Publication Ethics

Introduction

At The Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (AJEER), we are committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in academic publishing. We promote integrity, transparency, accountability, and scholarly excellence throughout our editorial and review processes. This policy outlines the ethical standards expected of all participants in the scholarly publishing process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and staff.

Our practices align with internationally recognized guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects.

  1. Ethical Guidelines and Standards

AJEER adheres to the following core documents:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics. (2011, March). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
  • Committee on Publication Ethics. (2018, January). Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
  • Committee on Publication Ethics. (2019, November). Retraction Guidelines. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.4
  • ICMJE. (2019). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf
  • National Health and Medical Research Council. (2018). National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (Updated 2018). Canberra: Australian Government.
  • World Medical Association. (2013). Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/
  1. Research Integrity

AJEER requires all research to be conducted and reported honestly, transparently, and with academic rigor. Authors must provide accurate accounts of their research, ensure original work, and properly acknowledge the work of others. Misrepresentation or fabrication of data, plagiarism, and unethical experimentation will result in rejection or retraction.

Editorial teams are responsible for providing clear policies on research ethics relevant to their disciplines. Concerns regarding research integrity should be addressed to the editorial office or submitted via email to: publishingethics@asianonlinejournals.com. All concerns will be investigated per COPE procedures.

  1. Editorial Process and Responsibilities

3.1 Publication Decisions

Editors are fully responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published. This decision is based on the manuscript's significance, originality, clarity, and alignment with the journal’s scope. Consideration is given to the scientific validity of the research, not to authors' race, gender, citizenship, or institutional affiliation.

3.2 Confidentiality

Manuscripts are handled with strict confidentiality. Editors and staff must not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher.

3.3 Conflicts of Interest

Editors must avoid any conflicts of interest with respect to manuscripts under consideration. If a conflict arises, another editor will be assigned.

3.4 Peer Review

All submissions are subject to a double-blind peer review process. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Reviewer identities are not disclosed without permission.

3.5 Corrections and Retractions

If errors or ethical breaches are discovered, AJEER will issue a correction (erratum or corrigendum) or retraction, as appropriate, following COPE's Retraction Guidelines.

  1. Peer Review Process

Reviewers are essential to ensuring academic quality. They must:

  • Provide objective, evidence-based assessments.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all materials.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest.
  • Notify editors promptly if unable to review in a timely or competent manner.
  • Identify relevant, uncited literature.
  1. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to:

  • The conception/design of the study.
  • Data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation.
  • Drafting or revising the manuscript.
  • Final approval and accountability for all aspects of the work.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal, securing co-author approvals, and maintaining updates on manuscript status. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be listed in the Acknowledgements.

AJEER encourages the use of ORCID iDs and recognizes the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework to increase transparency in authorship.

For disputes, COPE’s authorship dispute guidelines will be followed.

  1. Plagiarism and Misuse of Sources

All manuscripts are screened using iThenticate (CrossCheck) for text similarity. Plagiarism—including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without citation, or presenting others’ data as one's own—is not tolerated.

If plagiarism is suspected pre-publication, the manuscript will be rejected. If discovered post-publication, the article will be retracted.

  1. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Redundant publication refers to the inappropriate reuse of substantial parts of previously published work without transparency or citation. AJEER does not allow:

  • Submission of the same work to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Republishing previously published findings without citation or editorial approval.

Exceptions may be allowed with justification, clear citation, and editorial consent.

For more, refer to COPE’s Redundant Publication Guidelines:
https://publicationethics.org/search?query=redundant+publication&urlfield=

  1. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. These include:

  • Funding sources.
  • Employment affiliations.
  • Consultancies.
  • Stock ownership.

Editors and reviewers must also declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when appropriate. Suspected undisclosed conflicts should be reported to: publishingethics@asianonlinejournals.com.

  1. Human Participants and Ethics Approval

Research involving human participants must follow ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki (2013). Requirements include:

  • Ethical approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB).
  • Informed consent from participants.
  • Confidentiality and participant welfare.

Manuscripts must include an Institutional Review Board Statement with the ethics committee name, approval number, and date.

Reference:
National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, Updated 2018), Australian Government.

  1. Fraudulent Research and Data Manipulation

AJEER prohibits image falsification, data fabrication, and misrepresentation of research findings. While technical adjustments to images are allowed, they must not alter scientific meaning.

Suspected misconduct will be investigated in collaboration with COPE and relevant institutions. Proven fraud will result in correction, retraction, or editorial action.

  1. Transparency and Data Availability

We promote transparency in research. Authors should:

  • Retain all underlying data and materials.
  • Provide access upon reasonable request.
  • Include a Data Availability Statement in the manuscript.
  • Use appropriate repositories for data archiving.
  1. Copyright and Licensing

AJEER publishes under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and may reuse their work with proper citation.

  1. Marketing and Social Media

All promotional materials and social media communications must align with AJEER’s values and ethics. Marketing is guided by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) or equivalent global organizations.

  1. Advertising Policy

AJEER accepts third-party advertisements, subject to the following conditions:

  • Editorial independence is preserved.
  • Advertisements are clearly distinguished from content.
  • Advertising must comply with privacy, ethics, and COPE standards.

We reserve the right to reject or remove any advertisement that violates our ethical policies.

  1. Media and Public Relations

Authors and editors involved in media interactions should comply with the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Code of Conduct. Where publicity is coordinated by AJEER, all parties will be informed in advance.

  1. Metrics and Reporting

AJEER complies with the COUNTER Code of Practice for usage reporting. We support third-party platforms such as Crossref, and are a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

Misleading or fraudulent use data (e.g., from bots or attacks) is excluded from reporting.

  1. Integrity of the Scholarly Record

AJEER maintains accurate records and metadata for all publications. In cases of retraction or correction, metadata are updated in accordance with COPE guidelines to preserve the integrity of the academic record.

Conclusion

AJEER strives to ensure ethical, transparent, and high-quality academic publishing. We value the trust of our authors, reviewers, and readers and are committed to upholding the ethical foundations of scholarly communication.

For further information or concerns, contact us at:
publishingethics@asianonlinejournals.com