Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy

The Journal of Creative Arts (JCA) is committed to responsible scholarly publishing, research integrity, editorial independence and transparency. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members and the publisher to act fairly, responsibly and professionally throughout the submission, peer review and publication processes.

JCA follows the principles and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Core Practices and relevant COPE guidelines and flowcharts. These provide guidance for addressing publication ethics concerns and suspected misconduct where applicable.

This statement provides the overarching ethical framework for JCA. It should be read together with the journal's other policies and guidelines. Specific procedures are provided in the relevant dedicated policies.

1. Editorial Responsibilities

The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board are responsible for maintaining a fair, consistent and transparent editorial process.

Editors are expected to:

  • evaluate submissions based on scholarly or creative merit, originality, quality, relevance to the journal's aims and scope and other appropriate academic considerations;
  • maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and editorial correspondence;
  • ensure that manuscripts are handled through the journal's established peer review process;
  • manage actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest appropriately;
  • apply the journal's policies consistently and fairly;
  • address credible concerns about research or publication misconduct; and
  • take appropriate action when an error or ethical concern affects the published record.

Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial, financial or personal interests.

Where an editor has a conflict of interest, responsibility for the manuscript will be transferred to an appropriate editor who is not involved in the conflict.

2. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy and integrity of their submissions.

Authors are expected to:

  • submit original work that is not under consideration by another journal;
  • present research, creative work, methods, sources and findings accurately;
  • acknowledge and cite the work and ideas of others appropriately;
  • avoid plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication and other forms of inappropriate overlap;
  • ensure that data, findings and other research materials are not fabricated or falsified;
  • ensure that authorship accurately reflects substantial contributions to the work;
  • obtain permission for copyrighted or otherwise protected material where required;
  • disclose relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding or other support where applicable;
  • comply with applicable research ethics and institutional requirements; and
  • inform the journal if a significant error is identified in a submitted or published work.

Authors are expected to cooperate with reasonable requests from the journal concerning the accuracy, integrity or ethical aspects of their work.

Further requirements for manuscript preparation and submission are provided in the Author Guidelines.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the work. All listed authors should have contributed meaningfully to the work, approved the final version and agreed to its submission.

Guest, honorary and ghost authorship are not acceptable.

Any request to add, remove or change the order of authors after submission must be justified and may require confirmation from all affected authors.

Where applicable, JCA may request information about individual contributions to clarify authorship and contributorship.

4. Peer Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers contribute to the quality and integrity of the editorial process. Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive and evidence based assessments;
  • maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and information obtained during review;
  • identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately acknowledged, where applicable;
  • inform the editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication or other ethical concerns;
  • disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest;
  • decline a review when they do not have the appropriate expertise or cannot provide an impartial assessment; and
  • complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or inform the editorial office when this is not possible.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information or ideas obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Detailed procedures for peer review are provided in the Peer Review Policy.

5. Research Ethics and Integrity

Authors are responsible for conducting research in accordance with applicable institutional, professional, national and international ethical requirements.

Where applicable, research involving human participants, personal or sensitive information, animals or other ethically sensitive subjects should have the required ethical approval and informed consent. Relevant information should be reported in the manuscript when appropriate.

JCA may request evidence of ethical approval, informed consent or other supporting documentation when necessary.

Authors should protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants and should not publish personally identifiable information without appropriate consent or another valid basis.

Authors are also responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data, sources, evidence and other materials supporting their work. Where appropriate, the journal may request supporting information to clarify or verify published work.

6. Generative Artificial Intelligence

JCA recognises that generative artificial intelligence and other AI assisted technologies may be used in scholarly and creative work where appropriate.

AI tools do not qualify for authorship and must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of their submissions, including content produced or assisted by AI tools.

Any required disclosure concerning the use of generative AI is governed by the Use of Generative AI Policy.

Publication Malpractice

JCA does not tolerate publication misconduct. Concerns may arise before or after publication and will be considered according to the circumstances of each case.

Publication misconduct may include:

  • plagiarism and inappropriate text recycling;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • fabrication or falsification of data or findings;
  • inappropriate manipulation of research materials or results;
  • citation manipulation;
  • authorship manipulation;
  • peer review manipulation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • misuse of confidential information;
  • unethical research practices; and
  • other conduct that may compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.

JCA distinguishes between deliberate misconduct, honest error and legitimate scholarly disagreement when considering concerns.

1. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

JCA may use similarity detection software as part of its manuscript screening process.

A similarity report is a screening tool and is not, by itself, evidence of plagiarism. The editorial team considers the nature, extent and context of any identified overlap before deciding on appropriate action.

Cases involving plagiarism or inappropriate text overlap are handled in accordance with the Plagiarism Policy.

2. Handling Allegations

Credible concerns about research or publication misconduct will be assessed by the editorial team.

Depending on the circumstances, JCA may:

  1. conduct an initial assessment of the concern;
  2. request clarification or a response from the relevant party;
  3. seek additional information or expert advice where necessary;
  4. consult the relevant institution or other appropriate authority where required; and
  5. take proportionate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Relevant COPE guidance and flowcharts may be used when addressing publication ethics cases.

3. Corrections and Retractions

JCA is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

When a published article contains an error or raises a significant integrity concern, the journal may publish an appropriate notice, including a Correction, Expression of Concern or Retraction, depending on the circumstances.

Where appropriate, post publication notices will clearly identify the affected article and explain the reason for the action.

Detailed procedures are provided in the Correction and Retraction Policy.

Authors are expected to inform the journal if they identify a significant error in their published work.

4. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers and editors should disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their judgement or responsibilities.

Conflicts may include financial, professional, institutional, personal or other relevant interests.

Where a conflict exists, JCA will take appropriate steps to maintain an independent and impartial editorial or peer review process.

Detailed requirements are provided in the Conflict of Interest Policy.

5. Complaints and Appeals

JCA provides a mechanism for authors and other relevant stakeholders to raise legitimate concerns about editorial processes or publication ethics.

Authors may appeal an editorial decision by providing clear reasons and relevant supporting information. Appeals will be considered objectively and, where practicable, by an editor or Editorial Board member who was not directly involved in the original decision.

An appeal does not guarantee that the original decision will be changed.

6. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher supports JCA in maintaining responsible publishing practices and the integrity of the scholarly record.

The publisher:

  • respects the editorial independence of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board;
  • provides appropriate publishing and technical support;
  • supports the implementation of the journal's policies;
  • supports the preservation and correction of the published record; and
  • works with the editorial team when significant publication ethics or research integrity concerns arise.

The publisher does not normally interfere with editorial decisions concerning individual submissions.

7. Policy Integration

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement provides the overarching ethical framework for JCA and should be read together with the journal's other policies and guidelines.

Related JCA Policies

For detailed information on specific publication and ethical matters, authors, reviewers and editors are encouraged to refer to the relevant JCA policies, including:

  • Plagiarism Policy – requirements for plagiarism screening and the handling of inappropriate text overlap;
  • Peer Review Policy – peer review procedures, reviewer responsibilities and review management;
  • Correction, Retraction and withdrawal Policy – procedures for corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retractions;
  • Conflict of Interest Policy – disclosure and management of conflicts of interest;
  • Use of Generative AI Policy – responsible use and disclosure of generative AI; and
  • Copyright and Licensing Policy – copyright, licensing, permissions and related intellectual property matters.

These policies are intended to work together. This statement sets out the journal's overarching ethical principles, while the relevant dedicated policies provide specific procedures for particular matters.