Publication Ethics
The Human Occupation & Wellbeing Journal is committed to maintaining high standards of ethical behaviour in the publication of research. The following guidelines are designed to ensure that the publication process is fair, transparent, and conducted with integrity. All authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the journal’s processes must adhere to these ethical principles.
- Ethical Guidelines for Authors
Originality: Authors must submit original work that has not been published elsewhere or is under consideration for publication by another journal. Any work that has been previously published should be clearly referenced and acknowledged.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism in all its forms, including the use of others' ideas, data, or text without appropriate citation, is strictly prohibited. Authors should ensure that their manuscript is free from plagiarism.
Data Fabrication and Falsification: Authors must ensure that all data presented in the manuscript is accurate and has not been fabricated or manipulated. Any manipulation of images, figures, or data is unacceptable.
Multiple Submissions: Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously. Submitting a manuscript to more than one journal is considered unethical and will lead to immediate rejection.
Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of their work. This includes financial, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the research process or interpretation of results.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper citation and acknowledgment of sources of financial support, data, and ideas should be provided. This includes citing any contributions made by others to the research, whether through technical assistance, analysis, or other forms of support.
Informed Consent: If the study involves human participants, authors must ensure that written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the study was approved by an appropriate ethics committee.
Ethical Approval: Research involving human participants or animals should be conducted in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines. Authors must provide evidence of ethical approval from an appropriate review board or committee.
Data Sharing: Authors are encouraged to share their research data in a public repository where possible. If data sharing is not possible, the authors should provide a clear explanation for this decision.
- Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers
Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. They should not disclose any information about the manuscript or share it with others without permission from the editor.
Impartiality: Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based solely on their scientific quality and merit. Personal biases, conflicts of interest, or relationships with the authors should not influence the review.
Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide constructive, clear, and concise feedback to authors. They should highlight strengths as well as areas for improvement and offer specific suggestions for revision. Feedback should align with our ethos of unhu/ubuntu.
Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the assigned time frame. If unable to meet the deadline, they should inform the editor as soon as possible.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript under review. If a reviewer has a personal or professional relationship with the author that could bias their evaluation, they should recuse themselves from the review process.
- Ethical Guidelines for Editorial team
Fairness: Editors must make decisions on manuscript submissions based solely on their intellectual content and merit, without regard to the author’s race, gender, nationality, or religious beliefs.
Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts and any information related to the review process. Manuscripts must not be shared with others outside of the peer review process without the author's consent.
Conflict of Interest: Editors should not use any information gained through the editorial process for their personal gain. They must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.
Transparency and Accountability: Editors are responsible for ensuring transparency in the review process and must provide clear communication regarding decisions, including reasons for rejection or acceptance.
Handling of Complaints: Editors are responsible for investigating any ethical complaints related to submitted or published manuscripts. They should take appropriate action to resolve disputes or concerns, following the journal's ethical guidelines.
Publication of Corrections: Editors are responsible for publishing corrections or retractions when errors or misconduct are identified after publication. Authors, reviewers, and editors must cooperate in these cases to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the published record.
- Corrections, Retractions, and Clarifications
Corrections: If errors are identified in a published manuscript (whether factual or typographical), the journal will publish a correction or an erratum, clearly stating the nature of the error.
Retractions: If a published manuscript is found to contain serious ethical or scientific flaws (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation), the journal will retract the article and clearly state the reasons for the retraction.
Clarifications: If a manuscript requires clarification after publication, the journal may issue a statement or a notice explaining the clarification.
5. Compaint Handling
Procedure for Complaints: If an author, reviewer, or reader has a concern regarding a manuscript or published article, they can submit a formal complaint to the editorial team. The complaint will be reviewed promptly, and a resolution will be provided in accordance with the journal’s ethical guidelines.
Handling of Misconduct: In cases of suspected research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, falsification of data), the editor will follow COPE guidelines to investigate the issue and take appropriate actions, including retraction or correction of the article.
Corrections: If errors are identified in a published manuscript (whether factual or typographical), the journal will publish a correction or an erratum, clearly stating the nature of the error.
6. Conflict of interest disclosure
At howj, any manuscript submitted by an editor or board member is managed independently by a designated editor who recuses themselves from the process. The submission undergoes the same rigorous, blinded peer review as all other manuscripts, and a clear disclosure is published with the article to confirm its independent handling. This policy, aligned with COPE guidelines, is regularly reviewed to ensure transparency and uphold our commitment to editorial integrity.
All contributors (authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members) must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could potentially influence the content or interpretation of their work. This includes any funding, consultancy fees, stock options, or other support received from organisations related to the manuscript's subject matter. If no such relationships exist, please state: "The author(s) declare no conflicts of interest." This transparency is essential for informing our readers and upholding the integrity of the peer review and publication process.
