Publication Ethics
The African Journal of Advanced Pure and Applied Sciences (AJAPAS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures to prevent publication malpractice. We adhere to the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aim to ensure integrity and transparency in every stage of the publication process.
This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of authors, peer reviewers, editors, and the publisher.
1. Duties of Authors
a. Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original and that if they have used the work and/or words of others, these have been appropriately cited or quoted. All submissions are screened for originality using Turnitin, and manuscripts with a plagiarism rate exceeding 20% will be desk-rejected. b. Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data, if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication. c. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: An author should not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. d. Acknowledgement of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. e. Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication. f. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. g. Fundamental Errors in Published Works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper. h. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. If the work involves the use of animal or human subjects, the author should ensure that the manuscript contains a statement that all procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and that the appropriate institutional committee(s) has approved them.
2. Duties of Editors
a. Publication Decisions: The editor of AJAPAS is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision. b. Fair Play: An editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors. c. Confidentiality: The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate. d. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. Editors should recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers. e. Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations: Editors should take reasonable responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper.
3. Duties of Reviewers
a. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper. b. Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that a prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process. c. Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor. d. Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments. e. Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge. f. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer's own research without the express written consent of the author. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
4. Duties of the Publisher
a. Adherence to Best Practices: AJAPAS, as the publisher, ensures that good practice and ethical standards are maintained through its policies and procedures. b. Support for Editors and Reviewers: The publisher supports the editors and reviewers in their duties and assists them in handling potential misconduct. c. Protection of Intellectual Property: The publisher is committed to protecting intellectual property and copyright, operating under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. d. Access to Research: The publisher ensures that all published research is freely and widely accessible through its open-access policy. e. Handling of Retractions and Corrections: The publisher ensures that mechanisms are in place for retracting or correcting articles in cases of proven scientific misconduct, errors, or ethical breaches, in accordance with COPE guidelines. f. Archiving: The publisher is committed to the long-term digital preservation and accessibility of the journal's content.
5. Malpractice Statement and Handling of Misconduct
AJAPAS takes seriously all allegations of publication malpractice. In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal will follow the COPE guidelines for addressing ethical concerns. This includes:
a. Investigation: Initial investigation by the editor-in-chief, possibly with input from the editorial board. b. Communication with Parties: Contacting the authors, reviewers, or institutions involved to seek clarification or gather evidence. c. Actions: Depending on the severity of the misconduct, actions may include: i. Issuing a correction or erratum. ii. Retracting the article. iii. Publishing an expression of concern. iv. Informing authors' institutions and funding bodies. v. Banning authors from future submissions.
AJAPAS is dedicated to fostering a transparent and ethical publishing environment.
