The publication ethics of the Journal of Community Engagement are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, as outlined in the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. We have personalized these guidelines to align with our journal, covering areas such as Authorship, Complaints, Conflict of Interest Policy, Publication Ethics (for Authors, Editors, and Reviewers), Privacy Statement, Copyright, Publication Fees, About this Publishing System, Open Access Policy, Peer Review Process, and Disclaimer. For detailed information on these ethical considerations, please refer to the explanations provided below.

 

Publication Ethics - Authors

Reporting Standards: Original articles on community engagement should present accurate data based on the conducted activities and be supported by sufficient details and references, enabling others to cite the work.

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and if they have used the work and/or words of others, it has been appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Excessive, or Concurrent Publications: An author should not generally publish manuscripts that essentially describe the same community engagement article in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unethical publishing behavior that is not acceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others should always be given. Authors should cite influential publications in determining the nature of the reported work.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: All authors should disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that could be interpreted to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

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.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines and reporting standards, authors ensure the integrity and reliability of their community engagement articles, promoting responsible publication practices.

 

Publication Ethics - Editorial Team

Fair Play: The editor evaluates manuscripts based on their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality: The editor and editorial staff must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the appropriate publisher.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in the editor's own research without the written consent of the author.

Editorial Criteria: Editors, both local and international, should have published papers or manuscripts in the Journal, particularly in the field of Community Engagement. An editor can assist reviewers in providing feedback on manuscripts in addition to the reviewers' own reviews.

Publication Decisions: The editorial board is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal should be published. The significance and relevance of the work to researchers and readers should always guide such decisions. The editor may be guided by the journal's editorial board policy and is limited by legal requirements regarding defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may consult with other editors or reviewers in making these decisions.

Adhering to these ethical guidelines ensures the integrity and fairness of the editorial process, fostering a publication environment that is inclusive and unbiased.

 

Publication Ethics - Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer reviewers assist the editor in making editorial decisions, and through editorial communication with the authors, they can also help the authors improve their manuscripts.

Reviewer Criteria: Reviewers, both local and international, should have published papers or manuscripts in the Journal, particularly in the field of Community Engagement. Reviewers should have published articles with the same theme as the manuscript under review, or they should have a community engagement program with a similar theme.

Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Confidentiality: Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. They must not be shown or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Any privileged information or ideas obtained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have any conflicts of interest resulting from competition, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper.

Source Acknowledgment: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also bring to the editor's attention any similarities or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper that they are personally aware of.

Review Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within 1 to 2 months (maximum). The number of reviewers for each manuscript should be at least 2 and a maximum of 5.

Manuscript Review: Editors should ensure that each manuscript is initially evaluated for its originality. Editors should organize and use peer review fairly and wisely. Editors should explain their peer review process in the information for authors and also indicate which sections of the journal are reviewed. Editors should use appropriate peer reviewers for articles considered for publication, selecting individuals with sufficient expertise and avoiding those who have conflicts of interest.

Adhering to these ethical guidelines ensures the integrity and quality of the peer review process, promoting rigorous evaluation and constructive feedback for the improvement of manuscripts.