The journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, are expected to adhere to the ethical principles outlined below.

1. Duties of Authors

Authors must ensure that:

• The submitted manuscript is original, free from plagiarism, and is not under consideration by another journal.
• All data presented in the manuscript are accurate, valid, and honestly obtained.
• Proper citations and acknowledgments are provided for all sources, data, and collaborators.
• All listed authors have made significant contributions to the research and have approved the final version of the manuscript.
• Any potential conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed.
• Ethical approval has been obtained for research involving human participants or animals, where applicable.
• Corrections or retractions will be promptly made if significant errors are discovered after publication.

2. Duties of Editors

• Ensure that the peer review process is conducted fairly, objectively, and in a timely manner.
• Make editorial decisions solely on the basis of the academic merit, originality, and relevance of the manuscript.
• Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and the identities of reviewers.
• Take appropriate action in response to ethical concerns or complaints, including suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data manipulation.
• Not use unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts for personal research without the explicit written consent of the author(s).

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Conduct reviews objectively, professionally, and constructively, without personal criticism of the author(s).
• Maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and the peer review process.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest and decline the review process when such conflicts exist.
• Report any suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism, duplicate submission, or falsified data.
• Complete the review process within the agreed timeframe.

4. Duties of the Publisher

• Uphold the integrity of the academic record and the publication process.
• Ensure that appropriate systems are in place to detect unethical practices, including plagiarism screening.
• Publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.
• Ensure that editorial decisions remain independent of commercial or financial interests.

5. Plagiarism and Misconduct

All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using reliable plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin. Any form of publication misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, and duplicate submission, will result in serious action, including:

• Immediate rejection of the manuscript.
• Notification to the author(s)’ affiliated institution, if necessary.
• Retraction of the published article if the misconduct is discovered after publication.

6. Corrections and Retractions

• Corrections will be issued for minor errors that do not affect the overall validity or conclusions of the article.
• Retractions will be issued in cases of serious ethical violations, unreliable findings, or confirmed misconduct, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

7. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, or readers may raise ethical concerns, submit complaints, or appeal editorial decisions by contacting the editorial office at:

Email: journaljitse@gmail.com

All complaints and appeals will be handled transparently, fairly, and in accordance with the procedures recommended by COPE.