Ethics and Policies

The International Journal of Computing and Digital Systems (IJCDS) is committed to promoting the highest standards of ethical conduct in scientific research and publishing. To this end, the journal adheres to the following principles of ethical behavior:

  • Originality: The journal expects all submitted articles to be original, unpublished works that are not under consideration elsewhere. Authors should acknowledge and cite the works of others where necessary and should not engage in any form of plagiarism or academic misconduct.
  • Data integrity: The journal expects authors to report their research findings accurately and honestly, and to provide complete and transparent descriptions of their methods and data. Authors should ensure that their data is reliable and reproducible and should adhere to the relevant ethical guidelines for their field of research.
  • Authorship: The journal expects authors to accurately report the contributions of all individuals who have participated in the research and writing process, and to obtain their consent for inclusion as authors. Authors should not engage in any form of gift or ghost authorship.
  • Peer review: The journal uses a rigorous peer-review process to evaluate the quality and validity of all submitted articles. Reviewers are expected to provide constructive and unbiased feedback, and to maintain the confidentiality of the review process.
  • Similarity check: The journal uses iThenticate similarity check to screen all submitted articles for potential instances of plagiarism or duplication. The maximum allowed similarity rate is 15%, and any articles that exceed this threshold will be subject to further scrutiny.

By adhering to these ethical principles, the IJCDS aims to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity and to promote the advancement of knowledge in the field of computing and digital systems.

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Duties of Editors:

  1. Fair play and editorial independence: Editors have a responsibility to ensure that the journal operates with fairness and integrity, and that all submissions are considered objectively, without discrimination or bias. Specifically, editors must:
    • Evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual merit and without regard to race, gender, religion, nationality, or other personal characteristics.
    • Ensure that the peer review process is rigorous and impartial.
    • Avoid conflicts of interest in their editorial decisions.
  2. Confidentiality: Editors have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and the peer review process. Specifically, editors must:
    • Keep all manuscripts and their contents confidential, except in cases where it is necessary to seek expert advice or to involve other editors in the review process.
    • Ensure that reviewers maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and the review process.
  3. Disclosure and conflicts of interests: Editors have a responsibility to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their editorial decisions. Specifically, editors must:
    • Disclose any personal or financial relationships that may affect their editorial decisions.
    • Recuse themselves from the review process if they have a conflict of interest.
  4. Publication decisions: Editors have a responsibility to make decisions on publication based on the quality and originality of the work, its importance to the field, and its relevance to the journal’s scope. Specifically, editors must:
    • Make decisions on publication based solely on the manuscript’s scientific and technical merit and its suitability for the journal.
    • Ensure that all published articles meet the journal’s standards for quality and originality.
  5. Involvement and cooperation in investigations: Editors have a responsibility to investigate any allegations of misconduct or ethical violations related to published or submitted manuscripts. Specifically, editors must:
    • Cooperate with investigations into alleged misconduct, including providing relevant documents and information to the appropriate authorities.
    • Take appropriate action, such as retracting articles or issuing corrections, if misconduct or ethical violations are discovered.

Overall, the editor has a responsibility to ensure that the journal operates with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and that all stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, are aware of and adhere to these standards.

Duties of Reviewers:

  1. Contribution to editorial decisions: Reviewers have a responsibility to provide a thoughtful and constructive assessment of the manuscript and contribute to the editorial decision-making process. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Provide a detailed and unbiased evaluation of the manuscript’s scientific and technical merit and its suitability for the journal.
    • Offer suggestions for improvement that will strengthen the manuscript.
  2. Promptness: Reviewers have a responsibility to complete their reviews in a timely manner. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Notify the editor immediately if they are unable to complete the review within the given time frame.
    • Complete the review within the agreed-upon time frame to ensure that the publication process is not delayed.
  3. Confidentiality: Reviewers have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and the peer review process. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Keep all manuscripts and their contents confidential, except in cases where it is necessary to seek expert advice or to involve other reviewers in the review process.
    • Ensure that any information regarding the manuscript or the review process is not disclosed to others without the editor’s permission.
  4. Standards of objectivity: Reviewers have a responsibility to provide an objective and impartial assessment of the manuscript. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Evaluate the manuscript solely on its intellectual merit and without regard to race, gender, religion, nationality, or other personal characteristics.
    • Ensure that their own personal biases do not affect their evaluation of the manuscript.
  5. Acknowledgment of sources: Reviewers have a responsibility to ensure that authors have acknowledged all sources used in their manuscript. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Check that all references cited in the manuscript are relevant, accurate, and complete.
    • Notify the editor of any concerns regarding the use of sources in the manuscript.
  6. Disclosure and conflict of interest: Reviewers have a responsibility to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their review of the manuscript. Specifically, reviewers must:
    • Disclose any personal or financial relationships that may affect their ability to provide an unbiased evaluation of the manuscript.
    • Recuse themselves from the review process if they have a conflict of interest.

Overall, reviewers have a responsibility to ensure that the journal operates with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and that all stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, are aware of and adhere to these standards.

Duties of Authors:

  1. Data access and retention: Authors have a responsibility to provide access to the data underlying their manuscript and retain the data for a reasonable period of time after publication. Specifically, authors must:
    • Provide a detailed description of the data and methods used in the manuscript.
    • Provide access to the data and methods used in the manuscript, as requested by the editor or reviewers.
    • Retain the data and methods used in the manuscript for a reasonable period of time after publication.
  2. Originality and plagiarism: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that their manuscript is original and does not contain any plagiarized material. Specifically, authors must:
    • Ensure that all work presented in the manuscript is original and has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
    • Ensure that all sources used in the manuscript are properly cited and acknowledged.
  3. Multiple, duplicate, redundant or concurrent submission/publication: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that their manuscript is not under consideration for publication or published elsewhere. Specifically, authors must:
    • Ensure that the manuscript is not under consideration for publication or published elsewhere.
    • Ensure that the manuscript is not submitted to multiple journals simultaneously.
    • Declare any previous publication or submission of the manuscript to the editor.
  4. Authorship of the manuscript: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that all individuals who have contributed significantly to the manuscript are acknowledged as authors. Specifically, authors must:
    • Ensure that all individuals who have made significant contributions to the manuscript are listed as authors.
    • Ensure that all authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to its submission for publication.
  5. Disclosure and conflicts of interest: Authors have a responsibility to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their manuscript. Specifically, authors must:
    • Disclose any personal or financial relationships that may affect their research or the interpretation of their results.
    • Ensure that any potential conflicts of interest are properly acknowledged in the manuscript.
  1. Acknowledgment of sources: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that all sources used in the manuscript are properly cited and acknowledged. Specifically, authors must:
    • Ensure that all sources used in the manuscript are properly cited and acknowledged.
    • Ensure that any previously published material used in the manuscript is properly cited and acknowledged.
  2. Hazards and human or animal subjects: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that any hazards or ethical issues related to their research are properly addressed. Specifically, authors must:
    • Ensure that any hazards related to their research are properly identified and addressed.
    • Ensure that any research involving human or animal subjects is conducted in accordance with ethical standards and is properly approved by the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee.
  3. Peer review: Authors have a responsibility to participate in the peer review process. Specifically, authors must:
    • Respond to the editor’s requests for revisions or clarifications in a timely and constructive manner.
    • Address all reviewer comments and suggestions, and provide a detailed explanation for any changes made to the manuscript.
  4. Fundamental errors in published works: Authors have a responsibility to ensure that any errors in their published work are promptly corrected. Specifically, authors must:
    • Notify the editor of any errors or inaccuracies in their published work.
    • Cooperate with the editor to promptly correct any errors or inaccuracies in their published work.

Duties of the Publisher:

  1. Access to Journal’s content: The publisher has a responsibility to ensure that the journal’s content is accessible to all interested parties. Specifically, the publisher must:
    • Ensure that the journal’s content is available in a timely and reliable manner.
    • Ensure that the journal’s content is accessible to all interested parties, regardless of their geographical location or financial status.
  2. Publishing Ethics: The publisher has a responsibility to uphold high standards of publishing ethics. Specifically, the publisher must:
    • Ensure that the journal’s editorial policies and procedures are transparent, fair, and unbiased.
    • Ensure that the journal’s content is free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or any other form of scientific misconduct.
    • Ensure that the journal’s content is peer-reviewed by qualified experts in the field.
    • Ensure that the journal’s content adheres to ethical standards related to the use of human or animal subjects in research.
  1. Ethical responsibilities for authors: The publisher has a responsibility to ensure that authors adhere to ethical standards in their research and writing. Specifically, the publisher must:
    • Ensure that authors disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their research or the interpretation of their results.
    • Ensure that authors properly acknowledge and cite all sources used in their research.
    • Ensure that authors obtain the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee approval for any research involving human or animal subjects.
    • Ensure that authors adhere to the highest standards of scientific integrity and avoid any form of scientific misconduct in their research or writing.