Publication Ethics

I-MARKED (International Journal of Marketing Studies and Environments of Digital Business) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and scientific rigor. The journal strictly adheres to the core practices and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All participants in the publishing process—authors, editors, and reviewers—are expected to understand and adhere to the ethical standards outlined below.

 

  1. Duties and Responsibilities of Authors
  • Originality and Prior Publication: Authors must submit entirely original research. Manuscripts must not have been previously published in any language or medium, nor should they be under concurrent consideration by any other journal or conference proceeding. Redundant, duplicate, or fragmented submissions (salami slicing) are strictly prohibited.
  • Accuracy and Data Integrity: Authors must present an accurate account of the empirical data collected and an objective discussion of its significance. Fabrication, falsification, or fraudulent manipulation of data constitutes severe academic malpractice.
  • Plagiarism and Attribution: Proper acknowledgment of the work and ideas of others is mandatory. All direct quotations, paraphrased concepts, and referenced literature must be cited accurately according to APA 7th Edition style. Plagiarism in any form—including self-plagiarism—is unacceptable.
  • Authorship Criteria: Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All listed co-authors must have approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission. Ghost, guest, or gift authorship is not permitted.
  1. Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI Policy)

In accordance with international publishing standards and COPE guidelines regarding artificial intelligence:

  • Authorship Eligibility: Generative AI tools, Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, or similar AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as an author or co-author on any manuscript. AI tools do not meet authorship criteria, as they cannot assume legal responsibility, hold copyright, or manage conflict-of-interest disclosures.
  • Mandatory Disclosure: If authors utilize Generative AI tools to assist in data processing, coding, language editing, or drafting sections of the manuscript, this must be disclosed transparently.
  • Placement of Declaration: The disclosure must be explicitly stated in the Research Methodology section (for analytical/procedural AI use) and/or in the Acknowledgments section (for language and drafting assistance), detailing the tool name, version, and the specific nature of its use.
  • Ultimate Author Responsibility: Authors remain fully and solely responsible for the factual accuracy, scientific integrity, original thought, and absence of plagiarism or bias in the published content.
  1. Conflicts of Interest (Competing Interests)
  • Author Disclosure: Authors must explicitly disclose any financial, commercial, personal, or professional relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the research outcomes. If no competing interests exist, authors must include the formal statement: "The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article."
  • Reviewer Obligations: Reviewers must decline the invitation to evaluate a manuscript if they have any financial, competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with any of the authors or affiliated institutions.
  • Editor Impartiality: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a personal, academic, or commercial conflict of interest. In such cases, an independent Associate Editor or guest editor will manage the peer review process.
  1. Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
  • Objectivity and Constructive Feedback: Reviewers must conduct evaluations objectively, impartially, and in a timely manner. Personal criticisms or subjective biases against authors are inadmissible.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must not be shared, discussed, or used for personal advantage without explicit authorization from the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Identification of Ethical Breaches: Reviewers should promptly notify the handling editor of any substantial similarity between the manuscript under evaluation and any other published work, as well as any suspicion of data fabrication or ethical misconduct.
  1. Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
  • Editorial Independence and Fair Play: Editorial decisions to accept or reject a manuscript are based strictly on academic merit, theoretical relevance, methodological validity, and alignment with the journal's Aims and Scope, without regard to the authors' race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.
  • Confidentiality and Integrity: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information concerning submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding authors, designated reviewers, and publisher representatives.
  • Handling Scientific Misconduct: Editors will act decisively in accordance with COPE flowcharts when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise, including initiating formal inquiries, publishing retractions, or issuing expressions of concern when necessary.