Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement

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The Asian Journal of Computer Science and Technology (AJCST) is committed to publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, fairness, accountability and editorial independence. Authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher are expected to follow responsible standards of scholarly conduct. Ethical concerns are assessed fairly and proportionately with reference, where relevant, to guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other recognised standards of scholarly publishing.

This statement is AJCST’s principal publication ethics and publication malpractice policy. It should be read together with the Author Guidelines, Peer Review Process, Copyright & Licensing Policy, Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, and Post-Publication and Accountability Policy.

1. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to people who have made substantial intellectual contributions, participated in drafting or critical scholarly revision, approved the version to be published, and accept accountability for the integrity of the work. Individuals who contribute but do not satisfy the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately. Authors should also follow the authorship and declaration requirements stated in the AJCST Author Guidelines.

AJCST supports transparent contributorship through the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy. Guest, gift, honorary, purchased, ghost or otherwise misleading authorship is not acceptable. Requests to add, remove or reorder authors should normally be made before acceptance, include a clear reason, and be supported by written agreement from the affected authors. A post-acceptance change may be considered only in exceptional circumstances and may require a formal correction. For additional general guidance on authorship responsibility, authors may consult the ICMJE authorship and contributorship recommendations.

2. Duplicate, Redundant, and Concurrent Publication

Submissions to AJCST must be original and must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal. Authors should disclose relevant prior publications, preprints, conference outputs, datasets or closely related manuscripts when they may affect assessment of originality or overlap. The AJCST Submit Manuscript page and Author Guidelines should be consulted before submission.

Duplicate publication, unjustified redundant publication, inappropriate fragmentation of one study into multiple papers, and concurrent submission to more than one journal are not permitted. Legitimate secondary publication may be considered only when ethically justified, clearly disclosed, correctly cited and permitted by the relevant editors and rights holders. Where a manuscript is being considered for movement between journals, the AJCST Article Transfer Policy should also be followed.

3. Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

AJCST does not permit plagiarism, including unattributed use of another person’s text, ideas, data, figures, tables, methods or other intellectual work. Substantial reuse of an author’s own previously published material without appropriate citation or disclosure may constitute self-plagiarism or redundant publication.

The journal may use similarity-detection services such as Turnitin together with editorial assessment before or during peer review. Similarity reports are interpreted in context rather than treated as an automatic acceptance or rejection threshold. Suspected plagiarism is assessed under the research-misconduct procedures described in this statement and the Post-Publication and Accountability Policy when published material is involved.

4. Fabrication, Falsification, and Data Integrity

Fabricating data or results, falsifying or selectively altering research records, misrepresenting methods or findings, or manipulating any research output in a way that creates a misleading scholarly record is prohibited. Authors are responsible for accurate and transparent reporting of methods, data, results, limitations and conclusions.

Images, figures and other visual research outputs must represent the underlying data faithfully. Adjustments made for clarity must not selectively enhance, obscure, remove, move or introduce information in a misleading way. Editors may request original data, images, source files, analysis records, code or other supporting documentation when integrity concerns arise.

5. Citation Manipulation

References should be relevant to the scholarly content, acknowledge appropriate sources, support claims and place the work in context. Authors, reviewers and editors must not request or insert citations primarily to inflate citation counts, journal metrics, individual metrics, institutional metrics or the standing of a particular author, journal or group.

Coercive citation, citation cartels, fabricated references, irrelevant reference padding and other forms of citation manipulation are treated as publication malpractice and may result in editorial action.

6. Peer-Review Manipulation and Reviewer Integrity

Research manuscripts that pass initial editorial screening are handled under the AJCST double-blind Peer Review Process. Manuscripts suitable for external review are normally evaluated by at least two independent external reviewers with relevant expertise. The same expectations of editorial oversight and ethics apply to Special Issues and Article Collections.

Peer-review manipulation is prohibited. Examples include fabricated reviewer identities, false contact details, impersonation, undisclosed relationships, coordinated review rings, inappropriate interference with reviewer selection, coercion or other attempts to influence the review process improperly. Reviewers must preserve confidentiality, disclose relevant conflicts, provide objective evidence-based assessment and avoid using unpublished information for personal or professional advantage. AJCST’s reviewer expectations are consistent with the principles set out in the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

7. Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors, reviewers, editors and Editorial Board members must disclose financial, professional, personal, institutional, academic or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived to influence the work, review process or editorial judgement.

Authors should disclose funding sources and, where applicable, explain the funder’s role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation or the decision to submit. Reviewers and editors should decline or recuse themselves when a conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, impartiality. Financial arrangements described in the AJCST Revenue Sources Statement and Article Processing Charges & Waivers do not determine editorial decisions.

8. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors should provide enough methodological information for readers and reviewers to evaluate the work critically and, where reasonably possible, reproduce or verify the reported findings. A Data Availability Statement should explain whether supporting data are openly available, available on reasonable request, restricted for ethical, legal, commercial or privacy reasons, or not applicable.

The editorial office may request underlying data, analysis files, code, methodological details or other documentation when needed to assess validity, reproducibility or integrity. Authors should retain research records for a period appropriate to disciplinary expectations, institutional rules, funder requirements and applicable law.

9. Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, personal or sensitive information, vulnerable groups, animals or other activities requiring ethical oversight must comply with applicable institutional, national, legal and disciplinary requirements. Handling of personal information should also be consistent with the AJCST Privacy Policy where relevant to journal systems and communications.

When formal ethics approval, institutional review or another approval mechanism is required, the manuscript should identify the approving body and provide the approval or reference number where available. Where informed consent is required, authors should confirm that it was obtained and that privacy, confidentiality and participant rights were protected. Where prospective registration is required by study design, discipline, funder, institution or reporting standard, the registry and registration identifier should be stated.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted material does not infringe copyright, database rights, trademarks, privacy rights, confidentiality obligations or other intellectual-property rights. Third-party material must be cited correctly and, where necessary, accompanied by permission from the relevant rights holder. Copyright ownership, author reuse, repository rights and publication licensing are governed by the AJCST Copyright & Licensing Policy and the AJCST Copyright Form.

The published Version of Record is made available under the journal’s stated open-access arrangements and the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors should also review the AJCST Open Access Policy before submission if they are subject to funder or institutional licensing requirements.

11. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, readers and other stakeholders may submit complaints or appeals in writing to the editorial office. The communication should identify the manuscript or article, explain the issue, state the grounds for the complaint or appeal, and provide relevant evidence. Procedures should be read together with the AJCST Post-Publication and Accountability Policy where the concern relates to published content.

Complaints and appeals are considered fairly, confidentially and without unnecessary delay. An appeal against an editorial decision should identify a material error in the review or decision process; an appeal does not guarantee reconsideration or acceptance. If the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief or an editor directly involved in the matter, the issue should be assigned to an independent senior editor or publisher representative who was not involved in the original decision.

12. Corrections

AJCST may publish a correction when an error affects accuracy, interpretation, attribution or the integrity of the scholarly record but does not invalidate the article as a whole. The correction should clearly identify the change and be linked to the original Version of Record. Detailed procedures are provided in the Post-Publication and Accountability Policy.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not change meaning may be corrected without a formal notice where appropriate. Corrections must not be used to conceal significant errors or misconduct.

13. Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when substantial questions remain about the integrity or reliability of a published article and an investigation is incomplete, inconclusive, delayed, or dependent on information from an institution or another responsible body. The notice should be linked to the article and updated when the matter is resolved.

14. Retractions

AJCST may retract an article when the findings are unreliable because of major error or misconduct; when there is evidence of plagiarism, redundant publication, fabrication or falsification; when serious ethical non-compliance or manipulated peer review has occurred; or when another issue materially undermines the reliability or integrity of the article. Retraction decisions should follow the journal’s Post-Publication and Accountability Policy and may be informed by the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

A retraction notice should explain the reason for retraction and, where appropriate, identify who initiated it. The original article should normally remain part of the scholarly record and be marked clearly as retracted. Silent removal should be avoided except where compelling legal, privacy or safety reasons require removal.

15. Research Misconduct Allegations and Investigation

AJCST takes reasonable steps to identify, prevent and respond to research and publication misconduct. Allegations may concern plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, fabricated or falsified data, image manipulation, citation manipulation, unethical authorship, undisclosed conflicts, peer-review manipulation, misuse of confidential information or other serious breaches. AJCST may consult relevant COPE ethics guidance when assessing such matters.

Concerns are assessed objectively, fairly and as confidentially as reasonably possible. Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request explanations or records, seek independent expert advice, review editorial or peer-review records, or contact the relevant institution, employer, funder, ethics body or responsible organisation. The journal should distinguish, where possible, honest error from deliberate misconduct. Proportionate actions may include rejection, correction, Expression of Concern, retraction, withdrawal where appropriate, removal of a compromised reviewer, notification to responsible bodies, or other measures required to protect the scholarly record.

16. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-Assisted Tools

AJCST requires transparency, human accountability, confidentiality and research integrity when generative AI or AI-assisted tools are used. AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because authorship requires human responsibility. Authors should follow the detailed AJCST Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.

Limited assistive use may be acceptable for activities such as language refinement, organisation of text, coding assistance or data-visualisation support, provided such use does not replace scholarly judgement, verification, interpretation or accountability. Substantive AI use should be disclosed in the manuscript or accompanying declarations. Routine spelling or grammar checking that does not generate substantive content need not be disclosed unless required by the journal’s submission system.

AI must not be used to fabricate or falsify data, images, references, quotations or evidence. AI-generated factual claims and references must be verified against reliable original sources. Reviewers and editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports or confidential editorial material to publicly accessible AI services when doing so could compromise confidentiality. Editorial and peer-review decisions remain human responsibilities.

17. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and authorised editors on the basis of scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance and relevance to the AJCST Aims and Scope. Decisions must not be influenced by article processing charges, an author’s ability to pay, advertising, sponsorship, ownership interests, institutional relationships, marketing activities, commercial considerations or pressure from external parties.

Editors must preserve manuscript confidentiality, disclose and manage conflicts, recuse themselves when impartiality may reasonably be questioned, and avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage. The publisher supports editorial independence. Revenue and promotional activities described in the Revenue Sources Statement and Direct Marketing Policy are kept separate from editorial decision-making.

18. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI), as publisher of AJCST, supports the integrity and independence of the editorial process. The publisher is responsible for maintaining accurate public policies, ownership and contact information, access conditions, fees, copyright and licensing information, and preservation arrangements. Relevant journal information is available through the Journal Overview and Journal Insights pages.

The publisher supports appropriate investigation of publication misconduct and the publication of corrections, Expressions of Concern, retractions or other notices when needed. Revenue, marketing and administrative considerations are kept separate from editorial judgement. The journal’s approach should remain consistent with recognised transparency expectations such as the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing and DOAJ transparency principles.

19. Reporting an Ethical Concern

Ethical concerns relating to a submitted manuscript, published article, peer review, authorship, editorial conduct or another matter covered by this statement should be submitted in writing to the AJCST editorial office with enough information and supporting evidence for an appropriate assessment. See the AJCST Contact page for current journal contact information.

Editorial Office: Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI), 9/865, Maruthi Nagar, Rakkipalayam Post, Coimbatore - 641031, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: editorial@crijournals.org