Publication Ethics

Ethical Standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for all content published in the journal. In particular, editors should:

Strive to meet the needs of readers and authors.
Continuously improve the quality of the journal.
Ensure the quality of research articles published in the journal.
Support freedom of expression.
Maintain the integrity of the academic record.
Safeguard intellectual property standards against the influence of commercial interests.
Be willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary.

Responsibilities of Editors toward Readers

Editors should ensure that readers are informed about the sources of research funding and the role of funding agencies in the research process. Such information should normally be provided in the Acknowledgements section.

Responsibilities of Editors toward Authors

Editors should take all reasonable steps to ensure the quality of published material and recognize that journals and individual sections within journals may have different objectives and standards.

Editorial decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts should be based on the importance, originality, clarity, and relevance of the manuscript to the scope of the journal.

Editors should provide clear information about the peer review process. Any deviation from the stated review procedures should be transparently explained.

Journals should provide a mechanism that allows authors to appeal editorial decisions if they disagree with them.

Editors should publish clear Instructions for Authors, describing the expectations and requirements for manuscript preparation. These instructions should be updated regularly and should include references or links to relevant policies.

Editors should not reverse decisions to reject manuscripts unless serious problems are identified during the submission process.

In cases where editorial leadership changes, the newly appointed editor should not overturn rejection decisions made by previous editors unless serious problems with the review process are identified.

Responsibilities of Editors toward Reviewers

Editors should provide reviewers with clear guidelines and expectations regarding the review process and should update these guidelines regularly. These guidelines should also reference relevant editorial policies.

Editors should establish systems to protect the confidentiality and personal information of reviewers, unless the journal operates an open peer review system that has been clearly communicated to authors and reviewers in advance.

Manuscript Review Process

Editors should ensure that manuscripts submitted to the journal are treated as confidential documents during the entire peer review process.

Handling Complaints

Editors should follow the procedures outlined in the COPE flowcharts when handling complaints.

Editors should respond to complaints promptly and should provide complainants with clear procedures for further appeal if they remain dissatisfied. These procedures should be clearly described in the journal and should include information on how unresolved complaints may be referred to COPE.

Encouraging Academic Debate

Journals should provide opportunities for the publication of criticism or commentary on articles published in the journal unless editors have strong reasons not to do so.

Authors whose work is criticized should be given the opportunity to respond. Similarly, research findings that contradict previously published studies should also be given the opportunity for publication.

Studies reporting negative results should also be considered for publication and should not be excluded solely for that reason.

Promoting Academic Integrity

Editors should ensure that all research published in the journal complies with internationally recognized ethical standards.

Editors should seek evidence that research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data has received approval from appropriate authorities such as institutional review boards or ethics committees. However, ethical approval alone does not guarantee that the research itself is ethically sound.

Protection of Personal Data

Editors should protect the confidentiality of personal information, such as patient–doctor relationships. Therefore, written informed consent must be obtained from individuals if their names or identifiable images appear in reports or articles.

However, editors may publish such information without explicit consent if the publication is considered essential for public health or scientific importance, if obtaining consent is impracticable, and if the individual concerned does not object to publication, provided that all necessary conditions are met.

Monitoring Research Misconduct

Editors have a duty to investigate suspected research misconduct in both published and unpublished manuscripts.

Editors should not simply reject manuscripts suspected of misconduct without investigation. Instead, they must pursue allegations and seek clarification.

Editors should first seek responses from the individuals concerned. If the response is unsatisfactory, editors should seek clarification from the relevant institutions or regulatory bodies.

Editors should follow the procedures described in COPE flowcharts when necessary.

Editors should make reasonable efforts to ensure that investigations are conducted appropriately and fairly. Even when such investigations are complex or difficult, editors have a responsibility to pursue them.

Ensuring the Integrity of the Academic Record

If significant inaccuracies, misleading statements, or distorted findings are identified in published articles, editors must correct them promptly and transparently.

If research misconduct is confirmed after investigation, the editor must issue a retraction that is clearly identifiable and communicated to readers and indexing databases.

Relationships with Journal Owners and Publishers

The relationship between editors and journal owners or publishers may be complex. However, it should be based on editorial independence.

Regardless of economic or political considerations, editorial decisions should be based solely on the quality of the manuscript and its relevance to readers, rather than on financial or political interests.

Commercial Considerations

Editors should establish clear policies regarding advertising and supplementary materials in the journal.

Advertisements that may be misleading must not be accepted. Editors should also be willing to publish criticisms of advertisements according to the same standards applied to other journal content.

When republishing previously published materials, the original content should remain unchanged except for clearly identified corrections.

Conflicts of Interest

Editors should implement systems to manage conflicts of interest involving editors, editorial staff, authors, reviewers, and editorial board members.

Procedures for Handling Complaints against Editors Submitted to COPE

Complaints from authors, readers, reviewers, editors, or publishers may be submitted to COPE for consideration. However, such complaints can only be considered if the editor or journal concerned is a member of COPE.

Initially, complaints must be submitted in writing directly to the journal editor. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, it may then be referred to the editor’s institution or relevant oversight body.

Only complaints that have been processed through the journal’s procedures may be submitted to COPE, and all relevant documentation must be provided.

COPE normally considers complaints within six months after the journal has completed its internal review process, although exceptions may be made in special circumstances.

COPE does not consider complaints regarding the editorial decision itself, but rather the process by which the decision was made.

COPE will not consider cases that occurred before the publication of the ethical standards document.

Appeal Procedures

Complainants may appeal against recommendations issued by COPE. Details of the appeal process can be obtained from the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Translated from:
http://www.publicationethics.org/files/2008%20Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf

Translated and adapted by the
Thai Journal Citation Index Centre

✅ ฉบับนี้สามารถนำไปลงในหน้า Publication Ethics ของเว็บไซต์วารสารได้ทันที และอยู่ในรูปแบบที่วารสารระดับ