EDITOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Accountability: The editors of JOSVTE are responsible for deciding which articles to publish. They shall be guided by the journal’s editorial board policies and legal requirements. The editors shall take appropriate action regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism and may consult with other editors or reviewers in making decisions.

Impartiality: The reviewing process and publication decision would be impartial and not influenced by race, gender, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality: The editor(s) and any editorial staff must maintain confidentiality of the manuscript and 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.

Fair play: Editors should ensure the integrity of the publication review process by not disclosing the identity of authors of manuscripts to the reviewers, or the identity of reviewers to authors.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest: Manuscripts submitted for publication must not contain unpublished materials that an editor may use for their research without the written consent of the author. Confidential privileged information or ideas obtained during peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Editors must make impartial and unbiased decisions, without being influenced by commercial considerations, and ensure that the peer review process is fair and appropriate. Editors must disqualify themselves from considering manuscripts if they have any conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions involved in the papers. All contributors must disclose any relevant competing interests, and corrections will be published if competing interests are disclosed after publication. Other appropriate actions will be taken if necessary, such as publishing a retraction or expression of concern.

Involvement and cooperation in investigations: The Editors of JOSVTE are committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the published record. They will issue corrections and retractions as needed, and investigate any suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct. The Editors are tasked with investigating reviewer and editorial misconduct and will take responsive measures if ethical complaints are raised about a submitted manuscript or published paper. These measures may include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration to the complaint or claims made. Further communications may be made with relevant institutions and research bodies, and if the complaint is upheld, a correction, retraction, expression of concern or another relevant note will be published. It is important to investigate every reported act of unethical publishing behaviour, even if it is discovered years after publication.

Plagiarism Detection

Prevention of plagiarism is essential as it provides scientific and academic integrity. Hence, JOSVTE uses the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection for checking plagiarism.

In case of plagiarism, misuse of published articles, and/or illegal distribution of research papers, the journal immediately takes the necessary actions to control and prevent any unethical action.