Publication Ethics

The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in scientific research and publication. We recognize the significance of ethical considerations in advancing knowledge and promoting the welfare of individuals and society as a whole. As such, we have established the following principles to guide our authors, reviewers, editors, and readers:

1. Integrity and Honesty:

We expect all parties involved in the research and publication process to uphold the principles of integrity and honesty. Authors should present their work accurately, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism. Reviewers and editors should provide objective and fair assessments, avoiding any conflicts of interest or bias.

2. Research Ethics:

Authors must adhere to internationally accepted guidelines and regulations concerning research involving animals or any other sensitive areas. The rights, privacy, and dignity of individuals participating in studies must be respected. Animal research should follow ethical standards, ensuring the humane treatment and minimizing any potential harm or suffering.

3. Informed Consent and Privacy:

Authors should obtain informed consent from research participants and respect their right to privacy. Identifying information should be safeguarded, and confidentiality should be maintained unless explicit permission has been obtained.

4. Conflicts of Interest:

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the objectivity or integrity of the research or publication process. Financial, personal, or professional conflicts that may influence decision-making should be declared transparently.

5. Authorship and Acknowledgments:

All individuals who have made significant contributions to the research should be acknowledged as authors. Ghostwriting and guest authorship are strictly prohibited. Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship but have provided support or assistance should be acknowledged appropriately.

6. Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication:

Authors should ensure that their work is original and properly cited. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is unacceptable. Simultaneous submission or publication of the same research in multiple journals is considered redundant and unethical.

7. Corrections and Retractions:

The journal will promptly investigate and address any concerns regarding the validity or integrity of published articles. Corrections, clarifications, or retractions will be issued when necessary to rectify errors or misleading information.

8. Editorial Independence:

The journal's editorial decisions will be based solely on the scientific merit of the research and its relevance to the field. Editors will strive to avoid any biases based on factors such as race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliations.

9. Transparency and Open Science:

We encourage authors to make their data, methods, and materials openly available, whenever possible, to promote transparency and reproducibility.

Pre-registration of study protocols and sharing of raw data are encouraged to foster scientific collaboration and scrutiny.

10. Continuous Improvement:

The journal is committed to regularly reviewing and improving its ethical policies and practices. We welcome feedback from the scientific community and the public to ensure our adherence to the highest ethical standards.

11. Journal Shopping:

Journal shopping refers to the practice of submitting research manuscripts to multiple journals simultaneously or sequentially, with the intention of maximizing the chances of publication. This behavior undermines the integrity of the scientific publishing process and raises ethical concerns. At [Journal Name], we strongly discourage and condemn journal shopping, as it compromises the principles of fairness, transparency, and scholarly collaboration.

Authors should carefully select a journal that aligns with the scope and aims of their research. Instead of submitting manuscripts to multiple journals at once, authors are encouraged to thoroughly evaluate the guidelines, scope, and editorial policies of potential journals before making a submission. This approach ensures that the research is submitted to a journal that is the best fit and increases the likelihood of a constructive and fair peer review process.

Engaging in journal shopping not only wastes valuable resources and time for both authors and editors but also hinders the timely dissemination of scientific knowledge. It can lead to unnecessary delays, conflicting reviews, and inconsistencies in the publication process. Moreover, it places an undue burden on the peer review system, as multiple journals may unknowingly invest time and effort in reviewing the same manuscript simultaneously.

To promote responsible publishing practices and discourage journal shopping, The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal supports the following measures:

a. Transparency and Disclosure: Authors are expected to disclose any previous submission or publication history of their manuscript to avoid duplicative efforts and potential conflicts of interest. This information helps editors and reviewers make informed decisions and ensures transparency throughout the publication process.

b. Ethical Considerations: Authors should prioritize ethical conduct by adhering to the highest standards of research integrity, including proper citation and avoiding plagiarism. Engaging in journal shopping undermines these principles and damages the credibility of the scientific community.

c. Communication and Cooperation: Authors should communicate openly with journal editors about the submission process and any potential concerns or issues that may arise. Engaging in constructive dialogue helps build trust and allows for better collaboration between authors and editors.

d. Researcher Education: Journals should strive to educate authors about responsible publishing practices, including the negative consequences of journal shopping. Providing guidelines and resources on manuscript submission, journal selection, and ethical considerations can help authors make informed decisions and avoid unethical practices.

At The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal, we are committed to maintaining a fair and transparent publication process. We actively discourage journal shopping and rely on the cooperation and responsible behavior of authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing.

By adhering to these ethics’ guidelines, we aim to foster a scientific community that values integrity, accountability, and the pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of humanity.

Ethical Guidelines for Authors

1. Originality

Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript is entirely original and has not been previously published, nor is it currently under consideration by any other journal. Plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification of data are strictly prohibited. Any instance of such unethical behaviour will lead to the rejection of the manuscript.

2. Data Integrity

Authors must ensure that the manuscript accurately reports the data obtained from their research without any distortion or falsification of facts.

3. Acknowledgment of Data Sources and Contributions

Authors must provide appropriate citations for all sources and references used in the manuscript, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate representation of the work of others.

4. Affiliation Declaration

Authors must fully disclose their affiliations, organizations, and any beneficiaries associated with the manuscript to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

5. Authorship Attribution

Authors must ensure that all co-authors have given their consent to be included in the manuscript and that all individuals who have made significant contributions to the work are appropriately credited.

6. Informed Consent

For manuscripts involving research with human participants, authors must obtain proper informed consent from all subjects. Authors must also be qualified to conduct the study, adhering to ethical standards and institutional guidelines.

7. Peer Review Process

Authors must agree to participate in a peer review process conducted by a panel of experts in the relevant field. This process will be carried out by the journal in a professional, transparent, and fair manner, free from any conflict of interest.

8. Ethical Considerations

Authors must adhere to the relevant ethical guidelines for their research. They are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is conducted and reported with honesty, integrity, and reliability. All ethical considerations must be thoroughly addressed to maintain the highest standards of research ethics.

Ethical Guidelines for Editors

1. Impartial and Fair Review Management

Editors must manage the review process impartially and fairly.

2. Manuscript Quality Review

Editors are responsible for assessing the quality of submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts are selected based on their significance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal's focus. Manuscripts previously published elsewhere will not be considered for publication.

3. Plagiarism Detection

Manuscripts must be checked for plagiarism using trusted programs. If plagiarism is detected, editors will contact the corresponding author for clarification before accepting or rejecting the manuscript.

4. Data Protection

Editors are responsible for ensuring data protection and shall not disclose any information or correspondence between the editorial board, reviewers, and authors to external parties. Exceptions may be made if there are doubts about whether the manuscript is under another review process or is being edited or considered for publication elsewhere.

5. Addressing Ethical Issues

Editors must address ethical issues and conflicts of interest that may arise during the review of the manuscript, as well as any complaints received after the manuscript has been published.

Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

1. Confidentiality

Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding the manuscripts, associated materials, and the information they contain. Under no circumstances should reviewers share this information with anyone other than the Editor-in-Chief. Reviewers should refrain from discussing any aspects of the manuscript under review with others during the review process.

2. Conflict of Interest

If a reviewer perceives a potential conflict of interest with the author that may lead to biased or restricted views, they should promptly notify the editorial board and decline the invitation to review the manuscript.

3. Impartiality

The review process must remain impartial. Personal judgments without supporting data or evidence should not influence the assessment criteria.

4. Identification of Relevant Research

Reviewers should identify any significant research findings that align with the manuscript being reviewed but have not been referenced by the author. If any part of the research closely resembles or replicates findings from other researchers, the reviewer should bring this to the editorial board's attention.

Ethical Consideration and Investigation in Manuscript Publication

When the journal receives complaints or detects suspicions of ethical misconduct, it conducts a thorough investigation transparently and fairly, adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) or equivalent standards. The investigation process is as follows:

•            The journal appoints an investigation committee free from conflicts of interest with the alleged manuscript to ensure a transparent and fair investigation.

•            The investigation committee rigorously reviews the complaints using plagiarism detection software and carefully analyses suspicious content to identify cases of unethical conduct.

•            The investigation committee conducts a comprehensive assessment of the evidence to examine the allegations thoroughly.

•            The accused author will be given an opportunity to clarify the allegations.

•            The journal maintains confidentiality throughout the investigation to ensure fairness for all parties involved.

•            If the investigation reveals that the author has engaged in misconduct, the journal will take appropriate action following COPE guidelines or equivalent standards, which may include suspension or withdrawal of the publication.

•            If the allegations are not substantiated, the Journal will notify all concerned parties of the results.

•            The journal actively monitors and addresses misconduct complaints throughout the manuscript consideration process, from submission to publication. If there are concerns or questions, the editor will convene a meeting with the editorial board for further action.

Ethical Concern Report

To maintain the highest ethical standards in publication, THNHMJ encourages authors, qualified individuals, and readers to report any ethical concerns or misconduct they may encounter. Your input is crucial in ensuring the journal upholds ethical integrity.

If you have any ethical concerns, doubts, or suspicions related to THNHMJ, please use the Ethical Concern Report Form available in the "Ethical Concern Report" section on the journal's website. The form includes fields for providing detailed and comprehensive information about the concern. All reports will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. The journal will handle each concern professionally and conduct a thorough examination to take appropriate action.

Contact information and channels for reporting ethical concerns are available on the THNHMJ website. The journal highly values the concerns and complaints from its readers, as they contribute to upholding the ethical standards of academic publishing for the journal. Input from authors and readers ensures the journal remains a transparent and responsible research publication.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the objectivity or integrity of the research or publication process. Financial, personal, or professional conflicts that may influence decision-making should be declared transparently.