Publication Ethics

Overall Ethical Guidelines

The International Journal for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (IJDMRR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and professional conduct. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to these ethical principles.

Core Ethical Principles

Honesty and Transparency
All participants in the publication process must act with honesty and transparency. This includes accurate reporting of research findings, full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, and responsible handling of confidential information.

Fairness and Objectivity
The peer review and editorial decision-making processes must be conducted objectively and fairly, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit and contribution to the field.

Rigor and Accuracy
Research methodologies, data collection, analysis, and reporting must be conducted rigorously and presented accurately. Authors are responsible for ensuring the scientific validity, reliability, and integrity of their work.

Plagiarism and Misconduct
Plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, image manipulation, and authorship manipulation are strictly prohibited. IJDMRR maintains a zero-tolerance policy for research misconduct.
All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using software tools (such as iThenticate) and manual checks, recognizing the limitations of automated systems.

Ethical Responsibilities of Stakeholders

Journal Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Implementing robust and unbiased peer review processes

  • Selecting qualified and independent reviewers

  • Clearly communicating journal policies and ethical expectations

  • Handling ethical concerns promptly, transparently, and fairly

  • Following established ethical guidelines (e.g., COPE)

  • Maintaining reviewer confidentiality while ensuring accountability

  • Ensuring timely processing and publication of manuscripts

Authors

Authors are required to:

  • Conduct research ethically and obtain necessary ethical approvals and informed consent

  • Accurately report research methods, data, and findings

  • Avoid fabrication, falsification, and manipulation of data or images

  • Cite all sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism

  • Follow recognized authorship criteria and include only genuine contributors

  • Declare any conflicts of interest

  • Respond constructively and promptly to editorial and reviewer comments

Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations

  • Maintain strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts

  • Declare any conflicts of interest and decline reviews when necessary

  • Focus on scientific merit, originality, and relevance

  • Avoid personal bias, derogatory language, or inappropriate criticism

  • Offer suggestions for improvement while respecting author independence

Research Integrity Standards

Human Subjects (IRB Approval)
Research involving human participants should receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee and comply with relevant national and international regulations.

Animal Research
Research involving animals must follow established ethical guidelines and prioritize animal welfare, minimizing suffering wherever possible.

Data Transparency and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to make research data available upon reasonable request to promote transparency, reproducibility, and scholarly verification.

Publication Ethics and Best Practices

Predatory Publishing
IJDMRR actively opposes predatory publishing practices that exploit authors while compromising scholarly quality.

Open Access Ethics
The journal supports responsible open-access publishing models that emphasize transparency, rigorous peer review, and sustainable scholarly communication.

Corrections and Retractions
When errors, ethical concerns, or misconduct are identified, IJDMRR will issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Authorship and Plagiarism Policies

Authorship Attribution
Authorship must comply with internationally recognized criteria (e.g., ICMJE). Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions should be listed as authors.

Ghostwriting and Guest Authorship
Ghostwriting, honorary authorship, and guest authorship are strictly prohibited.

Plagiarism Detection
IJDMRR uses plagiarism detection software (including iThenticate) and manual review. Text, images, figures, charts, and tables are carefully examined for originality and copyright compliance.

Papermills and Fraudulent Research

Papermills
Papermills—entities that sell fabricated research, ghostwritten manuscripts, falsified data, or fake peer reviews—are strictly prohibited.

Consequences
Manuscripts linked to papermills will be rejected. If detected post-publication, such articles will be retracted immediately. IJDMRR possesses the expertise to identify papermill activity and actively monitors submissions.

AI and Publication Ethics

Transparency and Disclosure
Authors must clearly disclose any use of AI tools, including the specific tools used and how they contributed to the research or writing process.

Authenticity and Responsibility
AI tools must not compromise originality, accuracy, or scholarly integrity. AI cannot be listed as an author. Responsibility for all content rests entirely with the human authors.

Prohibited Use
Manuscripts generated through direct AI “copy-and-paste” without substantial human intellectual contribution will not be published and may be retracted if discovered after publication.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Reporting Mechanisms
IJDMRR provides clear and accessible channels for reporting suspected misconduct. All reports are handled confidentially.

Investigation Process
Allegations are investigated following established ethical guidelines (e.g., COPE), involving evidence review, impartial assessment, and communication with relevant parties.

Outcomes
Possible outcomes include manuscript rejection, correction, retraction, editorial sanctions, or notification of relevant institutions.

Appeals Process
A fair appeals process is available for individuals who contest investigation outcomes.

Commitment to COPE Guidelines

IJDMRR and its publisher remain firmly committed to the principles and best practices promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Ethical policies are reviewed regularly to ensure continued alignment with international standards and to support a trustworthy global research ecosystem.