IMCC Journal of Science

IMCC Journal of Science is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and promoting ethical research practices. The journal adheres to the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers, ensuring that all aspects of the publication process are conducted with integrity and transparency. Any violation of the ethical procedures outlined here will result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript. The journal may also pursue legal action if deemed necessary.

Ethical Considerations for Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to IMCC Journal of Science must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

Objectivity and Accuracy: Authors must present their research findings objectively and accurately, providing sufficient detail and references to enable others to replicate their work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unacceptable and constitute unethical behavior.

Originality and Acknowledgment: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and that any use of others’ work is appropriately acknowledged. Plagiarism in any form is considered unethical publishing behavior and will not be tolerated.

Multi-Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unacceptable. Authors should not submit articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal.

Co-Authorship: The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have agreed to the final version of the manuscript and its submission for publication. All authors must have made substantial intellectual contributions to the submitted paper and are collectively responsible and accountable for the results.

After acceptance for publication, no changes to authorship or the order of authors will be accepted. Any request to change authorship must be justified in a letter addressed to the Chief Editor. The letter should clearly explain the rationale for the proposed change and provide supporting documentation if necessary.

Upon request from the editor, the authors must be prepared to provide relevant documents or data to verify the validity of the results.

Ethical Considerations for Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers of IMCC Journal of Science must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

Impartiality: Manuscripts must be evaluated solely on their academic merit, free from personal bias or conflicts of interest.

Confidentiality: Editors must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must not be used for personal gain.

Fair Review: Reviews should be conducted objectively and impartially, with clear observations and supporting arguments to guide authors in improving their work.

Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers should disclose any potential conflicts of interest, such as competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with the authors, institutions, or companies involved in the research.

Promptness: Reviewers should inform the editor promptly if they feel unqualified to review a manuscript or if they cannot complete the review within the specified timeframe.

Ethical Considerations for Human Subjects Research

IMCC Journal of Science will only publish research articles involving human subjects if the following conditions are met:

Compliance with Laws and Regulations: The authors must verify that they have followed all applicable laws and regulations concerning the protection of human subjects in research studies within the jurisdiction where the research was conducted.

IRB Approval: The research protocol must have been approved by the appropriate institutional review board (IRB). In the case of exempt research, the IRB must have deemed the protocol exempt, and documentation must be provided to IMCC Journal of Science upon request.

Editorial Board Approval: The Editorial Board of IMCC Journal of Science must determine that the research protocol provides sufficient protection for the human subjects involved before the article can be published.

Timeliness of Results

IMCC Journal of Science will not consider for publication manuscripts based on data sets where the last data point occurred more than five years prior to review by the journal. This policy is in place to ensure the timeliness of results published in the journal.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest, and the Editorial Board will determine whether the resolution of these conflicts is deemed favorable before accepting the manuscript for publication.

Policy for Investigating Complaints and Appeals

Upon receiving a complaint alleging copyright infringement, intellectual property rights violations, inaccuracies, libel, or illegality in a submission, IMCC Journal of Science will promptly initiate an investigation. This investigation will involve requesting substantiation of claims from both the complainant and the author. Following a thorough assessment, the Journal will make a good faith determination regarding the removal of the allegedly wrongful material. A decision to retain the material will signify the Journal’s belief that the complaint lacks sufficient merit or, if well-founded, that a legal defense or exemption applies, such as fair use in copyright cases or truthfulness in libel cases. IMCC Journal of Science will maintain a comprehensive record of all documents pertaining to the complaint and the subsequent investigation. 

Manuscripts rejected by an Associate Editor may be appealed to the Chief Editor. However, it is highly uncommon for the Chief Editor to overturn an Associate Editor’s rejection based on a blinded review.

Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern

IMCC Journal of Science recognizes the importance of clarity and accuracy in the scholarly record. To uphold these principles, the journal adheres to established guidelines for addressing errors, retracting flawed articles, and expressing concerns regarding published content.

Corrections. Minor errors in published articles may be rectified through corrigenda or errata. These corrections, authorized by the Chief Editor, inform readers of the error and provide a definitive solution. Corrigenda and errata are published as separate articles in the journal and linked to the original publication.

Retractions. Retractions are considered and implemented when an article contains severe errors that invalidate its conclusions or when there is evidence of publication malpractice, such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research. IMCC Journal of Science follows industry best practices and adheres to Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines in handling retractions:

1. A retraction note titled “Retraction: [article title]” is published in a subsequent issue of the journal. This note is signed by the authors and/or the editor and explicitly states the reason for retraction.
2. A link is established in the electronic version of the retraction note, directing readers to the original article.
3. The online version of the original article is preceded by a screen displaying the retraction notice. This screen serves as the landing page for the article, allowing readers to proceed to the retracted content with full awareness of its status.
4. The original article remains unchanged, except for a watermark on each page of the PDF indicating its retracted status.

Withdrawals. Authors may withdraw articles before they are formally accepted for publication. Additionally, Online First Articles (early versions of articles that may contain errors or accidental duplicates) may be withdrawn if they are found to violate journal publishing ethics guidelines. However, once an article has been published under a specific issue, it cannot be withdrawn.

Editorial Expressions of Concern. When substantial doubt arises regarding the integrity of a submitted or published article, journal editors may issue an expression of concern. This action is taken only if an investigation has proven inconclusive but strong indications of validity remain. In rare cases, an editorial expression of concern may be issued while an investigation is ongoing. Expressions of concern are linked to the relevant published article.

Article Removal: Legal Limitations. In extremely rare circumstances, an article may need to be removed from the online database. This will only occur if the article is clearly defamatory, infringes upon others’ legal rights, is the subject of a court order, or poses a serious health risk if acted upon. In such cases, the metadata (Title and Authors) will be retained, but the text will be replaced with a screen indicating the article’s removal for legal reasons.

Article Replacement. If an article poses a serious health risk but can be corrected, the authors may choose to retract the flawed original and replace it with a revised version. The retraction procedures will be followed, with the exception that the database retraction notice will include a link to the corrected re-published article and a detailed history of the document.