PUBLICATION ETHICS & MALPRACTICE STATEMENT
Open Arc Journal of Research and Innovation (OAJRI) follows the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1. Duties of the Editor-in-Chief
Fair Review The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts receive fair, unbiased, and timely peer review regardless of the author's race, gender, nationality, religious belief, or institutional affiliation.
Confidentiality The Editor-in-Chief and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher as appropriate.
Conflict of Interest The Editor-in-Chief must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest, including personal, financial, or professional relationships with the authors.
Publication Decisions The Editor-in-Chief holds sole responsibility for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication, guided by the journal's policies and constrained by legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright, and plagiarism.
2. Duties of Reviewers
Confidentiality Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents and must not share or discuss them with others without authorization from the editor.
Objectivity Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly and support them with evidence.
Conflict of Interest Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the manuscript.
Acknowledgment of Sources Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors. They should also alert the editor to any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and any other published work.
3. Duties of Authors
Originality and Plagiarism Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original. Any work or words of others must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
Multiple Submission Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting the same research in multiple journals is unethical and unacceptable.
Authorship Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission.
Acknowledgment of Funding All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed in the manuscript.
Data Integrity Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Fabrication or falsification of data constitutes unethical behavior and is grounds for rejection or retraction.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the reported work.
Errors in Published Work If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in either retracting or correcting the article.
4. Plagiarism Policy
OAJRI uses plagiarism detection software to screen all submitted manuscripts. The following thresholds apply:
| Similarity Level | Action Taken |
|---|---|
| Below 15% | Generally acceptable |
| 15% – 25% | Author asked to revise and reduce similarity |
| Above 25% | Manuscript rejected |
Self-plagiarism, including republishing the author's own previously published work without proper citation, is also considered a violation of publication ethics.
5. Corrections and Retractions
Corrections If a published article contains a minor error that does not affect the conclusions, the journal will publish a correction notice linked to the original article.
Retractions If a published article is found to contain major errors, fabricated data, or plagiarized content, the journal will retract the article in accordance with COPE retraction guidelines. A retraction notice will be published and linked to the original article, clearly stating the reason for retraction.
Expressions of Concern If an investigation into suspected misconduct is ongoing, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern pending the outcome.
6. Human and Animal Rights
Research involving human subjects must have been conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors must state in their manuscript that informed consent was obtained from all human participants. Research involving animals must comply with institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals.
7. Complaints and Appeals
Any complaints regarding editorial decisions, reviewer conduct, or publication ethics should be directed to the editorial office at editor@openarcjournal.com. All complaints will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.
