Publication Malpractice Statement

Learning Nexus of Computing (LNC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, ethical publishing, and responsible research practices. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher to adhere to internationally accepted ethical principles throughout the publication process.

This Publication Malpractice Statement outlines the responsibilities of all participants and the procedures followed when publication misconduct is suspected or confirmed.

2. Purpose

The objectives of this statement are to:

  • Promote ethical scholarly publishing.

  • Prevent publication misconduct.

  • Protect the integrity of the scientific record.

  • Ensure transparency in editorial decision-making.

  • Foster trust among authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

  • Align the journal with internationally recognized publication ethics.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Learning Nexus of Computing must ensure that:

  • The submitted work is original.

  • The manuscript has not been published previously.

  • The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal simultaneously.

  • All listed authors have made substantial scholarly contributions.

  • All authors have approved the submitted version.

  • All sources are properly cited.

  • Necessary permissions have been obtained for copyrighted material.

  • Ethical approval has been obtained where applicable.

  • Conflicts of interest have been fully disclosed.

  • Funding information has been accurately reported.

  • Research data have not been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated.

Authors remain solely responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their published work.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Conduct objective, constructive, and unbiased reviews.

  • Maintain strict confidentiality.

  • Declare any conflicts of interest.

  • Evaluate manuscripts solely on scientific merit.

  • Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.

  • Report suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns to the Editorial Office.

  • Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

Reviewers must not use confidential manuscript information for personal or professional advantage.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making impartial editorial decisions.

  • Maintaining confidentiality.

  • Ensuring a fair and transparent peer-review process.

  • Managing conflicts of interest appropriately.

  • Responding promptly to ethical concerns.

  • Safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.

  • Taking appropriate editorial action when misconduct is confirmed.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the Editorial Office by:

  • Promoting ethical publishing practices.

  • Protecting editorial independence.

  • Maintaining the integrity of published content.

  • Supporting investigations into publication misconduct.

  • Preserving the scholarly record through appropriate editorial actions.

The publisher does not interfere with independent editorial decisions.

7. Forms of Publication Malpractice

Publication malpractice includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism.

  • Self-plagiarism.

  • Duplicate or redundant publication.

  • Simultaneous submission to multiple journals.

  • Data fabrication.

  • Data falsification.

  • Image manipulation intended to mislead.

  • Citation manipulation.

  • Peer-review manipulation.

  • Fake reviewer identities.

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

  • Ghost authorship.

  • Gift or honorary authorship.

  • Authorship disputes.

  • Fabricated ethical approval.

  • Fabricated references or citations.

  • Misuse of Artificial Intelligence to generate deceptive scientific content.

8. Plagiarism

Learning Nexus of Computing has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism.

All manuscripts undergo similarity screening before peer review.

Plagiarism may include:

  • Verbatim copying without attribution.

  • Close paraphrasing without proper citation.

  • Unauthorized reuse of figures, tables, or images.

  • Improper reuse of previously published material.

Confirmed plagiarism may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or notification of the relevant institution where appropriate.

9. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

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

Previously published work should not be republished unless clearly identified, appropriately cited, and permitted under applicable copyright and licensing arrangements.

10. Authorship Misconduct

All listed authors should have made significant scholarly contributions to the work.

The journal does not permit:

  • Guest authorship.

  • Gift authorship.

  • Ghost authorship.

  • Unauthorized inclusion or removal of authors.

Changes in authorship after submission require written consent from all authors and approval by the Editorial Office.

11. Data Integrity

Authors must ensure that:

  • Research data are authentic.

  • Results are accurately reported.

  • Statistical analyses are appropriate.

  • Images are not manipulated in a misleading manner.

  • Supporting data can be provided upon reasonable request where appropriate.

Any fabrication or falsification of research data constitutes serious publication misconduct.

12. Artificial Intelligence Misuse

Artificial Intelligence tools must not be used to:

  • Fabricate research findings.

  • Generate false references or citations.

  • Create fictitious datasets.

  • Produce fraudulent ethical approvals.

  • Manipulate scientific evidence.

  • Mislead reviewers or readers.

The use of AI must comply with the journal's AI-Assisted Content Policy.

13. Investigation of Alleged Misconduct

When publication malpractice is suspected, the Editorial Office may:

  • Conduct a preliminary assessment.

  • Request clarification from the authors.

  • Review supporting documentation.

  • Consult reviewers or subject experts where appropriate.

  • Seek guidance from relevant institutions if necessary.

Investigations will be conducted confidentially, fairly, and objectively.

14. Editorial Actions

Where publication malpractice is confirmed, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Reject the manuscript.

  • Suspend editorial processing.

  • Publish a correction.

  • Publish an Expression of Concern.

  • Retract the article.

  • Notify the authors' institution or funding agency where appropriate.

  • Restrict future submissions in cases of serious or repeated misconduct.

The chosen action will be proportionate to the nature and severity of the misconduct.

15. Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions related to publication misconduct.

Appeals should:

  • Be submitted in writing.

  • Clearly explain the basis of the appeal.

  • Include supporting evidence where applicable.

The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal, and the journal's decision shall be considered final.

16. Confidentiality

All allegations of publication malpractice will be handled confidentially.

The identities of complainants, reviewers, authors, and editors will be protected wherever possible during investigations, consistent with the requirements of a fair and transparent process.

17. Policy Review

This Publication Malpractice Statement may be updated periodically to reflect developments in publication ethics, editorial best practices, and international scholarly publishing standards.

The latest version of this statement will always be available on the journal's official website.

18. Contact

Questions regarding publication ethics or suspected publication malpractice should be directed to the Editorial Office through the official communication channels available on the Learning Nexus of Computing website.

The Editorial Office is committed to handling all concerns fairly, professionally, confidentially, and in accordance with established publication ethics.