Ethical aspects and Editorial Responsibilities

Ethical Standards and Editorial Integrity

At Applied Journal of Digital Innovation (AJDI), published by Reincisol Publishing, the integrity of academic content and the transparency of the publication process are fundamental.
AJDI adheres to the ethical standards and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/).
This policy outlines the core principles guiding our editorial conduct, peer review process, and publication ethics.

1. Research Integrity

AJDI maintains the highest standards of integrity in research and publication. All authors and editors are expected to adhere to the following core principles:

  • Honesty: Transparency in methods, findings, and data presentation.

  • Rigor: Careful and precise application of research methods.

  • Transparency: Clear communication of processes, results, and limitations.

  • Respect: Ethical treatment of participants and acknowledgment of all contributors.

  • Responsibility: Accountability for the reliability and accuracy of research work.

If any individual believes that a published article does not meet these principles, they may contact the editorial team at editor@reincisol.com. Concerns will be handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE’s procedures (COPE Guidelines).

2. Editorial Process and Independence

  • The editorial process at AJDI operates under strict editorial independence.

  • Decisions are made solely based on academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

  • No external influence, including commercial or institutional interests, affects editorial decisions.

  • AJDI promotes diversity, inclusion, and fairness in all aspects of publication, without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, belief, or nationality.

3. Peer Review Integrity

Peer review is essential to maintaining the scientific and academic quality of AJDI publications.

  • AJDI follows a double-blind peer review model.

  • Reviewers are selected for their expertise and independence.

  • Confidentiality is guaranteed throughout the process.

  • Reviewers must provide objective, respectful, and evidence-based evaluations.

Generative AI tools must not be used for review decision-making. Editorial judgment and human expertise remain the foundation of the evaluation process.

4. Authorship and Contributions

AJDI recognizes differences in authorship practices across disciplines but recommends the following principles based on the ICMJE criteria:

  1. Substantial contribution to the conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of data.

  2. Drafting or critical revision of the article for intellectual content.

  3. Final approval of the version to be published.

  4. Accountability for all aspects of the work.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication during submission, peer review, and post-publication queries.
All listed affiliations must correspond to institutions that supported or approved the research.

5. Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

AJDI has zero tolerance for plagiarism.
Plagiarism includes the use of text, data, or ideas without appropriate citation or permission.
All submissions are screened with iThenticate before peer review.
Duplicate or redundant publication (self-plagiarism) where substantial content overlaps with prior work  is not permitted and will result in rejection.

If plagiarism is detected after publication, the journal will issue a retraction or correction in accordance with COPE guidelines (COPE Retraction Guidelines).

6. Ethical Approval for Human and Animal Research

Studies involving humans or animals must comply with international ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki (https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/).
Authors must provide:

  • Institutional ethics committee approval.

  • Informed consent from human participants.

  • Details of clinical trial registration (if applicable, e.g., clinicaltrials.gov).

7. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Authors, editors, and reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest (financial, academic, or personal).
If no conflict exists, authors must include the statement:

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

If a conflict exists, authors must disclose it using the ICMJE Conflict of Interest Form (ICMJE COI Form).
Funding sources must be clearly acknowledged in the manuscript.

8. Data Transparency and Reproducibility

AJDI promotes open science and data transparency.
Authors are encouraged to deposit supporting data, code, and materials in public repositories such as Zenodo, OSF, or GitHub.
Authors must retain accurate records to enable verification and replication of their findings.

9. Handling Research Misconduct and Fraud Prevention

AJDI takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously, including fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, and unethical data use.
The journal follows COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines (COPE 2019.1.12) for investigation and resolution.
If fraud is confirmed, the article will be retracted and the author’s institution may be notified.

10. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors at AJDI are responsible for maintaining the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the publication process.
Their main duties include:

  • Making publication decisions based on scholarly value and reviewer feedback.

  • Ensuring impartial and timely peer review.

  • Upholding confidentiality and preventing bias.

  • Avoiding the use of AI-assisted tools for editorial decision-making.

  • Declaring any conflicts of interest and recusing themselves when necessary.

Editors must not participate in decisions involving their own work or that of close collaborators or relatives.

11. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and rigor of AJDI publications. They must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and respectful evaluations.

  • Maintain confidentiality and avoid sharing manuscripts.

  • Report ethical concerns or suspected plagiarism to the editor.

  • Declare conflicts of interest and decline reviews when necessary.

  • Submit evaluations within agreed deadlines.

12. Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure the accuracy and originality of their submissions.
They are responsible for:

  • Submitting only original work not under review elsewhere.

  • Properly citing all external sources.

  • Disclosing use of AI-assisted writing tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly) in the Methods section, specifying that these tools did not replace human judgment.

  • Avoiding image manipulation that misrepresents data.

  • Complying with relevant reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT for clinical trials: EQUATOR Network).

  • Promptly notifying the editor of any post-publication errors and cooperating in corrections or retractions.

13. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

The editorial team will consider retractions or corrections in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines (https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.4).
Corrections will be issued for minor errors, while retractions will address major ethical or data integrity issues.

14. Communication and Promotion Ethics

AJDI ensures that all marketing, email communication, and social media promotion uphold the integrity of academic content.
Editorial decisions remain entirely independent from promotional activities.
All outreach efforts respect the principles of academic transparency and intellectual honesty.

15. Transparency and Global Adaptation

AJDI follows COPE’s Principles of Transparency and Best Practices in Scholarly Publishing (https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.12).
We recognize the importance of cultural and regional contexts in digital innovation and may adapt certain policies to local standards without compromising ethical or scientific rigor.