Ethics and Malpractices
The Tropical Journal of Chemistry (TJC) upholds the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing and emphasizes adherence to these practices by all stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, and editors. This statement outlines the expectations and responsibilities for maintaining integrity throughout the publication process. All authors are required to review and comply with this statement before submission.
Commitment to Ethical Standards
TJC aligns with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines to ensure that all published work is original, credible, and adheres to the principles of scholarly integrity. All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to understand and comply with these guidelines.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts meet the following ethical requirements:
1. Originality and Non-Redundancy
a) Manuscripts must represent original research and not be under review or published elsewhere.
b) Redundant publications, including submissions derived from the same dataset or experiment, are strictly prohibited.
2. Plagiarism Prevention
a) Authors must conduct thorough plagiarism checks using reliable tools like Turnitin or iThenticate before submission and attach the similarity report to their manuscript.
b) Manuscripts must not exceed a similarity index of 17%, excluding references, with no string exceeding seven consecutive words from external sources.
c) Proper attribution must be given to all cited works.
3. Data Integrity
a) Authors must ensure that their data is accurate, reliable, and unaltered.
b) Data Fabrication (creating false data) and Data Falsification (modifying or omitting data to mislead) are strictly forbidden.
4. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
a) If AI tools are used in research or manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use in the methodology or acknowledgments. AI-generated text must not replace the author’s intellectual contributions.
5. Acknowledgment of Sources
a) All sources, data, and influential references must be properly cited to maintain transparency and credibility.
6. Conflict of Interest
a) Authors must disclose all financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence their work.
7. Ethical Compliance in Research
a) Studies involving humans or animals must adhere to international ethical standards, with appropriate approvals from institutional review boards or ethics committees.
Ethical Violations and Consequences
1. Plagiarism
a) Plagiarism or failure to meet originality requirements will result in immediate rejection during the review process. Post-publication plagiarism will lead to retraction.
2. Citation Manipulation
a) Deliberately inflating citation counts beyond academic necessity is unethical and will result in rejection.
3. Multiple Submissions
a) Manuscripts submitted to multiple journals concurrently waste editorial resources and will be rejected.
4. Corrections and Retractions
a) Corrections will be issued for minor errors that do not affect the scientific validity of the work. Retractions will address serious violations, such as plagiarism or unethical practices.
5. Expression of Concern
a) When minor discrepancies arise that do not necessitate retraction, an Expression of Concern may be issued to inform readers transparently.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring the scientific rigor and ethical integrity of TJC publications.
1. Unbiased and Transparent Reviews
a) Reviews must be fair, impartial, and free from personal or professional bias.
2. Confidentiality
a) Manuscripts under review must remain confidential and should not be shared or discussed without prior permission from the editorial team.
3. Constructive Feedback
a) Reviewers must provide detailed, constructive, and actionable feedback to assist authors in improving their manuscripts.
b) References should be cited for recommendations to ensure transparency.
4. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
a) Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where objectivity may be compromised.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are entrusted with ensuring fairness, transparency, and ethical integrity throughout the publication process.
1. Impartial Decision-Making
a) Editorial decisions must be based solely on the manuscript's academic merit, originality, and relevance.
2. Accountability
a) Editors are responsible for the content published in TJC and must ensure adherence to ethical guidelines at every stage.
3. Ethical Oversight
a) Editors must critically assess manuscripts for ethical compliance, especially those involving human or animal studies.
4. Corrections and Retractions
a) In cases of ethical violations, editors must act promptly to issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, following COPE guidelines.
5. Conflict of Interest
a) Editors must disclose and address any conflicts of interest to avoid compromising the journal's integrity.
Guidelines for Retractions
1. Objectives
a) Retractions aim to correct the scientific record, inform the community about ethical violations, and maintain the credibility of published research.
2. Process
a) Retraction decisions will involve the Editor-in-Chief, reviewers, and the authors, ensuring fairness and adherence to COPE’s Retraction Guidelines.
b) Retraction notices will clearly state the reasons and include a full reference to the retracted article.
Conclusion
The Tropical Journal of Chemistry is committed to fostering ethical research and publishing practices. By adhering to these guidelines, TJC ensures the credibility of its published work and contributes to the advancement of the global scientific community.
For questions or concerns about ethical practices, contact:
• Editorial Board:
◦ aaigbodion@biu.edu.ng
◦ editorinchief.tjoc@gmail.com
◦ gonaiwu@biu.edu.ng
◦ meditor.tjoc@gmail.com
This policy reaffirms TJC’s dedication to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing.
