Publishing Ethics

 

 

ETHICAL GUIDELINE

 

Novel Explorations in Computational Science and Behavioral Management (NECSBM) follows Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and complies with the highest ethical standards in accordance with ethical laws.

 

The main guidelines are summarized in the guide to ethical editing from COPE.

 

Ethical issues in scientific publication:

 

     Plagiarism

 

     Redundant publication (dual publication)

 

     Self-plagiarism (sometimes also known as text recycling)

 

     Authorship issues

 

     Coercive citation

 

     Defamation/libel

 

     Fabricated data

 

     Unethical research and testing

 

     Conflicts of interest

 

Basic principles

 

Authors who submit work to us guarantee the following:

 

The article/chapter is original;

 

 The work has not been submitted elsewhere and is not under consideration by any other publication;

 

 The work contains no libelous, defamatory or unlawful statements;

 

 Permission has been obtained for any third party material;

 

 Proof of consent has been obtained for all named individuals or organizations;

 

 Authorship has been agreed prior to submission and no one has been "gifted" authorship or denied credit as an author (“ghost authorship”)

 

Erratum: This generally refers to a production error that occurred during publication. When an erratum is issued, it appears in the abstract of the online version of the article to ensure full visibility. The erratum will also appear in the hard copy of the next volume or issue of the publication.

 

Corrigendum: This generally refers to an error or oversight made by the author prior to submitting the paper to the publication. If a corrigendum is issued, it will appear in the abstract of the online version of the article to ensure full visibility. The erratum will also appear in the hard copy of the next volume or issue of the publication.

 

Note of clarification: A note of clarification is used when a point in the text needs to be emphasized or clarified, but it does not constitute a correction.

 

Please note that any correction must be marked as an erratum, corrigendum or note of clarification and the text cannot be amended. This is to ensure that readers are aware of any changes in the text that they may cite or refer to in their subsequent research.

 

Expression of concern: In cases where a conclusion is unclear or where we are unable to make a fair decision due to conflicts of interest or lack of information, we will publish an expression of concern about the paper. An expression of concern will appear on the online version of the article at the abstract level so that they are visible to all readers, including non-subscribers. Please note that for legal reasons, or where an article or chapter is used as evidence in an independent hearing, we may not be able to take action until all issues have been fully resolved. Please also note that the NECSBM reserves the right not to pursue a case further if the complainant provides a false name or affiliation, or behaves in an inappropriate or threatening manner towards NECSBM editors and staff.

 

Plagiarism NECSBM requires that all research submitted to journals be original, and the author agrees to these terms upon assignment and acceptance. Please refer to the Originality Guidelines for the procedures the NECSBM follows in cases of alleged plagiarism in submitted or published articles.

 

Redundant publication (also known as dual/duplicate publication): The NECSBM follows the decision of the Publication Ethics Committee in cases of alleged redundant publication in submitted or published articles. The repetition of research results is only permitted if it leads to different or new conclusions or to comparisons with new data. In all cases, it is important to reference the previously published work.

 

Authorship issues: For papers involving multiple authors, it is important that all authors who have made a significant contribution to the paper are listed. Those who provided support but did not contribute to the research should be acknowledged in an acknowledgements section.

 

There are three main types of authorship issues:

 

·       The exclusion of a contributor from the list of authors

·       The inclusion of a named person who has not contributed to the paper or does not wish to be associated with the research

·       The order of authors on the paper and the level of their contribution to the paper.

 

NECSBM will endeavor to find a solution to a dispute over authorship. However, as the research process takes place before the paper is submitted to the journal, it is not possible for it or the editors to comment on the level of each author's contribution.

 

If the matter cannot be resolved, the journal will refer the matter to the authors' institutions.

 

If all authors agree to a change in authorship, this will be submitted as a corrigendum. A retraction notice will only be published if all authors wish to do so.

 

Coercive citation: During the peer review process, it is common for authors to be referred by reviewers to papers that further develop and improve the author’s ideas.

 

While there may be legitimate occasions when it is necessary to reference other publications, NECSBM regards ‘coercive citation’ (i.e., when a reference is included as a condition of acceptance or without academic justification) to be unethical and does not condone this type of behavior. NECSBM is an advocate of both author freedom and editorial independence.

 

While there may be legitimate occasions when it is necessary to reference other publications, NECSBM regards ‘coercive citation’ (i.e., when a reference is included as a condition of acceptance or without academic justification) to be unethical and does not condone this type of behavior. NECSBM is an advocate of both author freedom and editorial independence.

 

Defamation/libel: The NECSBM requires that authors obtain written "proof of consent" for studies on named organizations or individuals. If inaccurate, unsubstantiated or emotive statements are made about organizations or individuals in a submitted paper, the NECSBM reserves the right to request changes to the text from the author or to reject the paper prior to publication. Critiques and reviews of products and services are permitted, but comments must be constructive and not malicious. In some cases, and if legally required, the paper will be withdrawn from the online version of the journal or book. An apology will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal or volume of the book.

 

NECSBM will advise all authors of case studies to inform the subject (individual or organization) and to seek permission. If the journal considers that the study could be potentially libelous, we will require written proof of consent before placing the paper into the production process.

 

Fabricated data: In cases of fabricated data in submitted or published articles, NECSBM act as what decided by its Committee on Publication Ethics. We will endeavor to facilitate a resolution and, if necessary, refer the matter to the authors' institutions when appropriate.

 

Unethical research and testing: An author must comply with the appropriate international and national procedures relating to data protection and privacy rights. Authors must provide the editors and publishers of NECSBM with all consent forms and the necessary forms from the relevant regulatory authorities. The journal encourages all authors to show how their research contributes to the benefit of society.

 

Conflict of interest: All conflicts of interest should be declared by the author, editor or reviewer.

 

Conflicts of interest include:

 

    A financial or personal interest in the research findings;

    Undisclosed financial support of the research by an interested third party;

    A financial or personal interest in the suppression of the research;

 

If a conflict of interest is suspected, this should be disclosed to the editor of the NECSBM. Concerns about an editor should be brought to the attention of the Shandiz Institute of Higher Education.

 

In all cases, the NECSBM:

 

Act professionally and efficiently

 

·       Be fair and objective

·       Always approach the accused party to establish their position before we make a decision or commit to a course of action.

·       Ensure that we give all parties sufficient time to respond

·       Keep all parties informed of decisions, including copyright owners, editors and authors

·       It is the responsibility of the NECSBM to protect the moral rights of authors (to be acknowledged as an author and not to be misrepresented) and to ensure the accurate recording of literature.

 

The NECSBM reserves the right to withdraw and rescind any acceptance should a case of ethical misconduct be discovered prior to publication.

 

It will not be possible to please all parties in every case. After a fair and thoughtful process, the final decision in any disputed case rests with the editor and the NECSBM.

 

Guidelines on originality

 

It is the policy of the NECSBM Editorial Board to welcome submissions for consideration which are original and not under consideration for any other publication at the same time.

 

All authors should be aware of the importance of presenting content that is based on their own research and expressed in their own words. Plagiarism is considered to be bad practice and unethical. As part of the NECSBM Copyright Policy, we have developed these guidelines to help authors understand acceptable and unacceptable practices. Our approach is specifically designed to promote and protect the work of authors.

 

The following types of plagiarism should be avoided:

 

Verbatim copying: Verbatim copying of more than 10 percent (or a significant passage or section of text) of another person's work without acknowledgement, references or the use of quotation marks.

 

Paraphrasing: Improper paraphrasing of another person's work occurs when more than one sentence within a paragraph or section of text has been changed or sentences have been rearranged without proper attribution. Substantial improper paraphrasing (more than 10 percent of a work) without proper attribution will be taken as seriously as verbatim copying.

 

Re-using parts of a work without attribution: The reuse of elements of another's work, e.g. an illustration, a figure, table or a paragraph, without acknowledgment, a reference or the use of quotation marks. It is incumbent on the author to obtain the necessary permission to reuse elements of another person's work from the copyright holder.

 

Self-plagiarism: The NECSBM requires all authors to sign a copyright form clearly stating that the work they are submitting has not yet been published before. If elements of a paper have already been published in another publication, the author must acknowledge the earlier work and state how the subsequent work differs from and builds on the research and conclusions of the earlier work. Verbatim copying of an author's own work and paraphrasing is not acceptable. We recommend that research findings are only reused if they support new conclusions. We recommend that authors cite all earlier stages of publication and presentation of their ideas that culminated in the final paper, including conference papers, workshop presentations, and listserv communications. This will ensure that a complete record of all communication related to the work is documented.

 

Republication of original work: Original papers are only published in NECSBM with a few exceptions. These exceptions include conference papers, archival papers that are republished in an anniversary or commemorative issue, and papers that are of particular value and have had limited distribution (e.g. via a company newsletter). The republication of these contributions is at the discretion of the editor. The original work is fully and correctly attributed and permission is obtained from the relevant copyright holder. Archive content that has been found to have been republished in the past will be credited.

 

Attribution: References to other publications must be made in APA style for NECSBM. All references should be carefully checked for completeness, accuracy and consistency. You should include all author names and initials as well as the full title of the journal.

 

If you are referring to another author's ideas or research, you should cite the publications in the text using the first author's name in one of two ways:

 

     The value of individualism emphasizes an 'I' orientation (Wheeler, 2002).

 

Or

 

     Wheeler (2002) states that the value of individualism emphasizes an 'I' orientation. When copying parts of a sentence verbatim, always use quotation marks and correctly cite the original author. Example:

 

     Wheeler (2002) states that "the value of individualism emphasizes an 'I' orientation". If you copy a section of text verbatim, always indent the paragraph. Example: Wheeler (2002) claims that:

 

Masculinity/femininity is another important value related to differences between cultures. In strongly masculine societies, the dominant values in society are material success and progress, and men are supposed to be assertive, ambitious and tough. In feminine societies, the dominant values are caring for others, and people and warm relationships are important.

 

If no author is given, use 'Anon'.

 

An alphabetically arranged references should be given at the end of the paper:

 

For books: Surname, initials, (year), title of book, publisher, place of publication, e.g. Fallbright, A. and Khan, G. (2001), Competing Strategies, Outhouse Press, Rochester.

 

For book chapters: Surname, initials, (year), "chapter title", editor's surname, initials, title of book, publisher, place of publication, pages, e.g. Bessley, M. and Wilson, P. (1999), "Marketing for the production manager", in Levicki, J. (Ed.), Taking the Blinkers off Managers, Broom Relm, London, pp.29-33.

 

For journals: Surname, initials, (year), "title of article", name of journal name, volume, number, pages, e.g. Greenwald, E. (2000), "Empowered to serve", Management Decision, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 6-10.

 

Treat conference proceedings in the same way that you would a journal article, but insert the full conference title and dates where the journal title would normally appear.

 

For websites: Surname, initials (year), "title of the cited work", available at: Website link (accessed on the relevant date), e.g. Smith, R. (2004), "Managerial roles and coping responses", available at http://www.managerial.roles.coping.responses/ (accessed June 29, 2005). If the author's name is not given, begin with the title of the cited work.

 

Handling allegations of plagiarism: The NECSBM is committed to upholding academic integrity and protecting the moral rights of authors. We take all cases of plagiarism very seriously. The NECSBM is also aware of the potential impact that an allegation of plagiarism can have on a researcher's career. We therefore have procedures in place for dealing with alleged cases of plagiarism.

 

If we are approached by a third party approaches us with an allegation of plagiarism, we will always seek a response from the original author(s) or copyright holder(s) before deciding on our next course of action. We will not be influenced by other parties and will make our decisions impartially and objectively.

 

The NECSBM is not obliged to discuss individual cases of alleged plagiarism with third parties. The NECSBM reserves the right not to pursue a case if the complainant provides a false name or affiliation or behaves in an inappropriate or threatening manner towards NECSBM editors and staff of the NECSBM.