Publication Ethics

The Vector: International Journal of Emerging Science, Technology and Management (IJESTM) with an eISSN of 2945-4093 is a peer reviewed open access journal that seeks the further discussion, advancement and dissemination of research and development concerns and knowledge along science, technology and management. The journal is published annually and the publisher of this journal is the University of Northern Philippines which is located at the World Heritage City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. This statement clarifies ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an manuscript in our journals, including the authors, the editors, the referees and the publisher (University of Northern Philippines). This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers.

I. Publication decisions

The publication of the manuscript shall be determined by the Editorial Board. Such decisions must always be guided by the work in question's validity and its significance to scholars and readers. The editorial board's policies and the laws that will then be in effect regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism may serve as the editors' guides and limitations. When making this choice, the editors may consult with other editors or referees.

II. Fair play

Without regard to the writers' race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, or political philosophies, The Editorial Board at any time assesses manuscripts for their intellectual value.

III. Confidentiality

The corresponding author, referees, potential referees, other editorial consultants, and the publisher, where applicable, are the only parties to whom the Editorial Board may reveal information regarding a submitted manuscript.

IV. Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript may not be used by the Editor for independent research projects without the author's express written approval.

V. Peer Review Process (DOUBLE-BLIND PEER REVIEW)

The peer review process is carried out in a thorough, accurate, and objective manner. An initial review process will be applied to all submitted manuscripts. Only manuscripts that pass this preliminary evaluation will move on to the double-blind peer-review stage. See Publication Policy for more details on the peer review process.

VI. Correspondence and Notices

Once the results are available the Editorial Board will inform the authors of the status of their papers.

VII. Dealing with Misconduct

Any instances of unethical behavior are taken very seriously, and they will be handled in accordance with the standards set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

VIII. Plagiarism and Data Accuracy

All submitted manuscripts are examined with plagiarism detection tools to ensure their veracity. If a manuscript is determined to have plagiarized other works or failed to properly cite sources, it cannot be published. Additionally, the Editorial Board will cross-checks data for correctness.

IX. Copyright

As a condition for publishing the research manuscript, the authors must sign a mandatory copyright transfer agreement with the publisher when the manuscript is accepted for publication.

X. Access to the Journal

The journal is an open access journal and all of the published manuscripts are available from the journal’s website.

XI. Author Fees

There is NO article processing charge (APC) in the submission of any articles in the journal, however, there is corresponding fee for the print version which include courier and printing cost of the journal incase the author would like to request for the copy of the journal.

XII. Publication Schedule

The journal will publish accepted manuscript once year and it is also open for special issue.

XIII. Citing the Publish Manuscript from the Journal

To cite a published manuscript of the journal, use the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

XIV. Duties of the Publisher

Handling of unethical publishing behavior. The publisher will work closely with the editors to take all necessary steps to clarify the issue and correct the offending manuscript in cases of suspected or established scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism. This covers the speedy release of an update, clarification, or, in the worst scenario, the retraction of the problematic piece of work. The publisher and Editorial Board must work together to identify and stop the publication of papers that contain research misconduct. Under no circumstances should this misconduct be encouraged or knowingly permitted to occur.

Access to Journal Content. The publisher is dedicated to the ongoing accessibility and preservation of scholarly research, and through working with organizations and preserving their own digital archive, guarantee the accessibility.

XV. Duties of the Member of the Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-chief is in charge of carrying out the goals set by the Publisher.

Associate Editor. The Associate Editor assist the Editor-in-Chief in the operation, review, and other publication activities of the Journal.

Managing Editor. The managing editor is the journal's primary manager, in charge of managing daily operations of the journal.

Language Editor. The Language Editor is concern with the correct use of grammar as a medium to disseminate the research output.

Consultant. The Consultant will help in critical decision such as retraction of the published manuscript due to plagiarism issue and other ethical issues.

Layout Artist/Encoder. The Layout Artist/ Encoder will help the Managing Director in the publication of the manuscript. He/she is in-charge of the posting of manuscript in the OJS and the layout design of the print version of the journal.

Circulation Manager. The Circulation Manager is concern with the development and operation of the circulation plans for the journal.

XVI. Duties of Referees

Contribution to Editorial Decisions. Peer review aids the editor in editorial judgments, and through editorial interactions with the author, the author may also receive assistance from the editor in refining the text.

Promptness. Any chosen referee who believes they are ill-equipped to evaluate the research presented in a manuscript or who is aware that doing so in a timely manner will be impossible should inform the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality. Any manuscripts that are sent for review need to be handled with confidentiality. They cannot be discussed or shown to anybody without the editor's permission.

Standards of Objectivity. Reviews ought to be carried out impartially. It is inappropriate to criticize the author personally. Referees should clearly state their positions and provide evidence to back them up.

Acknowledgement of Sources. Referees should point out pertinent published works that the authors haven't cited. Any claim that a certain observation, deduction, or argument has already been recorded should be supported by the appropriate citation. Any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper should be brought to the editor's attention by the referee.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Referees’s privileged knowledge or ideas must be kept secret and not used for one's own benefit. Referees shouldn't evaluate papers where they have relationships or links with any of the authors, businesses, or organizations associated with the manuscripts that are competitive, cooperative, or involve other relationships or connections.

XVII. Duties of Authors

Reporting standards. Authors of reports on original research ought to give a truthful summary of the work done and an unbiased analysis of its relevance. The article should appropriately reflect the underlying data. A paper should provide enough information and citations to enable others to duplicate the work. False or deliberately inaccurate statements are inappropriate and represent unethical behavior.

Data Access and Retention. When submitting a manuscript for editorial review, authors are asked to submit the raw data related to that manuscript. If possible, authors should be willing to make those raw data accessible to the public and, in any case, should be willing to keep those raw data on hand for a reasonable amount of time after publication (in accordance with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases).

Originality and Plagiarism. The authors should make sure that their writing is wholly unique and that, if they do utilize someone else's words or work, they have properly cited or quoted them. A 10% similarity index must be observed for every submitted manuscript.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Submission/Publication. Generally speaking, an author shouldn't submit articles detailing essentially the same study to more than one journal or primary publication. It is unacceptable to simultaneously submit the same paper to multiple journals, which is considered unethical publishing practice.

Acknowledgement of Sources. Always give due credit to other people's contributions. Citations for works that had a significant impact on understanding the nature of the reported work are required.

Authorship of the Manuscript. Only individuals who significantly contributed to the conception, design, implementation, or interpretation of the reported study should be given the privilege of authorship. Co-authors should be named for everyone who contributed significantly. Other people who have contributed to the research endeavor in meaningful ways should be recognized or identified as contributors when applicable. The corresponding author should make sure that the manuscript has all necessary co-authors and excludes any that are not. They should also make sure that all co-authors have read the final draft of the manuscript, approved it, and agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects. The author must make it apparent in the manuscript whether the work uses any chemicals, techniques, or tools that have any unusual risks inherent in their use.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest. Any financial or other significant conflict of interest that could be taken to have an impact on the findings or interpretation of a manuscript should be disclosed by all authors in the publication. Disclosure of all funding sources for the project is required.

Fundamental errors in published works. It is the responsibility of the author to promptly contact the journal Managing Editor, Editor-in-Chief or Publisher when he or she finds a serious error or inaccuracy in their own published work and to work with the editor to retract or amend the article.