Research Ethics, Publication Ethics, and Malpractice Statement

This document outlines the ethical standards and responsibilities for all parties involved in the publication process for “Nastaleeq,” as managed by the Research Institute for Language and Literature (RILL). This statement is adapted from the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and authors.

Duties of Authors

  1. Originality: Authors must ensure that only original work is submitted. Previously published work in other journals must not be reproduced.
  2. Exclusive Submission: Articles under review or consideration by the journal must not be submitted elsewhere simultaneously.
  3. Withdrawal: Authors may only submit their work elsewhere after formal rejection by the journal or upon acceptance of their withdrawal request by the journal.
  4. Corrections: Authors must promptly inform the editor or publisher of any inaccuracies in their published work so that corrections or retractions can be made.
  5. Responsibility: Authors should make significant contributions to the research and accept accountability for any shortcomings.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any competing interests before agreeing to review a manuscript.
  2. Right to Refuse: Reviewers may decline to review submissions if they feel unqualified or if there is a conflict of interest.
  3. Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively, fairly, and professionally.
  4. Ethical Misconduct: Reviewers must report any ethical concerns, such as suspected plagiarism, to the editor.
  5. Plagiarism and Originality: Reviewers should ensure the originality of submissions and be vigilant for plagiarism or redundant publications.
  6. Confidentiality: The content of the submission must not be discussed without explicit permission.
  7. Timeliness: Reviewers should adhere to the assigned review timeline. Extensions may be granted at the editor’s discretion.
  8. Citation and Sources: Reviewers should notify the editor if relevant published work has not been cited.

Duties of Editorial Board Members

  1. Promotion: Board members must actively contribute to the journal’s development and broader reach.
  2. Ambassadorship: Members should act as representatives of the journal.
  3. Support: Members must continuously assist in promoting the journal.
  4. Reviewing: Board members should review work assigned to them in a timely and professional manner.

Duties of the Editor

  1. Fair Evaluation: Manuscripts must be evaluated solely on their intellectual merit, without discrimination based on gender, religion, political beliefs, ethnicity, or geography.
  2. Conflict-Free Decisions: The editor must avoid commercial influence and any conflicts of interest when assessing submissions.
  3. Confidentiality: The editor must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript-related information, disclosing it only to individuals involved in the publishing process.
  4. Decision-Making: The editor is responsible for deciding which articles are published.
  5. Improvement: The editor should actively seek feedback from board members, reviewers, and authors to improve the journal’s image and visibility.
  6. Guidance: Clear instructions must be provided to potential contributors regarding submission processes and author expectations.
  7. Reviewer Selection: The editor must ensure that suitable reviewers are chosen for the peer review process.
  8. Addressing Complaints: The editor must investigate and resolve complaints, regardless of when the article was published. A record of all complaints should be maintained.

Plagiarism

  1. Original Work: Authors must submit only original work that is neither plagiarized nor previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
  2. Verification: The editorial office may use plagiarism-detection software (e.g., Turnitin) to compare submissions against existing literature.
  3. Citation: Proper citation or quotation of words and ideas from other works is mandatory.

Reporting Standards

  1. Accuracy: Authors must present their results clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.
  2. Reproducibility: The methods should be described clearly and unambiguously to allow replication and verification by other researchers.

Conflicts of Interest

  1. Disclosure: Authors must include a statement regarding any potential conflicts of interest, especially if financial support might influence results or interpretation.
  2. Funding Transparency: All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed.

Authorship and Collaboration

  1. Significant Contribution: Only individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research should be listed as authors.
  2. Acknowledgment: Those who contributed to specific parts of the work should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.
  3. Approval: The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

Multiple or Redundant Publications

  1. Avoid Duplication: Authors must not submit the same research output to more than one journal.
  2. Simultaneous Submissions: Submitting a similar manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is strictly prohibited.