Publication Ethics

Appissode is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing and adopts ethical practices based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Publication Ethics

All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers, are expected to uphold honesty, transparency, accountability, and respect for intellectual property throughout the research and publication process.

This Publication Ethics Statement describes the ethical responsibilities and standards applied by Appissode to prevent academic misconduct and ensure the reliability of published research.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Appissode must ensure that their work complies with ethical research and publication standards.

1.1 Originality and Plagiarism Policy

Authors must submit only original research that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.

All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism screening using appropriate similarity detection tools. Authors must properly acknowledge and cite all sources, including ideas, methodologies, data, software, and previously published findings.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, data, or research results from another source without proper attribution.
  • Presenting another person's work as the author's own.
  • Excessive reuse of previously published materials without appropriate citation.
  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication of substantially similar content.

Manuscripts containing unacceptable levels of similarity or plagiarism may be rejected without further review.

 

2. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.

Submitting the same research work to multiple journals is considered unethical publishing behavior.

Authors must disclose:

  • Previous publications related to the submitted research.
  • Conference papers or proceedings versions of the manuscript.
  • Any substantial overlap with previously published work.

If significant overlap is identified after publication, Appissode reserves the right to issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retract the article according to established publication ethics procedures.

 

3. Research Misconduct: Fabrication and Falsification

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of their research data.

Appissode considers the following practices as serious ethical violations:

Fabrication

Fabrication refers to creating false data, results, experiments, observations, or research records that never occurred.

Examples include:

  • Inventing experimental results.
  • Creating false datasets.
  • Reporting nonexistent participants, systems, or evaluations.

Falsification

Falsification refers to manipulating research materials, processes, data, or results to misrepresent findings.

Examples include:

  • Altering research data without justification.
  • Removing unfavorable results.
  • Manipulating figures, tables, images, or statistical analysis.

Authors found responsible for fabrication or falsification may face manuscript rejection, article withdrawal, or reporting to relevant institutions.

 

4. Authorship and Contribution Criteria

Appissode follows responsible authorship principles to ensure that authorship reflects genuine intellectual contributions.

Authors listed in a manuscript must have made substantial contributions to:

  • The conception, design, development, or analysis of the research.
  • The preparation or critical revision of the manuscript.
  • The approval of the final published version.
  • Accountability for the integrity and accuracy of the research.

All listed authors must agree to the submission and publication of the manuscript.

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Changes in Authorship

Requests for adding, removing, or changing authors after submission must:

  • Include a written explanation.
  • Receive approval from all authors.
  • Be approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Unethical authorship practices, including:

  • Gift authorship
  • Honorary authorship
  • Ghost authorship
  • Unauthorized removal of contributors

are prohibited.

 

5. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the research, review process, or editorial decisions.

Conflicts may include:

  • Financial relationships.
  • Employment relationships.
  • Personal relationships.
  • Academic competition.
  • Institutional affiliations.

Authors must declare relevant conflicts during manuscript submission.

Editors and reviewers must withdraw from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

Transparent conflict-of-interest management helps maintain objectivity and trust in the publication process.

 

6. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of Appissode are responsible for ensuring fair, transparent, and ethical editorial processes.

Editors must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts based on academic quality, originality, relevance, and contribution.
  • Ensure unbiased editorial decisions regardless of author characteristics, including nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
  • Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
  • Select qualified reviewers.
  • Manage ethical concerns and allegations of misconduct.

Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal research or advantage.

 

7. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Appissode uses peer review to maintain scientific quality and integrity.

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective and constructive evaluations.
  • Maintain confidentiality of manuscript information.
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited.
  • Report possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or ethical concerns.
  • Avoid reviewing manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal benefit.

 

8. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Appissode takes allegations of research or publication misconduct seriously.

Possible misconduct cases include:

  • Plagiarism.
  • Data fabrication or falsification.
  • Duplicate publication.
  • Authorship disputes.
  • Manipulation of peer review.
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

When concerns arise, the editorial team will investigate according to established ethical procedures and may consult relevant institutions or external experts when necessary.

Actions may include:

  • Requesting clarification from authors.
  • Rejecting manuscripts.
  • Publishing corrections.
  • Issuing expressions of concern.
  • Retracting published articles.

 

9. Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Integrity

Appissode is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record.

Corrections will be published when errors are identified that affect the interpretation of an article.

Retraction may occur when an article contains:

  • Serious methodological errors.
  • Fabricated or falsified data.
  • Significant plagiarism.
  • Ethical violations affecting research validity.

Retractions will be clearly identified and linked to the original publication.

 

10. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for research assistance, language improvement, coding assistance, or data analysis support when appropriate.

However:

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of submitted manuscripts.
  • Authors must disclose significant use of AI tools when required.

 

11. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher of Appissode supports the editorial team in maintaining ethical publishing practices.

The publisher ensures:

  • Sustainable journal management.
  • Preservation of published content.
  • Support for investigations of ethical concerns.
  • Transparency in publishing policies.

 

12. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

Appissode aims to contribute reliable, transparent, and valuable scientific knowledge in the fields of:

  • Information Systems
  • Software Development
  • Artificial Intelligence Applications
  • Digital Transformation
  • Computing and Information Technology

By submitting manuscripts to Appissode, authors confirm that they understand and agree to follow this Publication Ethics Policy.