Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity in scholarly publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as the ethical standards required by the Thai Journal Citation Index Centre (TCI).

            All parties involved in the publication process, including editors, reviewers, and authors, are expected to adhere strictly to ethical standards in academic publishing. The journal aims to prevent research misconduct such as plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and conflicts of interest, while promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in scholarly communication.

Plagiarism Screening

            Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University screens all submitted manuscripts for plagiarism and text similarity prior to the peer-review process to ensure originality, academic integrity, and the quality of published research. The journal employs CopyCatch (Copyright, Academic Work, and Thesis Checking System), a plagiarism detection system developed by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thailand. CopyCatch analyzes and compares Thai and English documents against academic databases and online sources to identify text similarity, duplicate publication, and potential plagiarism. This screening process serves as an important mechanism for maintaining the integrity and reliability of scholarly publications.

            The journal requires submitted manuscripts to have a Similarity Index of no more than 20%. However, editorial decisions are based not only on the similarity score but also on the nature, extent, and context of the overlapping content. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, inappropriate citation practices, duplicate publication, or other forms of academic misconduct may be returned to the authors for revision, clarification, or rejected at the discretion of the editorial board.

            The journal promotes responsible, transparent, and verifiable research practices and has established ethical guidelines for all parties involved in the publication process to ensure that published articles meet internationally accepted academic and ethical standards.

            The publication ethics guidelines of Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University are established to define the ethical standards, transparency, and responsibilities of all parties involved in the scholarly publishing process. These guidelines encompass the Duties of Editors, Duties of Reviewers, Duties of Authors, Ethics for Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects, the Generative AI Policy, and the procedures for Handling Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that the journal operates in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The details of these ethical guidelines are presented below.

Duties of Editors and Editorial Board

            Editors and the editorial board of Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University are responsible for ensuring that the publication process is conducted in accordance with high academic standards and publication ethics. The editors are required to follow the principles outlined below:

            1. Fair Evaluation: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on their academic merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, religion, or political beliefs.
            2. Initial Screening: Editors should conduct a preliminary assessment of submitted manuscripts to ensure that they meet the journal’s format, quality standards, and scope, and that they have not been previously published or submitted elsewhere.
            3. Peer Review Management: Editors must assign qualified and independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript. The review process follows a double-blind peer review system to ensure fairness and objectivity.
            4. Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and must not disclose any information regarding the manuscript to individuals not involved in the review process.
            5. Publication Decisions: Decisions to accept or reject manuscripts should be based on reviewers’ evaluations, the scholarly merit of the work, and the journal’s editorial policies.
            6. Conflict of Interest: Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest with authors, reviewers, or related institutions.
            7. Plagiarism Detection: Editors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are checked for plagiarism and similarity using appropriate software. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism or unethical practices will be rejected or handled according to the journal’s ethical policies.
            8. Integrity of the Published Record: If ethical concerns or errors are identified after publication, editors must take appropriate action, including issuing corrections or retracting the article when necessary.
            9. Transparency and Accountability: Editors are responsible for overseeing the entire editorial process and ensuring that the publication process is transparent, fair, and consistent with established academic and ethical standards.

 

Duties of Reviewers

            Reviewers of Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University play an essential role in maintaining the academic quality of the journal by evaluating submitted manuscripts and assisting editors in making publication decisions. Reviewers are expected to follow the ethical guidelines below:

            1. Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts and related information as confidential and must not disclose any part of the manuscript to individuals not involved in the review process.
            2. Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from academic collaboration, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, or other factors that may influence their judgment.
            3. Objective and Academic Evaluation: Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts objectively based on academic merit, originality, clarity, research methodology, and relevance to the journal’s scope, without personal bias.
            4. Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide constructive comments and suggestions to help authors improve the quality and clarity of their manuscripts.
            5. Detection of Plagiarism or Similarity: Reviewers should inform the editor immediately if they identify substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other published works.
            6. No Personal Use of Unpublished Material: Reviewers must not use any information, data, or ideas obtained during the peer review process for personal advantage or research purposes.
            7. Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the specified timeframe. If they are unable to review the manuscript in time, they must notify the editor promptly.
            8. Reporting Ethical Concerns: Reviewers should inform the editor if they suspect any form of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, or citation manipulation.

 

Duties of Authors

            Authors submitting manuscripts to Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University must adhere to ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Authors are expected to follow the guidelines below:

            1. Originality of the Work: Submitted manuscripts must be original and must not have been previously published or be under consideration by another journal or conference.
            2. Avoidance of Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work does not involve plagiarism or self-plagiarism. Proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources must be provided.
            3. Accuracy of Research Data: Authors must present research findings accurately and transparently without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. Authors should be prepared to provide raw data when requested.
            4. Authorship Criteria: Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript before submission.
            5. Disclosure of Funding and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose all sources of research funding and declare any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation or presentation of their work.
            6. Compliance with Journal Guidelines: Authors must prepare manuscripts according to the journal’s author guidelines and follow all submission and review procedures.
            7. Disclosure of AI Use: If generative AI tools are used during manuscript preparation, authors must clearly disclose their use. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the content.
            8. Human and Animal Research Ethics: Research involving human participants or animals must receive approval from an appropriate ethics committee, and this approval must be stated in the manuscript.
            9. Correction of Errors: If authors discover significant errors in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article when necessary.
            10. Respect for the Peer Review Process: Authors should respond to reviewers’ comments respectfully and revise their manuscripts appropriately to improve the quality of the work.

 

Ethics for Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects

            Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University is committed to promoting ethical research practices and ensuring respect for human participants, animal welfare, and societal responsibility. Research involving human participants or animal subjects must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical standards, relevant regulations, and institutional requirements.

            1. Human Subjects: Research involving human participants must comply with the ethical principles of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki and must receive prior approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or an appropriate Ethics Committee before the study is conducted.

                Authors are required to clearly state the name of the approving committee, approval number, approval date (if applicable), and other relevant ethical approval information in the manuscript. For studies involving identifiable personal information, photographs, or case reports, informed consent must be obtained from participants or their legally authorized representatives. A statement confirming that informed consent was obtained must be included in the manuscript.

            2. Animal Subjects: Research involving animals must receive prior approval from an institutional or national ethics committee responsible for animal care and welfare before the study begins.

                Authors must clearly provide the name of the approving committee, approval number, and relevant ethical approval information in the manuscript. All research involving animals must adhere to accepted standards of animal welfare and minimize unnecessary pain, suffering, distress, or harm. The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with recognized ethical principles and standards for the care and use of animals in research.

 

Generative AI Policy

            Wichcha Journal, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, permits the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation for purposes such as language editing, grammar checking, summarization, and document formatting. However, these technologies must be used with caution, as AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, incomplete information, or unintended bias.

            Authors are responsible for carefully reviewing, verifying, evaluating, and editing all content generated or assisted by AI prior to manuscript submission. The use of AI tools must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript, including the name of the tool and the purpose for which it was used, in accordance with the journal’s requirements.

            AI tools or automated systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because they are unable to assume responsibility for scholarly content, publication ethics, or authorship accountability. All authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, reliability, integrity, and originality of the submitted work.

            The use of AI to generate, fabricate, manipulate, falsify, or misrepresent research data, research findings, references, or any other scholarly evidence is strictly prohibited. Failure to disclose the use of AI, or the use of AI in a manner that violates research integrity, publication ethics, or the journal’s policies, may result in manuscript rejection, article retraction, or other appropriate actions in accordance with the journal’s ethical guidelines and publication policies.

 

Handling Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct

            Wichcha Journal Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in addressing allegations or suspicions of research and publication misconduct.

            Research and publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, simultaneous submission to multiple journals, authorship disputes or misrepresentation, citation manipulation, and inappropriate interference with the peer-review process.

            When a credible allegation or evidence of misconduct is received, the editorial board will conduct a fair, impartial, confidential, and transparent investigation. Relevant information may be gathered from authors, reviewers, affiliated institutions, or other appropriate sources. Authors will be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide supporting evidence before a final decision is made.

            If misconduct is confirmed, the journal will take appropriate actions in accordance with the nature and severity of the violation. Such actions may include manuscript correction, publication of an erratum or correction notice, issuance of an expression of concern, rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published article, or notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions and relevant authorities.

            The journal encourages authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders to report any concerns regarding research or publication ethics. All reports will be handled professionally, fairly, and confidentially to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and maintain trust in the publication process.