Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Kotaragama Comparativa is committed to safeguarding the quality and integrity of its published content. The journal strictly adheres to the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the publication process, authors, reviewers, and editors, must agree to and comply with the following ethical standards.

1. Statement of Ethics
Kotaragama Comparativa expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior. Any misconduct, including plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or dual submission, will be dealt with according to COPE guidelines.
2. Duties of Authors
Authors must ensure the following:
  • Originality: The manuscript must be an original work and must not have been published elsewhere.
  • No Plagiarism: Authors must properly cite all sources. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited.
  • No Dual Submission: The manuscript must not be submitted to another journal while under review by Kotaragama Comparativa.
  • Accurate Data: Research data must be authentic, accurate, and not fabricated or falsified.
  • Authorship: Only individuals who made significant intellectual contributions to the research should be listed as authors. All co-authors must agree to the final version of the manuscript.
  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research.
3. Duties of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality of the journal. Reviewers must:
  • Confidentiality: Keep the manuscript and review process strictly confidential. Do not share the manuscript with anyone without the editor's permission.
  • Objectivity: Provide constructive, objective, and unbiased feedback based on the academic merit of the manuscript.
  • Timeliness: Complete the review within the agreed timeframe. If unable to do so, the reviewer must inform the editor immediately.
  • Conflict of Interest: Decline the review if there is a conflict of interest (e.g., close relationship with the author, direct competition).
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Point out any relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
4. Duties of Editors
The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for:
  • Fairness: Evaluate manuscripts solely based on their academic merit, without regard to the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
  • Confidentiality: Keep the identity of the reviewers confidential (single-blind review) and protect the author's data.
  • No Conflict of Interest: Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest.
  • Final Decision: Make the final decision on whether to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript based on the reviewers' recommendations and the journal's scope.
5. Plagiarism Policy
Kotaragama Comparativa has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism.
  • All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin plagiarism detection software.
  • The maximum allowable similarity index is 25%.
  • Manuscripts exceeding this threshold will be immediately rejected or returned to the author for major revision.
  • If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted, and the author's institution will be notified.
6. Retraction and Withdrawal Policy
A published article may be retracted under the following circumstances:
  • Clear evidence of plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification.
  • The article has been published elsewhere (dual publication).
  • There are serious errors in the data or methodology that invalidate the conclusions.
  • Ethical violations, such as unauthorized use of data or lack of informed consent.

Retracted articles will remain accessible online but will be clearly watermarked as "RETRACTED" with a link to the retraction notice explaining the reason.
7. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
In accordance with global publishing standards:
  • AI cannot be listed as an author. Authorship requires accountability and responsibility, which AI tools cannot provide.
  • Authors may use AI tools (e.g., for language editing or grammar checking) but must disclose their use in the Acknowledgment section.
  • Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the content, even if AI tools were used in the drafting process.
8. Complaints and Appeals
If an author disagrees with the editorial decision (e.g., rejection), they may submit a formal appeal. Appeals must be sent in writing to the Editor-in-Chief via email at journal.kotaragama@gmail.com, providing strong academic justification. The Editorial Board will review the appeal and provide a final decision within 14 working days.
Ethics Concerns: If you suspect any ethical violations (plagiarism, dual submission, data fabrication) regarding an article published in Kotaragama Comparativa, please report it immediately to the Editor-in-Chief at journal.kotaragama@gmail.com. All reports will be handled with strict confidentiality.