Publication Ethics

           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, data fabrication, data falsification, and conflicts of interest, and promotes transparency, accountability, and integrity in research and scholarly communication.
           The journal encourages responsible research practices and ensures that all published articles meet high academic and ethical standards. To support these principles, Wichcha Journal has established ethical guidelines for all parties involved in the publication process.
           The publication ethics policy of the journal includes the following principles: Duties of Editors, Duties of Reviewers, Duties of Authors. The details of these ethical guidelines are described 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.