Publication Ethics & Editorial Policies of IMAQ Journal

IMAQ Journal – Publication Ethics & Editorial Policies

IMAQ Journal follows the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure integrity, transparency, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing.

1. Open Access Policy

IMAQ Journal is a fully Open Access journal, providing immediate and free access to all published research without subscription or access barriers.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation in any medium, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source. The CC-BY license statement is displayed on the first page of every published article.

2. Peer-Review Policy

IMAQ Journal follows a rigorous, transparent, and ethical peer-review process in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Review Model

  • Editorial Screening

  • Single-Blind Peer Review

Process

  1. All submitted manuscripts are first screened by the editorial office for:

    • Scope and relevance

    • Academic quality

    • Ethical compliance

    • Plagiarism and originality

  2. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent to qualified external reviewers for single-blind peer review (reviewers remain anonymous to authors).

  3. In some cases, authors may be invited to suggest potential reviewers. However, the final selection of reviewers is entirely at the discretion of the Editorial Board, and suggested reviewers may or may not be used.

  4. Editorial decisions (acceptance, revision, or rejection) are based on:

    • Reviewer reports

    • Scientific merit

    • Ethical compliance

    • Editorial judgment

All reviewers are required to follow confidentiality, objectivity, and conflict-of-interest standards in line with COPE principles.

3. Pre-Publishing & Post-Publishing Policy

3.1 Pre-Publishing Policy (Editorial Processing)

All accepted manuscripts undergo a formal editorial pre-publication process to enhance quality, clarity, and discoverability, in line with best publishing practices.

During this stage:

  • Editors may revise or refine titles, abstracts, and keywords for academic clarity, indexing accuracy, and global visibility.

  • Language editing, formatting, and metadata optimization may be applied.

  • These edits do not alter the scientific meaning or conclusions of the research.

This process ensures consistency, quality assurance, and compliance with international publishing standards.

3.2 Post-Publishing Policy (Distribution & Visibility)

After publication, IMAQ Journal actively promotes articles to ensure global academic visibility and accessibility, including through:

  • Indexing and archiving services

  • Academic repositories and databases

  • Digital promotion and scholarly networks

  • Institutional and international dissemination

IMAQ Journal is committed to maintaining the long-term availability, discoverability, and scholarly impact of all published content.

4. Author Responsibility & Disclaimer Policy

In accordance with COPE principles, the full responsibility for the content of published articles rests entirely with the author(s).

This includes responsibility for:

  • Accuracy of data and results

  • Ethical approval and compliance

  • Originality and plagiarism-free content

  • Copyright ownership and lawful use of third-party material

  • Conflicts of interest disclosure

The editors, reviewers, publisher, and journal management team shall not be held legally or academically responsible for the content of any published article. All views expressed are solely those of the authors.

5. Retraction, Correction & Withdrawal Policy (COPE-Aligned)

IMAQ Journal follows the COPE Retraction Guidelines. The journal reserves the right to retract, correct, or issue expressions of concern for any published article if evidence of misconduct or serious error is found, including but not limited to:

  • Plagiarism or duplicate publication

  • Copyright infringement

  • Data fabrication or falsification

  • Ethical violations

  • Unauthorized use of third-party material

Retraction Procedure

  • Retractions may be issued with or without prior notice to the author(s), depending on the severity of the case.

  • A formal retraction notice will be published and permanently linked to the retracted article.

  • The original article will remain online with a clear “Retracted” watermark to preserve the scholarly record.

6. Post-Publication Rights & Publisher Authority

Once an article is published in IMAQ Journal:

  • Authors do not retain the right to modify, replace, or delete the published version of record.

  • The official publisher, IMaqPress, retains the full authority to:

    • Make post-publication corrections

    • Remove content when legally or ethically required

    • Republish the article in the same or another IMaqPress journal

    • Clearly label such content with a “Republished” tag in the title or subtitle when applicable

These actions are undertaken strictly to protect the integrity, legality, and permanence of the scholarly record.

7. Ethical Compliance & Malpractice Policy

IMAQ Journal strictly adheres to COPE’s ethical publishing framework. The journal does not tolerate:

  • Plagiarism in any form

  • Data manipulation

  • Multiple or redundant publication

  • Unethical research involving humans or animals

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Suspected misconduct is investigated following COPE flowcharts and procedures. Proven ethical violations may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or author banning.

8. Conflict of Interest Policy

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence their work. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in rejection or post-publication action in accordance with COPE standards.

9. Copyright & Licensing Policy

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting IMAQ Journal the right of first publication. All published articles are licensed under CC BY, allowing reuse with proper attribution.