Publication Ethics

International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and publishers—are expected to follow ethical principles to ensure the integrity of scholarly research.

1. Duties of Authors

Authors submitting to IJIR must:

  • Ensure originality – Submissions must be original, unpublished, and free from plagiarism. Any use of previous work must be properly cited.
  • Avoid multiple submissions – Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest – Any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research must be disclosed.
  • Acknowledge sources – Proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources, contributors, and funding agencies must be provided.
  • Ensure ethical research – Research involving human subjects, animals, or sensitive data must comply with ethical guidelines and obtain necessary approvals.
  • Correct errors – If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal for correction or retraction.

2. Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of the journal and must:

  • Make fair and unbiased decisions – Manuscripts are evaluated based on academic merit, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
  • Maintain confidentiality – Information regarding submitted manuscripts is kept confidential and shared only with authorized individuals.
  • Prevent conflicts of interest – Editors must not handle manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest.
  • Ensure a transparent peer review process – The review process must be fair, objective, and free from bias.
  • Take action on ethical concerns – Editors must investigate ethical violations such as plagiarism, fraud, and data manipulation.

3. Duties of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining academic integrity and must:

  • Provide objective and constructive feedback – Reviews should be professional, unbiased, and aimed at improving the manuscript.
  • Maintain confidentiality – Manuscripts under review must not be shared or discussed with unauthorized parties.
  • Identify ethical concerns – Any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data fabrication should be reported to the editor.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest – Reviewers should decline the review if they have a conflict of interest with the manuscript or authors.

4. Duties of the Publisher

The publisher of IJIR is responsible for:

  • Ensuring academic integrity – The publisher supports ethical publishing practices and ensures the journal adheres to COPE guidelines.
  • Handling retractions and corrections – If ethical violations or errors are found, the publisher will take necessary actions, such as issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.
  • Supporting open-access policies – The journal provides free and unrestricted access to research without financial barriers.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines, IJIR aims to foster a transparent, responsible, and high-quality academic publishing environment.