PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT (PEMS)

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS)

The International Journal of Frontier Science and Multidisciplinary Research (IJFSMR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and scholarly quality. All parties involved in the publication process authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher—must agree upon and adhere to strict ethical behavior.

COPE Compliance Statement

International Journal of Frontier Science and Multidisciplinary Research (IJFSMR) is not currently a formal/paid member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). However, the journal fully adheres to and follows the principles, code of conduct, and best practice guidelines established by COPE in handling all aspects of publication ethics, peer review, retractions, and allegations of research misconduct.

IJFSMR’s ethical standards are framed in accordance with the guidelines and Code of Conduct established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authorship and Contributorship Policy

• Criteria for Authorship: Authorship is restricted to individuals who made significant contributions to the conceptualization, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
• Consent: All listed authors must review, approve, and sign off on the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
• Ghost & Guest Authorship: Ghost, gift, or guest authorship is strictly prohibited. Non-author contributors must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section with their explicit permission.

Complaints and Appeals Policy

• Appealing Editorial Decisions: Authors may appeal a rejection decision by submitting a formal written request to the Editor-in-Chief within 14 days, providing clear scientific justifications and evidence.
• Handling Complaints: Complaints regarding editorial processes, misconduct, or delays should be emailed to the Editorial Office. All complaints are independently investigated within 30 days following COPE flowcharts.

Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy

• Mandatory Disclosure: All authors, peer reviewers, and editors must declare any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could inappropriately influence their work.
• Declaration Statement: Authors must include a "Conflict of Interest Statement" in the manuscript. If no conflict exists, state, The authors declare no competing financial or non-financial interests.

Data Sharing and Data Availability Policy

• Data Transparency: Authors are encouraged to make raw data, code, and supporting materials publicly accessible to promote research transparency and reproducibility.
• Data Availability Statement: Manuscripts must include a statement specifying where data supporting the results can be found (e.g., public repositories like Zenodo, Figshare, or available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request).

Ethical Oversight (IRB / Human & Animal Rights)

• Human Rights: Studies involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and provide evidence of Institutional Review Board (IRB) / Ethics Committee approval along with informed consent from participants.
• Animal Rights: Research involving animals must adhere to international guidelines for animal welfare and state ethics approval details within the manuscript.

Post-Publication Discussions & Corrections

• Academic Debate: Readers and researchers can submit letters to the editor, comments, or critiques regarding published articles.
• Handling Responses: Original authors are given the opportunity to respond. Both the critique and the response undergo peer review before potential publication.