PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

                           The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

The Journal of Phytological Research is committed to understanding and upholding the integrity of the publication and scientific community. The journal strictly follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to deal with ethics and malpractice acts.  The journal follows the guidelines on all aspects of ethics and malpractice related to publication, research, and other responsibilities of the editors, reviewers, and authors. 

Editors’ Responsibilities

Editors have full authority to accept or reject an article. Articles should only be accepted when there is reasonable certainty of their quality. Editors must avoid any conflicts of interest regarding accepted or rejected submissions. If errors are identified, they should facilitate the publication of corrections or retractions. The anonymity of reviewers must be maintained. Editors should perform their duties with fairness, objectivity, and balance, ensuring no discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, ethnicity, or geographical origin of the authors.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Assist in the decision-making process and help enhance the quality of the published article through objective manuscript review. Ensure no conflicts of interest related to the research, authors, or funding sources. Identify and highlight relevant published work that has not been cited. Maintain confidentiality regarding the reviewed articles.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Participate in the peer review process. Ensure that all listed authors have made significant contributions to the research. Confirm that all data presented in the article is genuine and accurate. Provide retractions or corrections if errors are identified. Avoid plagiarism and refrain from using fraudulent data. Do not submit or publish the same research in multiple journals. Ensure that studies involving human or animal subjects comply with national, local, and institutional regulations.

Publication Ethics Issues

The editorial board is responsible for monitoring and upholding publication ethics. Ensure the integrity and accuracy of the academic record. Prevent commercial interests from influencing intellectual and ethical standards. Be open to publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary.

Penalties

Duplicate Submission

• If a duplicate submission is identified or reported, the editorial board will verify its status.
• If confirmed as intentional, the following actions will be taken:
• The review process will be terminated.
• A notification will be sent to the reviewers, editorial board, authors, and the president of each author's institution.
• All authors involved will be blacklisted and prohibited from submitting articles to The Journal of Phytological Research for five years or indefinitely.

Duplicate Publication

• If a duplicate publication is identified or reported, the editorial board will investigate.
• If confirmed as intentional, the following actions will be taken:
• The issue will be reported to the editorial board, the author(s), and the president of each author's institution.
• A notification will be sent to the publisher of the duplicate article.
• The article will be retracted and removed.
• All authors involved will be blacklisted and barred from submitting articles to The Journal of Phytological Research for five years or indefinitely.

Plagiarism (Including Self-Plagiarism)

• If plagiarism is identified or reported, the editorial board will conduct a review.
• If confirmed as intentional, the following actions will be taken:
• The case will be reported to the editorial board, the author(s), and the president of each author's institution.
• A notification will be sent to the publisher of the plagiarized article.
• The article will be removed.
• All authors involved will be blacklisted and prohibited from submitting articles to The Journal of Phytological Research for five years or indefinitely.