Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement – IJAS

The Iraqi Journal for Applied Science (IJAS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. This statement is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (2011).

  1. Editors’ Responsibilities
  2. Publication Decisions
    The Editor-in-Chief holds responsibility for deciding which submitted articles should be published. These decisions are based on the work's originality, scientific value, clarity, and relevance to the journal's scope, without discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or political belief.
  3. Confidentiality
    All manuscripts submitted to IJAS are treated as confidential documents. Editorial staff and reviewers must not disclose information about a manuscript to anyone other than those directly involved in the review and publication process.
  4. Conflicts of Interest
    Editors and editorial board members must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research without written consent from the author.
  5. Reviewers’ Responsibilities
  6. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
    Peer review assists editors in making publication decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts.
  7. Confidentiality
    Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and must not share or discuss them with others without the editor’s permission.
  8. Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
    Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly and support them with evidence.
  9. Acknowledgement of Sources
    Reviewers should point out relevant published work not cited in the manuscript. Any substantial similarity with other published material must be reported to the editor.
  10. Conflicts of Interest
    Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships.
  11. Authors’ Responsibilities
  12. Reporting Standards
    Authors must present accurate and original work. Data must be honestly represented, and sufficient detail must be provided to allow replication.
  13. Data Access and Retention
    Authors should be prepared to share raw data and retain it for at least ten years, unless legal or privacy concerns prevent sharing.
  14. Originality and Plagiarism
    Authors must ensure submitted work is original and properly cites all sources. Submissions found with plagiarism rates exceeding IJAS limits will be rejected.

Plagiarism and AI Use Policy

  • Plagiarism must be less than 20%.
  • 20–30%: Returned once for correction.
  • Above 30%: Rejected permanently.
  • From a single source, plagiarism must be below 5%, or <10% to avoid rejection.
  • Use of AI-generated content must be ≤25%.
  • 25–35% AI use: Returned once for revision.
  • ≥35% AI use: Rejected and banned from resubmission.
  1. Preprints and Database Storage
    IJAS does not accept manuscripts previously posted as preprints or that exist in plagiarism-checker databases like Turnitin.
  2. Multiple or Redundant Publication
    Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal. Duplicate submissions will result in rejection.
  3. Authorship
    All authors listed must have made a significant contribution to the research. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors approve the final manuscript.
  4. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
    All authors must disclose financial or personal relationships that could influence the research.
  5. Corrections of Errors
    Authors must promptly inform the editor if they discover errors in their published work and cooperate to issue corrections or retractions.
  6. Licensing and Copyright

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to publish under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This permits use, distribution, adaptation, and commercial reuse of the work with proper attribution.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Reference

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2011). Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
www.publicationethics.org