Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

Applies to all NJPST submissions from 15 Sept 2026. Contact: [email protected]

1. General Principles

NJPST follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts and core practices. We screen all manuscripts with plagiarism detection (iThenticate/Crossref Similarity Check) and may reject or retract where misconduct is found.

2. Duties of Authors

• Originality: submit only original, unpublished work; not under review elsewhere; cite all sources; obtain permission for reused figures/tables
• Authorship: list only those who made substantial contribution; all co-authors approve final version; provide CRediT contributions if requested
• Disclosure: declare conflicts of interest, funding (with grant numbers), and any use of AI writing assistance
• Data: retain raw data for 5 years and provide on request; describe methods so work is reproducible
• Human/animal research: include ethics committee approval number, informed consent, and adherence to Declaration of Helsinki / ARRIVE guidelines where applicable
• Errors: promptly notify the editor if a significant error is found post-publication — see Retraction/Correction policy

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Blind peer review — reviewer identities never disclosed to authors; manuscript is confidential, do not share or use for personal advantage
• Evaluate objectively on scholarly merit; provide constructive, timely reports (target 21 days)
• Declare conflicts (e.g., co-authorship in last 3 years, same institution) and recuse if needed
• Alert the editor to plagiarism, duplicate publication, or data concerns — do not investigate privately
• Do not use AI to write the review without disclosure; the reviewer remains responsible for content

4. Duties of Editors & Editorial Board

• Make decisions solely on academic merit, free from commercial or political influence — editorial independence is guaranteed by PIN
• Ensure fair, unbiased peer review with at least two independent experts per manuscript
• Handle appeals via the Editor-in-Chief; second opinion is sought where needed — final decision is reasoned and documented
• Keep review and author identities confidential except for legitimate editorial consultation
• Declare their own conflicts and step aside from handling manuscripts where they are authors or collaborators
• Follow COPE flowcharts for suspected misconduct rather than acting unilaterally

5. Peer Review Process

All research articles undergo double-blind review by ≥2 experts. Timeline: desk screening 7 days → review 21 days → revision → re-review → decision. Reviewer selection is based on subject matching and prior performance. The process, timeline and reviewer criteria are published under Author Guidelines.

6. Plagiarism & Originality Screening

Every submission is checked via Crossref Similarity Check. Thresholds: >15% overall similarity or >5% from a single source triggers desk discussion; >25% normally leads to immediate desk rejection. Patchwriting, self-plagiarism and text-recycling without citation are treated as misconduct. Authors may be asked to revise and re-check.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose financial, personal or institutional conflicts in the cover letter and manuscript footnotes. Editors and reviewers must disclose conflicts to the Editor-in-Chief. Funding sources are published with each article.

8. Research Involving Humans/Animals

Provide ethics approval letter (committee name + reference number). Clinical trials must be registered (e.g., PACTR) and report the registration number. Animal work must comply with institutional and national guidelines.

9. Handling Misconduct & Complaints

Allegations (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, authorship disputes, reviewer misconduct) are handled per COPE: confidential initial assessment → contact corresponding author for explanation → seek expert advice → decision (correct, retract, or dismiss) → notify institution if required. Complainants email [email protected] with subject “Ethics — Complaint”; we acknowledge within 7 days and aim to resolve within 60 days. Appeals may be lodged within 30 days of decision.

10. Publisher Role

Polymer Institute of Nigeria provides governance and funding but does not influence editorial decisions. The publisher supports archiving (PKP PN / LOCKSS) and ensures retracted articles remain accessible with a watermark (see Retraction Policy).