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Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Frontiers in Emerging Computer Science and Information Technology (FECSIT)

eISSN: 2978-3712

1. Introduction & Core Principles

Frontiers in Emerging Computer Science and Information Technology (FECSIT) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, intellectual rigor, editorial independence, and scientific integrity. Maintaining public trust and academic credibility across computer science, artificial intelligence, software engineering, cybersecurity, data analytics, and emerging information technology research requires that authors, editors, peer reviewers, and publishers strictly adhere to standardized ethical conduct.

FECSIT operates in strict accordance with the core practices, guidelines, and flowcharts established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the standards prescribed for indexing in Scopus and other global abstracting and indexing databases.

2. Duties & Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting their manuscripts to FECSIT must ensure total transparency, compliance, and adherence to the following scientific standards:

  • Originality & Novelty: Manuscripts submitted to FECSIT must represent entirely original research that has not been previously published elsewhere (in full or in part) and is not currently under consideration by any other journal, book chapter, or conference proceedings platform.

  • Data Transparency & Integrity: Authors must present accurate empirical or theoretical data, precise algorithmic methodologies, reproducible code frameworks, and objective interpretations of their research findings. Fabricating, falsifying, or selectively omitting data is strictly prohibited. Raw datasets, source code, execution logs, and experimental setups must be retained and made available upon reasonable request from editors or reviewers.

  • Proper Attribution & Referencing: Credit must be explicitly given to all source material, prior research, theoretical architectures, and third-party software libraries used. External work must be cited accurately according to standard academic referencing styles.

  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose all potential financial, commercial, personal, or institutional conflicts of interest that might bias or appear to influence the research design, system development, analysis, or conclusions.

  • Funding Statements: All financial support, research grants, hardware/cloud infrastructure sponsorships, or corporate funding received for conducting the study must be explicitly acknowledged in the manuscript.

  • Use of Generative AI Tools: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) or automated code generators, must be clearly disclosed in the Methods or Acknowledgments section. AI tools do not meet authorship criteria and cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

  • Post-Publication Obligations: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the Handling Editor or Editor-in-Chief and cooperate fully to publish an erratum, corrigendum, or retraction notice.

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3. Originality, Plagiarism & Research Misconduct

FECSIT maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding academic dishonesty, unethical practices, and research misconduct. Every manuscript undergoes automated plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin / iThenticate) prior to initial editorial evaluation.

The journal strictly prohibits:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, pseudocode, algorithms, or system architectures verbatim from another source without quotation marks and appropriate citation.

  • Mosaic & Paraphrased Plagiarism: Rephrasing or restructuring concepts, code blocks, or empirical findings from third-party sources without clear attribution.

  • Self-Plagiarism & Text Recycling: Reusing substantial sections of the author’s own previously published papers or conference proceedings without disclosure or citation.

  • Data Fabrication & Falsification: Inventing false empirical datasets, manipulating performance benchmark outputs, or altering system evaluations to support false claims.

  • Image & Diagram Manipulation: Modifying visual data representations (such as architecture diagrams, network topologies, or execution charts) in a way that alters the underlying scientific truth.

Consequence of Misconduct: Confirmed instances of deliberate research misconduct or plagiarism exceeding the allowable threshold (typically >15% overall similarity, excluding references and standard technical terminology) will result in immediate desk rejection, formal notification to the authors' affiliated institutions, and a temporary or permanent ban on future submissions.

4. Authorship Criteria & Acknowledgment

Authorship credit must accurately reflect meaningful intellectual and scholarly contributions to the manuscript. FECSIT adheres strictly to COPE and international authorship standards.

Authorship Eligibility

To be listed as an author, an individual must meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial contributions to the conceptualization, system design, algorithm development, data collection, empirical execution, or theoretical framing of the study.

  2. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content.

  3. Approval of the final version of the manuscript to be published.

  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Acknowledgments & Contributors

Individuals who contributed to the study (e.g., computational infrastructure support, basic coding assistance, language editing, formatting, or general administrative supervision) but do not meet all four authorship criteria must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section, rather than named as co-authors.

5. Duties & Responsibilities of Editors

The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board of FECSIT maintain absolute independence and responsibility for all publication decisions:

  • Fair & Impartial Evaluation: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scientific quality, technical rigor, algorithmic validity, originality, clarity, and relevance to emerging computer science and information technology scholarship. Evaluations are completely free from bias regarding the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, geographic origin, religious beliefs, political views, or institutional affiliation.

  • Editorial Independence: Decisions to accept or reject a manuscript are entirely independent of commercial considerations, publisher influences, or Article Processing Charge (APC) payment status. Acceptance cannot be purchased or guaranteed under any circumstances.

  • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must safeguard the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and must not disclose details to anyone other than the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, and editorial advisers.

  • Handling Conflicts of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from evaluating manuscripts in which they have competing interests arising from direct collaborative, commercial, financial, or personal relationships with any of the authors. Contact the Editorial Office at editor@irjernet.com for ethical inquiries.

6. Duties & Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer review is the foundation of scholarly publishing integrity. Reviewers invited by FECSIT must fulfill the following duties:

  • Objective & Constructive Critique: Reviews should be conducted objectively, impartially, and constructively. Reviewers should clearly express their technical evaluations with supporting arguments and avoid personal or derogatory comments against authors.

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all assigned manuscripts and source files as strictly confidential documents. Un-published manuscript details, algorithms, datasets, or code must not be shared, discussed, or utilized for personal research gain.

  • Promptness: Invited reviewers must respond promptly to review requests and complete evaluations within the specified timeframe. If a reviewer feels unqualified or unable to review within the deadline, they should notify the editor immediately.

  • Identification of Ethical Issues: Reviewers must alert the Handling Editor if they detect substantial overlaps with previously published works, suspected data/code fabrication, lack of ethical compliance, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

7. Double-Blind Peer Review Integrity

To eliminate potential unconscious biases, FECSIT strictly enforces a Double-Blind Peer Review process.

  • The identities of the authors are withheld from the peer reviewers throughout the process.

  • The identities of the peer reviewers are concealed from the authors.

Peer Review Outcomes

Following external review, the handling editor renders one of four standard decisions:

  1. Accept without Revision

  2. Minor Revisions Required

  3. Major Revisions Required (Subject to mandatory re-evaluation)

  4. Reject

The Editor-in-Chief retains final authority and responsibility for all editorial decisions.

8. Article Processing Charge (APC) Policy & Editorial Independence

FECSIT operates as an Open Access journal to ensure immediate worldwide reach for published research. To support digital infrastructure, copyediting, typesetting, DOI registration, and long-term archiving, an Article Processing Charge (APC) applies to accepted papers.

  • Separation of Editorial Decisions and Billing: APC policies are managed completely separate from editorial decision-making. Editors and reviewers evaluate manuscripts without access to financial or APC status.

  • No Charge for Submission or Review: Submission and initial peer review evaluation carry no fees. APC requirements apply only after formal peer review completion and final editorial acceptance.

  • Editorial Autonomy: Payment of an APC does not influence peer review outcomes or guarantee acceptance. Acceptance is earned strictly through scientific quality and technical rigor.

9. Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern

FECSIT is dedicated to maintaining the permanent accuracy, completeness, and integrity of the scholarly record. Post-publication issues are handled in strict compliance with COPE guidelines:

  • Errata / Corrigenda: Published when minor honest errors, typos, code misprints, or inadvertently omitted disclosures occur that do not alter the main scientific findings or validity of the published paper.

  • Expressions of Concern: Issued by the Editor-in-Chief if a formal investigation into potential research misconduct, code plagiarism, or data manipulation is ongoing, but definitive evidence is not yet available.

  • Retractions: Executed in severe cases of confirmed plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, unauthorized use of proprietary software/data, or flawed technical conclusions that render the work unreliable. A formal Retraction Notice will be attached to the original article detailing the precise grounds for retraction.

10. Appeals, Complaints & Editorial Governance

  • Appeals: Authors who believe their manuscript was rejected due to a factual misunderstanding or technical error may submit a formal appeal to the Editorial Office at editor@irjernet.com within 14 days of the decision. Appeals must provide detailed, evidence-based responses addressing the specific points raised by reviewers and editors.

  • Complaints: Allegations regarding editorial misconduct, reviewer bias, or breaches of ethical standards should be addressed directly to the Editor-in-Chief at editor@irjernet.com. Complaints are thoroughly, confidentially, and impartially investigated following established COPE flowcharts.

11. Digital Archiving & Open Access Policy

FECSIT is a fully Open Access journal operating under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. All articles are published and immediately made freely available to the global academic community.

To ensure long-term preservation and permanent digital availability, FECSIT's published content is archived across digital repository systems, institutional archives, and permanent Crossref DOI metadata registers, ensuring accessibility even if the journal ceases operation.

12. Contact Information

For questions regarding publication ethics, reports of scientific misconduct, or inquiries about editorial policies, please contact the Editorial Office: