Publication Ethics

The Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences (SFS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Our policies align with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the publication process.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and has not been published elsewhere or submitted to multiple journals simultaneously.

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper citation of all referenced work is mandatory. Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited.

  • Authorship: All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the research. The order of authorship must be agreed upon by all co-authors.

  • Disclosure of Conflicts: Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research or its interpretation.

  • Data Accuracy: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data presented. Fabrication or manipulation of data is considered unethical.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not disclose any part of the content to others.

  • Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively and provide constructive feedback without personal criticism of the authors.

  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

  • Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to complete their reviews within the agreed timeframe.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial or personal interests.

  • Fair Evaluation: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and originality.

  • Confidentiality: Editors maintain the confidentiality of all submissions and the identity of reviewers.

  • Handling Misconduct: The editorial team will investigate any ethical concerns raised and will take appropriate action, which may include retraction, correction, or informing the authors’ institutions.

4. Handling of Misconduct

SFS takes academic misconduct seriously, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, and unethical research. When misconduct is suspected:

  • A formal investigation is initiated.

  • Authors are given an opportunity to respond.

  • If confirmed, actions may include rejection or retraction of the article, notification to institutions, and blacklisting of authors from future submissions.

5. Retraction and Correction Policy

  • Retraction: Published articles will be retracted if found to violate ethical standards.

  • Correction: Honest errors will be corrected promptly with an erratum or corrigendum in a subsequent issue.