Publication Ethics Statement
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies abides by the standards on publications ethics based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies does not levy any processing or publication charges on authors. Manuscripts submitted for consideration should adhere to the conditions below:
Originality: Submitted manuscripts should not have been published in other languages except in the form of an abstract, a conference handbook, an academic thesis, or that substantial parts of the manuscript have already been published or submitted elsewhere without declaration. Data and materials should be authentic and not have been falsified or fabricated.
Plagiarism: Manuscripts should not use and present ideas from other authors or sources without acknowledgement or giving credit to the original works. The Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies keeps a strict policy on plagiarism. Manuscripts guilty of plagiarism will be subjected to unconditional rejection or, if published, will be retracted. The author(s) concerned will henceforth be blacklisted by the Editorial Board.
Recycling: Authors’ rights to recycle from their own published works are limited by copyright laws. Authors should not use their own published works without quoting from the original.
Responsibilities of Authors
1. Originality and Plagiarism - Manuscripts must be original works and free from plagiarism. Authors must confirm that the manuscript is not under review elsewhere and is not submitted elsewhere until the editorial decision process is complete.
2. Authorship of the Manuscript - Authorship of a manuscript should be limited to authors who have made significant contributions.
3. Conflict of Interest - Authors must declare if there are any potential conflicts of interest in the manuscript.
4. Authenticity - All data submitted by the authors to the article are real and authentic. Manuscripts with suspected fraudulent data will be returned or retracted if published.
5. Acknowledgement of Sources - Authors must properly and accurately acknowledge the work of others. Manuscripts must include accurate and complete references.
6. Data Access and Retention - Authors may be requested to provide raw data for editorial review. They should be willing to grant public access to such data whenever feasible.
7. Submission Guidelines - Author(s) must follow the Submission Guidelines below.
8. Review Process – All manuscripts are subjected to peer review. Authors are advised to recommend two potential reviewers by providing their names, affiliations, and email addresses. Persons invited to review the manuscript are not necessarily from the list.
9. Revision – Authors must revise the manuscript as recommended by peer reviewers and upload it to the online system within 60 days. A revised manuscript received after this period will be considered as a new submission.
Responsibilities of Editors
1. Review Decision - The Editorial Board completes a preliminary desk-review to decide whether a manuscript is to be forwarded for review within a month.
2. Relevant reviewers are appointed to perform a review of the manuscript based on a standard set of criteria.
3. The author will be informed of the outcome of the review within 30 days. The Editorial Board reserves the right to make a final decision on the manuscript. The author is required to act on the recommendations of the reviewers as well as suggestions of the Editorial Board.
4. Fair Play – A double-blind review is adopted and the identity of the authors of manuscripts and the reviewers is confidential.
5. Review Report - Editors’ decisions to the author should be accompanied by the reviewers’ objective comments and free of offensive remarks.
6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest - Editors and any editorial staff must not use materials in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the author’s written authorisation.
7. Misconduct and Disputes - Editors will be guided by the COPE flowcharts if there is suspected misconduct or disputed authorship.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
1. A formal invitation letter to review will be sent to each reviewer. Upon accepting the invitation to review, the reviewer is expected to complete and return the evaluation report to the Editorial Board within two months.
2. The review is confidential and will be conducted objectively and professionally, without prejudice and bias.
3. Acknowledgement of Sources - Manuscript reviewers must ensure that authors have acknowledged all sources of data used in the research. Any kind of similarity or overlap between the manuscripts under consideration or with any other published paper of which the reviewer has personal knowledge must be immediately brought to the editor's notice.
4. Review Report – Reviewers’ reports will contribute to the editorial decision on the suitability of the manuscript for publication. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
5. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest - Reviewers should refrain from reviewing manuscripts involving conflicts of interest with any authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers.
6. Ethics - Reviewers should also comment on ethical questions and possible research and publication misconduct.