Publication Ethics

Introduction

Scientia Nexus: An International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and professional conduct throughout all stages of the editorial and publishing process.

The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board to adhere to internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices in scholarly publishing. All participants in the publication process share responsibility for ensuring the credibility, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently and exclusively on the basis of scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal’s scope, and contribution to knowledge.

Casa Editorial Setentrional, as the journal’s publisher, shall not interfere with editorial decisions regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts.

Duties of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Scientia Nexus must ensure that:

  • Submitted work is original and has not been previously published.
  • Manuscripts are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or publisher.
  • All sources, data, and references are properly cited.
  • Authorship accurately reflects the individuals who made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.
  • All co-authors have reviewed and approved the submitted version of the manuscript.
  • Data, results, and findings are presented honestly and without fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective reporting.
  • Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data has received appropriate ethical approval when required by applicable regulations.
  • Any use of artificial intelligence tools is disclosed in accordance with the journal’s policies.
  • The journal is promptly notified if a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered in a published work.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the study.

Practices such as:

  • Guest authorship;
  • Honorary authorship;
  • Gift authorship;
  • Ghost authorship;

are considered unethical and are not permitted.

The journal reserves the right to request clarification regarding individual author contributions at any stage of the editorial process.

Plagiarism and Similarity

Scientia Nexus maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying without proper attribution.
  • Inadequate paraphrasing.
  • Misappropriation of ideas, data, images, tables, or figures.
  • Self-plagiarism and redundant publication without appropriate disclosure.

All submissions may be screened using similarity-detection software.

Manuscripts found to contain substantial plagiarism may be rejected immediately or retracted if already published.

Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes:

  • Fabrication of data.
  • Falsification of results.
  • Manipulation of images or research materials.
  • Selective reporting intended to mislead readers.
  • Deliberate suppression of relevant findings.

Any allegation of misconduct will be investigated according to established editorial procedures and the principles of fairness, confidentiality, and due process.

Artificial Intelligence and Generative Tools

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with:

  • Language editing;
  • Translation;
  • Formatting;
  • Coding;
  • Data analysis.

Such use must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript.

Artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the content of a scholarly work.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and legality of all submitted content, regardless of the use of AI-assisted technologies.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, political, or other relationships that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their judgment.

Where a conflict of interest exists, appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure impartial evaluation and decision-making.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submitted materials.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest that may affect their evaluation.
  • Refrain from using unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal advantage.
  • Report suspected plagiarism, research misconduct, or ethical concerns to the editorial team.

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring fair and unbiased editorial decisions.
  • Preserving the confidentiality of submissions and peer-review reports.
  • Managing conflicts of interest appropriately.
  • Promoting academic integrity and ethical publishing practices.
  • Taking reasonable steps to identify and prevent misconduct.

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by:

  • Race;
  • Ethnicity;
  • Nationality;
  • Gender;
  • Religion;
  • Political beliefs;
  • Institutional affiliation;
  • Sexual orientation;
  • Age;
  • Disability;
  • Or any other non-scholarly consideration.

Peer Review Integrity

Scientia Nexus operates under a Double-Blind Peer Review system.

Authors and reviewers remain anonymous to one another throughout the evaluation process whenever reasonably possible.

Any attempt to compromise the integrity of peer review, including:

  • Reviewer impersonation;
  • Manipulation of reviewer recommendations;
  • Fraudulent peer-review practices;

constitutes serious ethical misconduct.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request to the editorial office.

Appeals will be evaluated independently, fairly, and transparently.

Complaints concerning editorial conduct, ethical issues, or procedural irregularities shall be investigated confidentially and impartially.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Where necessary, the journal may publish:

  • Corrections (Errata or Corrigenda);
  • Retractions;
  • Expressions of Concern.

Such actions will be undertaken when significant errors, ethical violations, or research misconduct affect the reliability or integrity of the scholarly record.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

The journal is committed to preserving the accessibility and integrity of the published scholarly record through appropriate long-term digital archiving and preservation practices.

Final Statement

Scientia Nexus is dedicated to fostering a culture of ethical scholarship, scientific integrity, transparency, accountability, and mutual respect within the global research community.

All participants in the publication process are expected to uphold these principles and contribute to the advancement of trustworthy, responsible, and socially relevant scientific communication.