Scholar Publishing Academy
Ethical Guidelines for Authors and Editors
These guidelines outline the ethical standards expected of authors and editors contributing to journals and books by Scholar Publishing Academy. Adherence to these principles is crucial to maintaining the integrity and reputation of our publications. Violation of these guidelines may result in actions ranging from editorial corrections to manuscript rejection or retraction.
This expanded guideline clarifies authorship issues, enhances data integrity protocols, and incorporates detailed aspects for handling conflicts of interest, citations, and copyright, thus strengthening overall ethical standards.
I. Authorship and Contributions:
A. Authorship Criteria: Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to:
1. Conception and design: Developing the research concept, methodology, and overall study design.
2. Data acquisition: Collecting and managing the data.
3. Data analysis and interpretation: Analyzing data, interpreting results, and drawing conclusions.
4. Manuscript drafting and revision: Writing or substantially revising the manuscript.
5. Final approval: Approving the final version of the manuscript before submission.
B. Order of Authorship: The order of authors should accurately reflect their relative contributions. The corresponding author should be clearly identified and bear primary responsibility for communication with the editors.
C. Ghost Authorship and Guest Authorship: Ghost authorship (individuals making substantial contributions without being listed as authors) and guest authorship (listing individuals who did not make significant contributions) are strictly prohibited.
D. Redundant/Duplicate Publication: Submitting the same or substantially similar manuscript to multiple publications simultaneously or consecutively is unethical. If prior publication exists, even in a different format, this must be clearly stated in the cover letter and communicated to the editor through the system.
E. Self-Plagiarism (Recycling Text): Reusing substantial portions of your own previously published work without proper citation constitutes self-plagiarism. While building upon your prior research is acceptable, extensive re-use requires clear attribution. This includes, but isn't limited to presentations, theses, dissertations, reports, and other publications.
F. Plagiarism: There is zero tolerance for plagiarism. Refer to the plagiarism policy.
II. Data Integrity and Methodology:
A. Data Fabrication and Falsification: Fabricating or falsifying data is strictly prohibited. All data should be accurately reported and appropriately analyzed. If the editor suspects fabricated or false data, they have the right to request the data.
B. Data Manipulation: Data should not be selectively presented or manipulated to support a particular outcome. Data analysis methods should be rigorous, clearly described and justifiable.
C. Research Integrity: All research methods should be rigorously conducted and adhere to ethical standards (e.g., informed consent, privacy protections, ethical treatment of animal subjects). Data management procedures should ensure data accuracy and integrity throughout the research process.
D. Ethical Approval: If the research involved human subjects, animal subjects, or potentially hazardous materials, include a statement affirming ethical approval from SPA’s ethics committee.
III. Conflicts of Interest:
A. Financial Conflicts of Interest: Any financial interests that may potentially bias the research or its interpretation must be disclosed. This includes funding sources, grants, employment relationships, stock ownership, consulting fees, or any other financial affiliations.
B. Non-Financial Conflicts of Interest: Significant non-financial conflicts of interest should also be disclosed. This includes personal relationships, collaborations, or other competing interests that might influence the research process or its interpretation.
C. Disclosure: All conflicts of interest must be disclosed explicitly to the editor in a cover letter and, if relevant, included in the manuscript's acknowledgments section.
IV. Citation and Attribution:
A. Accurate Citations: All sources used in the manuscript must be accurately cited using a consistent citation style (APA). Refer to the author’s guidelines
B. Appropriate Attribution: Give proper credit to all sources of information, including direct quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. Failure to provide adequate attributes is considered plagiarism. Avoid excessive self-citation unless strongly justified.
C. Quotation Practices: Use quotation marks for direct quotes including the page number from which quote has been extracted. Paraphrases should accurately reflect the original source's meaning and be clearly attributed.
V. Publication Ethics:
A. Review Process: Authors should comply with the publication's peer-review process, responding promptly to reviewers' comments and addressing any concerns raised.
B. Editorial Decisions: Authors should respect editorial decisions. Appealing an editorial decision is acceptable but should be done through the appropriate channels and with respectful communication.
C. Image Manipulation: Any manipulation of images should be clearly stated and justified. An unapproved image alteration is unethical and may result in rejection.
VI. Copyright and Permissions:
A. Copyright Ownership: Authors retain copyright of their work but grant exclusive rights for publication to Scholar Publishing Academy upon acceptance.
B. Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the use of any copyright or third party material from other sources (e.g., figures, tables, text excerpts). Provide clear evidence of granted permissions with the submission.
VII. Grievance Procedure:
If you have ethical concerns or believe these guidelines have been violated, please contact the relevant Journal’s Editor-in-Chief or managing editor immediately, clearly outlining your concerns. The publication will be promptly and thoroughly investigated.