Publication Ethics Statement

The statement of ethics for International Journal of Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Cosmetic Science (IJPNaCS), Universiti Teknologi MARA Puncak Alam Campus. This statement was adapted from the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) covering the code of ethics for the authors/contributors, reviewers, editorial board members and chief editor.


Peer-Review Policy

All articles submitted to IJPNaCS undergo a rigorous peer-review process with at least two reviewers, conducted in accordance with a double-blind review process. The average duration of the peer-review process is between four and eight weeks.


Plagiarism and Self-plagiarism

The Journal will request the authors for a plagiarism check proof for all submitted articles prior to publication. If plagiarism is detected by editors, peer reviewers, or editorial staff at any stage of the publication process, the article may be rejected based on the percentage of plagiarism observed, and the author will be notified. The manuscript must be free of any forms of plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, or omission of material. It is expected that authors explicitly cite the work and ideas of others, even if they are not quoted verbatim or closely paraphrased. The authors must be cautious of self-plagiarism (also known as "redundancy"), which can occur in two ways. The first is when authors recycle portions of their previous work by including identical or nearly identical sentences or paragraphs from earlier writings in subsequent research papers without proper quotation or acknowledgment. The second is when authors create multiple papers that are slightly different from each other and submit them for publication in different journals without acknowledging that the papers are related.


Editorial and Article Quality Policy

Authors must ensure that any articles submitted to IJPNaCS are original and have not been published elsewhere or are under consideration by any other journals. The content of the articles must be original and not the result of plagiarism or a violation of copyright from other works. The Editors reserve the right to reject any articles that do not meet the required quality standards.


Duties of Authors

Authors are expected to uphold the integrity of their submissions by ensuring that their work is entirely original and has not been previously published in other journals. In the event that the authors have incorporated the work and/or words of others, proper citation or quotation is required. Additionally, authors are prohibited from submitting articles that are simultaneously under review or consideration by other journals and must wait for a formal rejection or acceptance of a withdrawal request from the journal before proceeding with publication. Authors are also required to report any inaccuracies in data published in their work to the Chief Editor or publisher, ensuring appropriate corrections or retractions are made. Furthermore, authors are responsible for making significant contributions to their work and should be accountable for any deficiencies in their research. Reviewers or editors may provide comments for corrections and improvements, which authors are expected to address in their revised manuscripts.


Duties of Reviewers

It is the responsibility of reviewers to ensure the impartiality and fairness of the review process by disclosing any competing interests before agreeing to review a submission. Reviewers are expected to conduct a professional and objective review of all submissions, while being vigilant to detect any instances of plagiarism or redundant publication. Additionally, reviewers should complete the review within the designated time frame and communicate any extension requests to the Chief Editor. In cases of conflicts of interest or inadequate knowledge, it is the reviewer's obligation to decline the review invitation. Permission must be sought from the publisher before sharing any submission content with third parties. Reviewers should promptly report any ethical misconduct encountered during the review to the Chief Editor for further action.


Duties of Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board Members have the duty to assist the Chief Editor in the selection process of manuscripts to be published in the journal. They must evaluate the contents and language of potential manuscripts that have been selected by the Chief Editor and provide recommendations in terms of quality and suitability of the manuscript in accordance with the scope of the journal. They must also re-evaluate manuscripts that have been corrected by the authors and give suggestions for improvement for the Chief Editor to make a selection decision. Editorial Board Members must also provide feedback on the quality of the manuscript within any given time, assist in maintaining the highest standards of quality of the manuscripts published with high ethics and competence, recommend manuscripts of originality and quality with the highest standards, and assist in calling and obtaining manuscripts from colleagues, acquaintances, research scholars, and students, both within and outside of the member's institution.


Duties of Chief Editor

The Chief Editor has a vital role in the publishing process with the responsibility to evaluate manuscripts fairly based solely on their intellectual merit, and maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process, sharing information only with those involved in the publishing process. The Chief Editor has the ultimate responsibility to decide when and which articles are to be published, and to seek feedback from Editorial Board Members, reviewers, and authors, in an effort to improve and promote the journal's reputation. Clear instructions should be provided to potential contributors to the submission process and authors must only submit original work that is not plagiarized and has not been published or considered elsewhere. To ensure originality, appropriate reviewing procedures must be followed by selecting and identifying suitable reviewers. It is the duty of the Chief Editor to be accountable for ensuring that manuscripts are of the highest quality and meet the journal's standards. This includes utilizing appropriate software to detect plagiarism and ensuring that proper citation techniques are used when incorporating work and/or words from other publications. In addition, The Chief Editor must also ensure that fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are not included in any manuscripts.