Publication Ethics

Excellent: International Journal of Computational Intelligence and Sustainable Innovation (EXCELLENT) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity in all stages of the publication process. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical publishing practices and adopts the principles of transparency, fairness, originality, and scholarly responsibility in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers, are expected to uphold ethical conduct and professional integrity.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to EXCELLENT are required to ensure that their work is original, scientifically sound, and ethically conducted.

  • Submit only original and unpublished work.
  • Ensure that the manuscript is not under review or consideration by another journal simultaneously.
  • Properly acknowledge and cite the work of others.
  • Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and inappropriate data manipulation.
  • Ensure that all listed authors have made significant contributions to the research.
  • Disclose any financial support, sponsorship, or conflicts of interest related to the research.
  • Obtain necessary ethical approvals for studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data.
  • Promptly notify the editor if significant errors are identified after submission or publication.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

  • Evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal scope.
  • Ensure a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer-review process.
  • Maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest in editorial decision-making.
  • Take appropriate action in response to ethical complaints or suspected misconduct.
  • Reject manuscripts that violate ethical standards or publication policies.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Conduct reviews objectively, professionally, and constructively.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all manuscript information.
  • Provide clear and evidence-based feedback.
  • Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.
  • Inform editors of any suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns.
  • Decline review invitations if there is a conflict of interest or insufficient expertise.

4. Peer Review Policy

EXCELLENT implements a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed throughout the review process.

Each manuscript undergoes:

  • Initial editorial screening
  • Scope and formatting evaluation
  • Similarity and plagiarism checking
  • Review by at least two independent reviewers

The final publication decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewers’ recommendations and the scientific merit of the manuscript.

5. Plagiarism Policy

The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism in all forms. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin or iThenticate.

Forms of plagiarism include:

  • Direct copying
  • Improper paraphrasing
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Data plagiarism
  • Uncredited use of figures, tables, or ideas

Manuscripts with significant similarity or unethical citation practices may be rejected immediately.

6. Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Fabrication of data
  • Data falsification
  • Citation manipulation
  • Image manipulation
  • Misrepresentation of results

If misconduct is suspected, the editorial team will conduct an investigation and may issue corrections, retractions, or manuscript rejection as appropriate.

7. Conflict of Interest

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

Conflicts of interest may include:

  • Financial relationships
  • Institutional affiliations
  • Personal or professional relationships
  • Research funding or sponsorship

8. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work while granting the journal the right to publish and distribute the article.

All articles published in EXCELLENT are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

9. Open Access Policy

EXCELLENT is an open-access journal that provides immediate and unrestricted access to all published content without subscription fees or paywall barriers.

The journal supports the global dissemination of scientific knowledge and encourages wider accessibility of research for academic and educational purposes.

10. Retraction and Correction Policy

The journal may issue corrections, clarifications, or retractions when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Reasons for retraction may include:

  • Research misconduct
  • Serious methodological errors
  • Duplicate publication
  • Ethical violations
  • Unreliable findings

11. Archiving Policy

The journal is committed to ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility of published content through digital archiving systems and institutional repositories where applicable.

12. Publication Decision

The final decision regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer evaluations, editorial assessment, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal scope, and scientific contribution.