Ethical Principles

The Intelligent Management and Development Strategies journal is firmly committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct, academic integrity, and transparency in every aspect of the publication process. The journal adheres to the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other leading international ethical guidelines.

Ethical behavior is expected from all parties involved in the act of publishing—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to ensure the credibility and reliability of the scientific record. The journal’s ethical policies are designed to safeguard research quality, prevent misconduct, and maintain trust between researchers and the public.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors bear primary responsibility for the originality, integrity, and accuracy of their submitted work. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to uphold the following ethical principles:

1.1 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere, in whole or in part.
All sources must be properly cited, and quotations or ideas taken from others must be clearly acknowledged.
The journal screens all submissions using iThenticate to detect plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate publication.
Submissions containing plagiarized or fabricated material will be rejected immediately, and serious cases will be reported to the authors’ institution.

1.2 Multiple or Redundant Publication

Authors should not submit the same or substantially similar manuscripts to more than one journal simultaneously.
Republishing previously published material without transparent disclosure and permission is considered unethical.
Extended or follow-up studies must clearly state their relationship to prior work.

1.3 Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
All individuals who made substantial contributions must be listed as authors, and those who contributed indirectly should be acknowledged.
The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript and consent to its submission and publication.
Any changes to the authorship list (addition, removal, or order change) after submission require written consent from all authors.

1.4 Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Authors are required to present accurate and verifiable data. Fabrication, falsification, or selective omission of data is a serious ethical violation.
Authors should retain all raw data and make them available for editorial or peer-review verification if requested.
Manipulation of images, figures, or datasets that misrepresents results is strictly prohibited.

1.5 Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is mandatory.
Authors must cite all publications that have influenced their research or informed their study design.
The use of AI tools (e.g., for writing assistance or data analysis) must be transparently disclosed.

1.6 Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of their work.
Sources of funding, institutional affiliations, and personal relationships that could bias the research must be declared in a dedicated section.

1.7 Ethical Approval and Human/Animal Rights

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards.
Authors must provide the name of the ethics committee approving the study and include the approval code.
Informed consent must be obtained from all human participants, and confidentiality must be respected.

1.8 Corrections and Retractions

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction.
The journal reserves the right to retract papers found to contain major ethical breaches after publication.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors play a central role in maintaining the integrity of the journal’s academic record and ensuring that all editorial decisions are made fairly, transparently, and free from bias.

2.1 Editorial Independence

Editors have full authority over the editorial content of the journal and are not influenced by external interests, such as sponsors, institutions, or personal relationships.
Decisions to accept or reject manuscripts are based solely on academic merit, originality, significance, and clarity, independent of the authors’ gender, nationality, religion, or institutional affiliation.

2.2 Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.
No information about a submission may be shared with anyone outside the editorial process, including potential reviewers, without the authors’ consent.

2.3 Fair and Impartial Review

Editors are responsible for ensuring that every manuscript is evaluated by qualified, independent reviewers who have no conflict of interest with the authors or research topic.
Editors must ensure that the peer-review process remains double-blind, protecting the anonymity of both authors and reviewers.

2.4 Handling of Ethical Misconduct

Editors are obligated to act if they suspect misconduct, whether discovered before or after publication.
In cases of proven misconduct, editors will issue appropriate actions such as correction, expression of concern, or retraction, following COPE guidelines.
Editors must give authors the opportunity to respond before taking final action.

2.5 Conflict of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest, such as competitive, collaborative, or personal relationships with authors or institutions involved.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in the integrity of the publication process. Their evaluations help maintain the academic quality and credibility of the journal.

3.1 Confidentiality

All manuscripts sent for review are strictly confidential and must not be shared or discussed with anyone outside the editorial process.
Reviewers must not use any data or ideas obtained through peer review for personal advantage.

3.2 Objectivity and Constructive Feedback

Reviews should be conducted objectively, respectfully, and free from bias.
Criticism should focus on the content of the work, not on the author personally.
Reviewers are encouraged to provide clear, detailed, and evidence-based feedback that improves the manuscript’s quality.

3.3 Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published or submitted work of which they are aware.
Reviewers should identify relevant works that have not been cited by the authors.

3.4 Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have a potential conflict of interest due to financial, academic, or personal connections.
Reviewers should notify the editor immediately if they recognize the identity of the author and believe it may bias their evaluation.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher of Intelligent Management and Development Strategies supports the editors in maintaining academic integrity and ensuring transparency throughout the publication cycle.

The publisher provides technological infrastructure, editorial training, and ethical oversight for all stakeholders.
The publisher ensures that ethical complaints are properly investigated and that corrective actions (errata, corrections, retractions) are executed transparently.
The publisher upholds the principles of intellectual freedom and independence, ensuring that commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions.

5. Misconduct, Corrections, and Retractions

The journal follows COPE’s flowcharts and procedures in handling all cases of publication misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication, redundant publication, and ethical violations.

5.1 Investigation Process

All allegations of misconduct will be handled confidentially and thoroughly.
Editors may request the author’s institution to assist in the investigation.
The accused authors will be given an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.

5.2 Possible Actions

Depending on the severity of the issue, the journal may:

Reject the manuscript and prohibit future submissions.
Issue a correction or erratum if an unintentional error is discovered.
Publish an expression of concern during ongoing investigations.
Retract the paper if confirmed ethical violations or data fabrication are found.

5.3 Retraction Policy

A retracted article will remain accessible in the journal’s archive with a clear notice of retraction, ensuring transparency in the scholarly record. Retractions are always linked to the original publication and explained publicly.

6. Handling Complaints and Appeals

Authors or readers who believe editorial decisions were unfair or unethical may appeal by contacting the Editor-in-Chief directly. Complaints will be reviewed by the Ethics Committee of the journal in accordance with COPE’s recommended procedures.

The journal guarantees that appeals and complaints will be processed impartially, confidentially, and promptly.

7. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

The journal recognizes that AI tools can support research and writing but must be used responsibly.

AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copilot) cannot be listed as authors.
Their use must be explicitly disclosed in the methods or acknowledgments section.
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance of all content generated or edited using AI tools.

8. Transparency and Data Sharing

To promote scientific reproducibility, authors are encouraged to:

Provide open data, materials, and code** whenever possible.
Deposit supplementary data in reputable repositories and include links in the published article.
Ensure that shared data do not violate confidentiality, legal, or ethical constraints.

9. Ethical Oversight of Research Involving Humans and Animals

Studies involving human subjects must include a statement confirming compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approval from an institutional review board or ethics committee.
Animal studies must adhere to internationally accepted guidelines for humane treatment and welfare.
Authors must declare informed consent for publication of any identifiable data or images.

10. Sanctions for Ethical Violations

The journal reserves the right to impose sanctions, including:

Rejection of manuscripts from offending authors.
Notification of misconduct to relevant institutions.
Retraction of published articles.
Public disclosure of ethical violations when necessary to maintain scientific integrity.

11. Ethical Guidelines References

The policies of Intelligent Management and Development Strategies are aligned with the following international standards and best practices:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – https://publicationethics.org/
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work
World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) – Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
Elsevier Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK)