Ethics and Best Publishing Practices

The Cosmic Journal of Chemistry (CJC) maintains a strict Ethics and Best Publishing Practices policy to ensure research integrity, transparency, and academic quality. The journal aligns its policies with the core principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the benchmarks established by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

1. Plagiarism & Research Integrity

  • Zero-Tolerance Policy: CJC enforces a strict policy against all forms of research misconduct, including plagiarism, self-plagiarism (text recycling), data fabrication, and data falsification.

  • Screening Process: Every manuscript submitted undergoes automated similarity checks using plagiarism detection software (such as Turnitin) during initial desk screening.

  • Originality: Manuscripts must consist of completely original research that has not been published previously and is not concurrently under review elsewhere.

2. Peer Review & Editorial Integrity

  • Double-Blind Review: CJC operates a double-blind peer-review system. Identities of both authors and reviewers are kept completely confidential throughout the review process.

  • Fair Play: Editorial evaluations and publication decisions are made purely on scientific merit, relevance, and methodological soundness, free from discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

  • Confidentiality: All submitted materials, draft data, and peer-reviewer communications are handled as strictly confidential documents.

3. Authorship & Contributions

  • Qualification for Authorship: Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the study's design, execution, data analysis, or manuscript drafting.

  • Ghost & Guest Authorship: Listing honorary, gift, or guest authors, as well as omitting key contributors, is strictly prohibited.

  • Corresponding Author Role: The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors have approved the final submitted version and consented to submission.

4. Conflict of Interest & Funding

  • Transparency: Authors are required to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest (commercial partnerships, consultancies, patent filings) that could bias their research.

  • Funding Acknowledgments: All financial support, research grants, or institutional funding must be clearly declared in the manuscript's Acknowledgments or Funding section.

5. Handling Misconduct, Corrections, & Retractions

  • Allegation Investigations: In cases of alleged plagiarism, authorship disputes, or data manipulation, CJC follows official COPE flowcharts to conduct a formal investigation.

  • Post-Publication Measures:

    • Minor errors that do not affect research conclusions result in a published Corrigendum / Erratum.

    • Unresolved allegations or major flaws lead to an Expression of Concern.

    • Proven cases of severe misconduct, invalid data, or copyright violation result in a formal Article Retraction.

Key Policy Links