Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Duties of Editors

  1. Publication Decisions
     The editor of the Knowledge and Leadership Alliance is responsible for determining which submitted articles are suitable for publication. This decision should be guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial board and any applicable legal requirements related to libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Consultation with other editors or reviewers may be part of this process.
  2. Fair Play
     Manuscripts must be evaluated solely on their intellectual content, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views.
  3. Confidentiality
     Editors and editorial staff must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential. Information should only be disclosed to those directly involved in the editorial process, including authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher.
  4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
     Unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts must not be used in an editor’s personal research without the explicit written permission of the author.

Duties of Reviewers

  1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions
    Peer review supports the editor in making publication decisions and can assist the author in refining their manuscript through constructive feedback.
  2. Promptness
    Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or unable to do so in a timely manner should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
  3. Confidentiality
    Manuscripts under review are confidential and should not be shared or discussed with others unless explicitly authorized by the editor.
  4. Standards of Objectivity
    Reviews must be conducted impartially and constructively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate; reviewers should provide clear, evidence-based feedback.
  5. Acknowledgement of Sources
    Reviewers should identify relevant published works that are not cited by the authors. They should also alert the editor to any overlap or substantial similarities between the manuscript under review and other known publications.
  6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
    Reviewers must treat privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review as confidential. Manuscripts with potential conflicts of interest—stemming from relationships with authors, institutions, or companies—should not be reviewed

Duties of Authors

  1. Reporting Standards
    Authors must provide an accurate, objective account of their research and its significance. The manuscript should contain enough detail and citations to allow replication of the study. Misrepresentation or falsification of research is unethical and unacceptable.
  2. Data Access and Retention
    Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to make data publicly accessible if feasible. Data should be retained for a reasonable period after publication.
  3. Originality and Plagiarism
    Authors must ensure their work is original, with proper citation for any references to or use of others’ work. If plagiarism is detected, the editor will:
          • Remove the article from all platforms.
          • Notify the author’s academic or professional supervisors.
          • Issue a retraction in the subsequent journal issue.
          • Inform the original author(s).
    Prohibit the offending author from future submissions.
  4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
    Authors should avoid submitting the same research to multiple journals simultaneously. This practice is considered unethical.
  5. Acknowledgement of Sources
    Proper credit must be given to the work of others, with citations to publications that have influenced the reported research.
  6. Authorship of the Paper
    Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the study. Co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Other contributors should be acknowledged accordingly.
  7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
    Authors must disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that could affect the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support must be acknowledged.
  8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works
    If an author identifies a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal’s editor or publisher and collaborate on retraction or correction.

This statement ensures that the Knowledge and Leadership Alliance upholds the highest ethical standards in publishing, fostering integrity and accountability within the academic community.

Editorial Integrity

  1. Decision-Making Process
    Editors have the primary responsibility for selecting which articles are published in the Knowledge and Leadership Alliance. Decisions are guided by the journal’s editorial policies and relevant legal standards concerning libel, copyright, and plagiarism. Editors may consult other editors or reviewers as part of the decision-making process.
  2. Impartial Evaluation
    Manuscripts must be assessed solely on their academic merit. Editors will not discriminate based on an author’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or political views.
  3. Confidential Handling
    Information about submitted manuscripts is confidential and will only be shared with individuals directly involved in the review and publication process—such as reviewers, other editors, and the publisher.
  4. Use of Unpublished Content
    Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts in their research without the author’s clear written permission. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed.

Reviewer Accountability

  1. Role in Editorial Judgement
    Reviewers play a crucial role in the editorial process by providing feedback that helps editors make publication decisions and authors improve their work.
  2. Timeliness and Competence
    Reviewers who are not qualified to review a manuscript or who cannot complete a review in a timely manner should notify the editor promptly and withdraw from the review.
  3. Confidentiality Obligations
    Manuscripts under review are strictly confidential and must not be discussed with others unless explicitly permitted by the editor.
  4. Objective and Constructive Feedback
    Reviews should be fair and unbiased, providing clear and reasoned assessments of the manuscript. Personal criticism is inappropriate, and reviewers should focus on the content.
  5. Reference Verification
    Reviewers are responsible for identifying relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any suspected overlap or duplication with other known publications should be reported to the editor.
  6. Managing Conflicts of Interest
    Reviewers must not use privileged information for personal gain. Manuscripts where a reviewer has a conflict of interest—due to personal or professional relationships—should be avoided.

Authorial Responsibilities

  1. Research Reporting Expectations
    Authors must provide a truthful and detailed account of their research. Results should be presented accurately, and the study should be described in enough detail to allow replication. Misrepresentation or falsification is strictly prohibited.
  2. Data Transparency
    Authors should be prepared to share underlying data with the journal if required and retain data for a reasonable period after publication. Public access to data is encouraged when feasible.
  3. Original Work and Citations
    Authors must ensure the originality of their submissions and appropriately cite any used work from other sources. In cases of detected plagiarism, the editor will:
           • Remove the article from online platforms.
           • Notify the author’s academic or professional supervisors.
           • Issue a retraction notice in the following issue.
           • Inform the original authors.
           • Ban future submissions from the offending author.
  4. Avoiding Duplicate Publications
    Submitting identical or substantially similar research to multiple journals is unethical. Manuscripts should be unique to the Knowledge and Leadership Alliance.
  5. Proper Attribution
    Proper acknowledgment of others’ contributions is mandatory. Significant influences and works that shaped the research should be cited accordingly.
  6. Authorship Criteria
    Only those who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or analysis of the study should be listed as authors. Co-authors must agree to the final version of the manuscript and its submission. Contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged.
  7. Disclosure of Conflicts
    All potential conflicts of interest, including financial or personal connections that could affect the research, must be disclosed. Funding sources should also be transparently stated.
  8. Correction of Errors
    If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, it is their responsibility to promptly inform the editor or publisher and cooperate in correcting or retracting the article.
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