At the International Journal of Digital Research (IJDR), we are committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. We adhere to the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other international guidelines to ensure the integrity of the research we publish. Our ethical framework applies to all parties involved in the publication process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal itself.

Responsibilities of Authors

1. Originality and Plagiarism:
   • Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and that any text, data, or ideas from other sources are properly cited and attributed.
   • Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, is unacceptable. All submissions are screened using anti-plagiarism software.
2. Data Integrity and Reproducibility:
   • Authors should provide accurate and reliable data. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes unethical behavior and will result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript.
   • Authors are encouraged to share data, code, and materials to promote transparency and reproducibility.
3. Authorship and Contributions:
   • All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the research and approved the final version of the manuscript.
   • Any changes to the authorship list after submission must be justified and agreed upon by all parties.
4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest:
   • Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.
5. Multiple or Concurrent Submissions:
   • Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable. Authors must wait for a final decision from IJDR before submitting elsewhere.
6. Acknowledgment of Sources:
   • Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is required. Authors should cite all relevant publications that have influenced their research.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Confidentiality:
   • Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. They should not share or discuss the content with others without permission from the editor.
2. Objectivity and Constructiveness:
   • Reviews should be conducted objectively, without personal bias. Criticism should be constructive and aimed at improving the quality of the manuscript.
3. Timeliness:
   • Reviewers are expected to complete their evaluations within the agreed timeframe. If delays are anticipated, they should notify the editor promptly.
4. Conflict of Interest:
   • Reviewers should decline to review a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest that could affect their judgment.

Responsibilities of Editors

1. Fairness and Impartiality:
   • Editors evaluate manuscripts based on their academic merit, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
2. Confidentiality:
   • Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and other editorial advisors.
3. Decision-Making:
   • Editors are responsible for making final decisions on submissions, guided by the reviewers’ recommendations and the journal’s policies.
4. Transparency and Corrections:
   • Editors will promptly address ethical concerns, investigate allegations of misconduct, and publish corrections, clarifications, or retractions when necessary.

Handling Ethical Issues

• Allegations of Misconduct:
  IJDR takes all allegations of research misconduct seriously. We follow COPE guidelines to investigate issues such as plagiarism, data fabrication, and authorship disputes.
• Retractions and Corrections:
  If ethical violations are confirmed, we will retract the article or publish a correction, depending on the severity of the issue. A notice will be prominently displayed to inform readers.

Ethical Guidelines for Editorial Team Submissions

The IJDR welcomes submissions from editorial team members but ensures fairness by applying strict procedures:

1. Editorial Team Member Submits

   • The author submits normally. The Editor-in-Chief removes all author information and sends the anonymized manuscript to two reviewers (internal or external). Reviewers do not know the author’s identity. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision based on reviews.

2. Editorial Board Member Submits

   • The same process applies: the Editor-in-Chief anonymizes the manuscript and sends it to two independent reviewers (preferably external). The Editor-in-Chief oversees the decision, and the Editorial Board member is excluded from discussions about their submission.

3. Editor-in-Chief Submits

   • The Editor-in-Chief sends their manuscript to an Editorial Board member. The Board member anonymizes it and assigns it to two reviewers (external reviewers are preferred). This role is part of the Editorial Board member’s regular duties, as they also handle submissions when the Editor-in-Chief is unavailable (e.g., illness, vacation, or other commitments). The Board member makes the final decision, not the Editor-in-Chief.

IJDR follows global ethical standards to ensure fairness and trust.

Commitment to Integrity

IJDR is dedicated to fostering a culture of ethical research and publication. We encourage all stakeholders to report any concerns or violations of these principles to [editor@ijdr.net]. Together, we can uphold the integrity of academic research and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the digital age.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the published texts are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board of the journal. The authors bear full responsibility for the content and ideas presented in their contributions.