Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Journal of Computer and Technology is a peer-reviewed international scientific journal managed and published by CV. Ninety Media Publisher. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher. This code of conduct strictly adheres to the Core Practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the evaluation standards required for international indexing by Scopus.

1. Peer Review Process (Single-Blind Review Policy)

Journal of Computer and Technology operates a rigorous Single-Blind Peer Review system to ensure high academic standards:

• Review Mechanism: Under this policy, the identities of the reviewers are kept confidential and hidden from the authors throughout and after the evaluation process. However, the reviewers are aware of the authors' identities, institutional affiliations, and track records.
• Evaluation Standards: Every submitted manuscript undergoes an initial editorial screening for scope alignment and a structural plagiarism check. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to a minimum of two independent, qualified external expert reviewers based on scientific merit, methodological soundness, and original contribution to the field of computer science.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

• Publication Decisions: The Editor-in-Chief holds the final responsibility for deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published. Decisions are governed strictly by the academic validity of the work, its contribution to technology and computer science, and legal standards against libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.
• Fair Play and Neutrality: Editors evaluate manuscripts purely for their intellectual and scientific content without bias or discrimination regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
• Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must protect the confidentiality of all submitted materials. They must not disclose any information about a manuscript under review to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher.
• No Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling or managing manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, financial, institutional, or other relationships/connections with any of the authors or institutions linked to the papers.
• Unpublished Data Security: Unpublished materials, source codes, datasets, or insights disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's personal research projects without the express written consent of the author.

3. Protocols for Internal Submissions (Editor or Reviewer as Author)

To maintain absolute academic integrity, prevent institutional bias, and ensure a fair ecosystem, Journal of Computer and Technology enforces a strict protocol regarding internal submissions:

• Complete Exclusion: If the Editor-in-Chief, a Co-Editor, Section Editor, or Reviewer submits a manuscript to the journal (whether as a first author, corresponding author, or co-author), they must be completely excluded and blinded from the entire editorial chain of that submission.
• Access Restrictions: The internal author's editorial privileges within the OJS platform will be completely blocked for that specific submission tracking ID. They can only view the progress of their manuscript through a standard "Author" account interface.
• Independent Delegation: The assignment of external reviewers, evaluation of peer-review reports, and final decisions regarding acceptance or rejection must be fully delegated to an independent guest editor or a co-editor who has no institutional, professional, or personal affiliation with the internal author.
• Transparency: Every published paper authored by a member of the editorial board or a reviewer will explicitly include a "Declaration of Interest" note, ensuring public transparency that the paper underwent an independent, unbiased evaluation process.

4. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editorial board in making informed decisions and helps authors enhance the scientific, structural, and technical quality of their manuscripts through constructive criticism.
• Promptness and Timeline: Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the assigned research or realizes that completion within the publication timeline is impossible must immediately notify the editor and decline the review invitation.
• Confidentiality: All manuscripts received for review must be treated as strictly confidential documents and must not be shared, duplicated, or discussed with third parties without direct, written authorization from the editor.
• Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively without personal animosity or criticism. Reviewers must express their feedback clearly with solid, supporting scientific arguments and references.
• Reviewer Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline to evaluate any manuscript in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, financial, or personal relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the paper.

5. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

• Reporting Standards & Accuracy: Authors must present an accurate, honest account of original research performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying raw data and experimental setups must be represented accurately.
• Originality & Avoidance of Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. Any work, data, ideas, or words of other researchers must be appropriately cited, quoted, and credited.
• No Concurrent Submission: Authors must explicitly declare that the manuscript is original, has never been published before in any language, and is not currently under consideration by any other journal or publisher.
• Authorship and Credit: Authorship must be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All individuals who contributed substantially must be listed as co-authors (e.g., second or third authors). The corresponding author ensures that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission.
• Author Conflict of Interest: All authors must explicitly disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships with individuals or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their findings or data interpretation.

6. Plagiarism Policy, Misconduct Management, and Sanctions

• Plagiarism Threshold: Journal of Computer and Technology enforces a zero-tolerance policy against intellectual dishonesty. All manuscripts are automatically screened using Turnitin similarity checking software. The maximum acceptable similarity index threshold is 25%. Any manuscript exceeding this limit will be returned for revision or rejected immediately.
• Handling Academic Misconduct: In cases of alleged or proven research misconduct (such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, data fabrication, or falsification), the editorial board will follow the comprehensive flowcharts and core principles provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• Sanctions: If severe ethical violations are confirmed, the journal will execute the following penalties:
  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript under review.
  • Publication of an official formal retraction notice for articles already published online.
  • Permanent blacklisting of the authors from submitting any future manuscripts to the Journal of Computer and Technology.
  • An official reporting letter sent directly to the author's affiliated institution or university rector/dean regarding the ethical breach.

7. Handling Ethical Complaints and Appeals

Journal of Computer and Technology provides a transparent, fair mechanism for handling complaints, appeals, and ethical disputes raised by authors, reviewers, or readers:

• Submission of Complaints: Any formal complaint regarding editorial decisions, alleged reviewer bias, peer-review delays, or suspected publication misconduct must be submitted in writing via email to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Investigation Process: The Editorial Board will investigate all complaints thoroughly in accordance with the specific flowcharts provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The identity of the complainant will be kept strictly confidential unless disclosure is legally required.
• Resolution and Appeals: The journal will respond to the complainant with a definitive decision within a reasonable timeframe (typically 4–6 weeks). If the complainant remains unsatisfied with the initial decision, they have the right to submit a formal appeal with new supporting evidence, which will then be evaluated by an independent internal committee or an appointed external ombudsman.

8. Post-Publication Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

To maintain the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the permanent academic record, Journal of Computer and Technology strictly follows the COPE guidelines for amending published literature:

• Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda): If a significant honest error or omission is discovered in a published article (such as mislabeled figures, statistical typos, or author name spelling errors) that does not invalidate the core scientific findings, the journal will publish a formal Correction notice linked directly to the original article.
• Retractions: An article will be officially retracted if there is clear evidence of scientific misconduct, including data fabrication, falsification, severe plagiarism, redundant/dual publication without permission, or unethical research practices. Retraction notices will clearly state the reasons for the retraction and identify the retracting party (authors or editors). The original PDF will be watermarked as "RETRACTED" but remain accessible to preserve the historical academic record.
• Expressions of Concern: The Editorial Board may issue an official Expression of Concern if well-founded but inconclusive evidence of research misconduct is found, or if an investigation into a complex issue is ongoing and a prolonged delay is expected before a final decision can be reached.

9. Publication Frequency

Journal of Computer and Technology is published regularly and on schedule twice a year, with official releases specifically in July and December.

Note: Any alleged violations of this publication ethics code will be investigated thoroughly by the editorial board in accordance with the guidelines established by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). Sanctions may include rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, and/or blacklisting of the authors involved.