Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted naturally and without personal bias. Comments should be constructive and supported by evidence.
- Promptness: Reviewers should notify the editor and decline the invitation if they feel unqualified or cannot complete the review within the 4–6 week window.
3. Duties of Editors
The Editorial Board ensures the fairness and quality of the publication process:
- Editorial Independence: Decisions to accept or reject a manuscript are based solely on scientific merit and original contribution, independent of the publisher’s commercial interests.
- Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff will not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors and assigned reviewers.
- Recusal & Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors.
4. Dealing with Misconduct
JISS takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously and follows the formal COPE Flowcharts for investigations.
- Investigation: Confirmed violations—including plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical research—will result in immediate rejection or formal Retraction according to COPE guidelines.
- Communication: The journal will maintain transparent communication with authors and, if necessary, their respective institutions during an investigation.
- Permanence of the Record: Retracted articles will be clearly labeled as such and will remain in the digital archive to maintain the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.