Publishing Ethics

The Journal of Technology Innovation and Society (JTIS) adheres to internationally recognized standards for publication ethics and professional conduct throughout the editorial process. This policy is guided by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and general best practices in scholarly publishing.

  1. Publication Ethics Overview

JTIS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical behavior. All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — are expected to uphold these standards.

  1. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to JTIS must:

  • Ensure the originality of the submitted work and that it has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part.
  • Disclose any sources, funding, and financial support.
  • Accurately cite and reference the work of others.
  • Confirm that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest that may bias the work or interpretation of data.

Authors must provide a signed Ethics Declaration if required, and abide by ethical guidelines regarding human/animal data compliance where relevant.

  1. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide constructive, objective, and timely evaluations.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all review materials.
  • Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review if a conflict exists.
  • Avoid any use of unpublished data for personal research or advantage.
  • Ensure their comments are professional, respectful, and fair.
  1. Editor and Editorial Board Responsibilities

Editors and editorial board members must:

  • Manage manuscripts fairly and objectively.
  • Recuse themselves from handling papers with conflicts of interest.
  • Ensure that ethical guidelines are followed throughout the review and publication process.
  • Uphold confidentiality and avoid sharing unpublished information.
  1. Conflicts of Interest (COI)

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflict of interest — whether financial, personal, professional, or academic — that could influence the interpretation or evaluation of the work. These disclosures must be made at the time of submission or review.

  1. Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Screening

JTIS routinely screens all submissions using similarity detection tools (e.g., iThenticate or equivalent). Manuscripts exceeding acceptable similarity thresholds or containing evidence of plagiarism may be rejected immediately. Self-plagiarism, duplication of published figures, tables, or text without proper attribution will also be treated as misconduct.

  1. Publication Misconduct and Sanctions

Publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism or self-plagiarism
  • Data falsification or fabrication
  • Duplicate submission/publication
  • Unethical research practices
  • Misrepresentation of authorship

When misconduct is identified before publication, the manuscript may be rejected. After publication, the journal may issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

  1. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

When errors are identified post-publication:

  • Errata / Correction Notices will be issued for minor errors that do not alter interpretation.
  • Retractions will be issued for serious errors or proven misconduct.
  • Expressions of Concern may be published if investigations are inconclusive but significant concerns remain.

All notices will be linked to the original publication and indexed accordingly.

  1. Handling Complaints and Appeals

Authors who believe their manuscript was handled improperly or unfairly may appeal in writing to the Editor-in-Chief, stating grounds for appeal. The appeal will be reviewed by senior editors or an ethics committee when appropriate. The decision upon appeal is final.

  1. Ethics Declaration and Consent Forms

Where relevant, authors must provide:

  • Research ethics committee approval (for human subjects)
  • Informed consent statements
  • Data availability and code availability statements (if applicable)