WHERE QUALITY MATTERS

PUBLICATION ETHICS

Research is a phenomenon that demands aptitude and perseverance, augmented by intellectual potential, zeal, and zest. The epicenter of this phenomenon lies deep in human wisdom, whereas, 'necessity' and 'curiosity' serve as a driving force to trigger the human instincts to challenge the dynamism of wonders in nature.

In this pursuit, the observations recorded and finalized by a scholar are conveyed to the world of knowledge in the form of a research publication.

Publication of research work makes sense only when every segment of the paper conveys the mind of the author to the reader in letter and spirit. The literature available in this respect serves as a springboard for a creative mind to plunge into a pool of information in his field of interest, thus entering into the mainstream of the 'world of exploration'.

The Survey of literature is a pre-requisite that plays a pivotal role in establishing links with the past before embarking upon a new era of investigations.

The research work once published as a 'paper, review article or short communication and preserved in literature, reverberates in history to deliver knowledge from generation to generation. The mode of writing by the author, thus, needs to be inspiring and suggestive, tempting, and vibrant for a creative mind to derive the best out of the contents of the published work for further investigations.

The norms of publication, on the other hand, demand that the publication must be trustworthy, rectified, and free of laborious and irrelevant matter.

In the arena of research publications in general, unfortunately, the delinquency and malpractices have been a matter of growing concern over the years. The checks and balances applied to prevent these illegal and immoral tendencies have proved literally to be inefficient to filter out this pollution from the research literature, particularly the plagiarism as an epidemic, which has grossly masked the sanctity of literature.

Transferring knowledge to descending generations of scientists, it is an ethical and moral obligation, primarily by the author, and then editor and the executive board of the journal to pursue a policy so that the research literature trickles down to the next generation of scholars in purified and disciplined form, free of plagiarized matter.

It is an irony of fate that the literature remains vulnerable to unhealthy tendencies, particularly plagiarism. Despite checks and balances in vogue, showing only approximate response to counter this malignancy. The software’s in practice to identify plagiarism incidentally, have limitations to detect similarity index. Tabulated work, graphical contents, figure work of paper, in particular, remain out of reach of this software.

Besides, it has been observed that the grammar-based plagiarism is an efficient tool in the hands of plagiarists. A plagiarist, having a good command of the language in which paper is written, has been found to reduce plagiarism successfully to a considerable extent just by altering the grammar and shuffling paras, successfully, keeping the sense of each paragraph intact and the meaning undisturbed. The plagiarists, by and large, have been mocking the preventive measures by exploiting this method skillfully. Evidently, there seems to be no stick yard to measure the plagiarized segments of the paper with precision except to seek help from the internet to surveying and matching identical work of others in the past.

However, to secure the sanctity and higher values of scientific research literature from malpractices, contamination, falsification, manipulation, plagiarism, encroachments of other’s work, etc., despite all the handicaps and shortcomings, it is incumbent upon the executive channels of the journal to exploit all possible means to frustrate the designs of plagiarists. Science International is very conscious and committed to neutralize

Another unethical practice observed is the ‘group of authors’ a paper carries. Practically, there seems to be no source of identifying the genuine contributors to the accomplishment of the research project. It, however, remains the responsibility of editors to discourage this ambiguity in an advisory capacity.

Publication ethics demand that the publisher/editor should feel morally bound to check these immoral tendencies to secure literature by evolving some innovative measures. Science International in this respect is looking forward in this direction to evolve some improvised approach to neutralize these tendencies, or at least making efforts to discouraging these mockeries

Secondly, the peer review process is the core issue of the quality assessment of research papers. Internationally, the present system of peer review processing of research papers in vogue; (two favorable reports out of three), does serve the purpose of quality assurance in general yet, it leaves flaws due to human errors to be addressed and modified. Despite impartial treatment by the reviewers, it has been observed that this exercise serves a partial fulfillment of objectives. Some filtration process, thus, deems necessary to be evolved and practiced to purify the end product of the paper.

In this perspective, Science International, being an open-access journal, feels privileged to be looking forward to suggesting an improvised system that is, inviting constructive criticism from readers all over the scholarly world at any stage of the publication.

Science International, in this regard, remains committed in letter and spirit in the prevention of these evil practices by imposing stringent measures in addition to normal restrictions.

The following regulations are, thus, emphasized to be strictly observed by the authors keeping in mind all ethical values from the perspective of the policy of the journal in this respect.

1. Submission of an article is accompanied by an undertaking that the paper has not been submitted elsewhere in a full or short form or rejected or plagiarized.
2. It is incumbent on writers to be conscious of plagiarism.
3. Not to encroach the intellectual property of others; a moral obligation..
4. It is important for the writers not to abuse patented material, trade secrets/marks, private interests or any form of copyright information.
5. It is a pre-requisite for the writer to be just and honest in the projection of his work.
6. The paper should reach its destination composed, strictly in conformity with the style sheet (template) and instructions provided on our site on the page SUBMISSION GUIDELINE.
7. Violation of ethics will be considered as an immoral act consequently leading to blacklisting of the author.
8. To qualify for publication, the recommendation of the review committee of the journal is a final step.
9. Names of coauthors on the paper must be genuine and restricted to reasonable numbers.

TIPS FOR AUTHORS.

Before embarking upon the project undertaken by the author, the author is bound to be equipped with the spirit, norms, and ethics of research methodology; a subject that helps knitting the fabric of information gathered by the author through his academic or experimental means.

The author is expected to have acquaintance with the categories of research publications,

1. 1. A research paper is a comprehensive layout of one’s study and interpretation, of results. It is categorized as ‘paper’ only when there is some novelty or innovation aboard.
   2. Short Communication: This is the presentation of some significant results instantaneously found and need an immediate dispensation so that others know the results achieved.
   3. Review Article: Review article is an attempt of the author to summarize the current state of understanding in the perspective of the past literature in a particular field of study. Incorporating his convictions on the subject, establishing links between past and present and manipulating trends of research in a specific field of research.
   4. A research report is confined to the results of analysis pertaining to a limited sphere or area achieved by physical and chemical means.

It is obligatory for the author to maintain the sagacity, sanctity and on top the aesthetic values of the presentation of research work.

The author should not compromise on linguistic or typographic errors. While writing a paper, the author must bear in mind the syntax, diction that helps the reader to comprehend every cross-section of his literary presentation.

Authors at the same time, should thus, feel responsible that the language must be simple to convey the exact sense of each paragraph in the spirit of his research project.

Resolution and interpretation of experimental results, in graphic and tabulated form, be well inferred to preserve the narrative of the experimental exercise

The discussion part, in particular, is lucid and conclusion convincing in conformity with the objectives of the research project.

Authors are bound to abide by the rules of publication, laid down as per the policy of the journal,.

ETHICS FOR REVIEWERS

A peer review processing of a research paper is the core issue before the publication of a paper, as the report of the referee remains to be the deciding factor in the publication of a paper.

A referee, as an expert, is obliged to review the paper submitted for evaluation in compliance with the moral values entrusted and asserted by international norms to help to filter the subject lapses or typographic errors in the paper.

On top, the reviewer is morally bound to maintain the secrecy of his comments