Publication Ethics

• Originality: Submitted manuscripts must be original works not previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
• Authorship: All listed authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work. Gift authorship and ghost authorship are not permitted.
• Data integrity: Authors must ensure the accuracy of data, results, and references. Fabrication or falsification of data is grounds for immediate rejection and retraction.
• Plagiarism: All content must be properly attributed. Self-plagiarism (reusing one's own prior work without citation) is also unacceptable.
• Conflicts of interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work.
• Errors: Authors who discover significant errors in a published work must notify the editors promptly to facilitate correction or retraction.

• Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit, without regard to authors' race, gender, nationality, religion, or institutional affiliation.
• Editors maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities during the review process.
• Editors must recuse themselves from processing manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.
• Editors investigate allegations of misconduct and take appropriate action, which may include retraction of published articles.
• Editors work to maintain a fair, transparent, and timely review process.

• Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts and may not share, discuss, or use them for personal advantage.
• Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and decline to review if such conflicts exist.
• Reviews should be objective, constructive, and respectful — personal criticism of authors is not acceptable.
• Reviewers must complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify editors as early as possible if they cannot.

• All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism prior to peer review.
• Manuscripts with a similarity index above 20% (excluding references) may be returned to authors for revision or rejected outright.
• Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism are treated seriously.
• Confirmed cases of plagiarism in published articles will result in retraction and notification of the authors' institutions.

• Erratum: Minor errors affecting data accuracy or interpretation are corrected with an erratum notice.
• Retraction: Articles with fundamental flaws, fraudulent data, or confirmed ethical violations will be retracted. Retraction notices will clearly explain the reason.
• Expression of Concern: Issued when an investigation is ongoing and readers should be aware of potential issues with a published work.

If you suspect research or publication misconduct in articles published or under review by Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, please contact the editorial office:

All reports are treated confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.