Ethics and Malpractice

The Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Finance (JOCAF) is fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in all stages of the publication process.

Duties of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JOCAF must adhere to the following ethical responsibilities:

  • Ensure that submitted work is original and free from plagiarism
  • Avoid simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals
  • Properly acknowledge all sources, data, and references used in the research
  • Accurately report research methods, data, and findings without fabrication or falsification
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest that may influence the research or its interpretation
  • Ensure that all listed authors have significantly contributed to the work and approved the final version

Authors are fully responsible for the integrity of their submitted work.

Duties of Editors

Editors of JOCAF are responsible for ensuring a fair and unbiased editorial process. They must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit, relevance, and originality
  • Maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts
  • Avoid conflicts of interest in editorial decisions
  • Ensure that all submissions undergo a fair double-blind peer review process
  • Take appropriate action in cases of ethical concerns or misconduct

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality of published research. They are expected to:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback
  • Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts under review
  • Avoid using unpublished material for personal advantage
  • Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment
  • Report any suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism or data manipulation

Plagiarism Policy

JOCAF has a strict zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection tools.

The journal considers the following as unethical practices:

  • Direct copying of text without proper citation
  • Paraphrasing without acknowledgment of original sources
  • Self-plagiarism (reuse of one’s own previously published work without disclosure)
  • Data fabrication or manipulation

Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20% will not be considered for publication.

Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the publication process. Where conflicts exist, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure impartiality.

Retraction and Corrections

JOCAF reserves the right to:

  • Retract published articles found to contain serious ethical violations, unreliable data, or plagiarism
  • Issue corrections or errata where minor errors are identified that do not invalidate the research findings
  • Clearly label retracted or corrected articles to maintain transparency in the academic record

Research Ethics Compliance

For studies involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data, authors must confirm compliance with relevant ethical standards and institutional approvals where applicable.