1. PURPOSE, SCOPE AND FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

1.1. Purpose

The Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science (HCMCOUJS) establishes this policy to provide a unified governance framework for scholarly publishing ethics, editorial integrity, research transparency, responsible peer review, post-publication oversight, and the management of publication misconduct across all journals and specialized sections within the HCMCOUJS system.

This policy aims to:

• safeguard research integrity and scholarly reliability;
• protect the credibility of the scholarly record;
• ensure editorial independence and procedural fairness;
• promote transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct;
• strengthen public trust in scientific communication;
• support international indexing and publishing standards;
• align HCMCOUJS with international best practices in scholarly publishing.

1.2. Scope of Application

This policy applies to the entire scholarly publishing lifecycle, including:

• pre-submission activities;
• manuscript submission;
• editorial screening;
• peer review;
• revision and resubmission;
• editorial decision-making;
• production and publication;
• indexing and metadata management;
• post-publication oversight and investigations.

This policy applies to:

• authors and co-authors;
• corresponding authors;
• editors;
• guest editors;
• editorial board members;
• reviewers;
• editorial office staff;
• journal managers;
• technical support personnel;
• research institutions;
• sponsors and funding organizations;
• third parties participating in the publication process.

1.3. International Alignment and Ethical Standards

HCMCOUJS develops and implements this policy in alignment with:

• the Core Practices of Committee on Publication Ethics;
• the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing;
• international editorial and publishing standards;
• requirements of international indexing databases, including Scopus;
• applicable Vietnamese laws and regulations;
• institutional regulations of Ho Chi Minh City Open University.

1.4. Foundational Principles

HCMCOUJS operates on the basis of the following foundational principles:

1.4.1. Academic honesty and truthful reporting. Research findings, data, analyses, and interpretations must be presented accurately, honestly, and transparently.

1.4.2. Research integrity and accountability. All participants in the publication process are responsible for maintaining scholarly integrity and cooperating with ethical oversight when necessary.

1.4.3. Editorial independence. Editorial decisions must be made independently and free from inappropriate influence.

1.4.4. Fairness and procedural justice. All manuscripts and ethical cases must be handled fairly, objectively, consistently, and without discrimination.

1.4.5. Transparency and disclosure. Conflicts of interest, funding, AI use, data limitations, and ethical approvals must be disclosed appropriately.

1.4.6. Confidentiality and data protection. Confidential information obtained during editorial or peer review processes must be protected and used only for legitimate scholarly purposes.

1.4.7. Protection of the scholarly record. HCMCOUJS is committed to maintaining the integrity, permanence, reliability, and traceability of the scholarly record.

2. PUBLICATION ETHICS GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

2.1. Governance Structure

HCMCOUJS operates under a multi-level editorial governance model designed to ensure:

• editorial independence;
• academic quality assurance;
• ethical accountability;
• transparent decision-making;
• consistency across journals and specialized sections.

The governance structure includes:

1. HCMCOUJS Editorial Council;
2. Editors-in-Chief of specialized journals;
3. Editorial Boards;
4. Editorial Office;
5. Managing Editors;
6. Associate Editors;
7. Section Editors;
8. Ethics oversight mechanisms;
9. technical and administrative support units.

2.2. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by:

• institutional pressure;
• political interests;
• commercial interests;
• sponsorship;
• advertising;
• personal relationships;
• citation manipulation;
• external interference.

Editorial decisions must be based solely on:

• scholarly merit;
• methodological quality;
• ethical compliance;
• relevance to journal scope;
• reviewer evaluations;
• research integrity considerations.

3. RESEARCH INTEGRITY FRAMEWORK

3.1. General Principles of Research Integrity

HCMCOUJS expects all participants in scholarly publishing to uphold:

• originality;
• transparency;
• accountability;
• reproducibility where applicable;
• responsible authorship;
• ethical data management;
• responsible AI use;
• proper citation and attribution.

3.2. Forms of Publication Misconduct

Publication misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• plagiarism;
• self-plagiarism;
• duplicate submission;
• redundant publication;
• fabricated data;
• falsified data;
• image manipulation;
• unethical authorship practices;
• fake peer review;
• citation manipulation;
• paper mill activities;
• AI misuse;
• undeclared conflicts of interest;
• unethical human or animal research practices.

3.3. Similarity Assessment Principles

Similarity reports are indicators requiring editorial interpretation and do not automatically determine misconduct.

Editorial interpretation shall consider:

• context;
• legitimate quotations;
• references;
• methodology descriptions;
• legal terminology;
• standardized expressions;
• disciplinary norms.

4. PUBLICATION ETHICS OVERSIGHT

4.1. Ethics Oversight Responsibilities

HCMCOUJS maintains internal mechanisms to:

• identify publication misconduct;
• investigate ethical concerns;
• manage research integrity risks;
• coordinate post-publication actions;
• protect whistleblowers acting in good faith;
• maintain audit trails and documentation.

4.2. Cooperation with Institutions

Where necessary, HCMCOUJS may communicate with:

• universities;
• research institutions;
• funding agencies;
• ethics committees;
• professional bodies;
• competent authorities.

Such cooperation may occur in cases involving:

• serious misconduct;
• fabricated data;
• authorship disputes;
• paper mills;
• identity fraud;
• unethical research conduct.

5. POST-PUBLICATION ETHICS GOVERNANCE

5.1. Protection of the Scholarly Record

HCMCOUJS recognizes the published Version of Record as the authoritative scholarly record.

When concerns arise after publication, the journal may implement appropriate post-publication measures.

5.2. Post-publication Actions

Post-publication actions may include:

• correction;
• erratum;
• corrigendum;
• editorial note;
• expression of concern;
• retraction;
• republication where appropriate.

Detailed procedures are governed by the:

• Correction, Retraction & Post-Publication Policy;
• Complaints & Appeals Policy;
• Editorial Independence & Editorial Governance Policy.

6. INTERRELATED POLICIES

This umbrella policy shall be interpreted together with the following HCMCOUJS policies:

• Authorship & Contribution Policy;
• Peer Review Policy;
• Reviewer Guidelines & Ethical Responsibilities;
• Editorial Independence & Editorial Governance Policy;
• AI Governance Policy;
• Correction, Retraction & Post-publication Policy;
• Complaints & Appeals Policy;
• Submission Policy;
• Copyright & Licensing Policy;
• Personal Data Privacy Policy;
• Archiving & Digital Preservation Policy.

In the event of inconsistency, the interpretation that best protects research integrity, editorial independence, and the reliability of the scholarly record shall prevail.

7. IMPLEMENTATION, REVIEW AND AMENDMENTS

7.1. Effectiveness

This policy takes effect from the date officially approved and published by HCMCOUJS.

7.2. Periodic Review

This policy shall be reviewed periodically, normally at least once per year, or whenever significant changes occur regarding:

• international ethical standards;
• indexing requirements;
• publishing technologies;
• AI governance;
• Vietnamese law;
• institutional governance needs.

7.3. Official Version and Transparency

The official and most updated version of this policy shall be published on the official HCMCOUJS website and journal management system.

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Policy Information

Item	Content
Policy Owner	HCMCOUJS Editorial Council
Approved by	Editor-in-Chief and HCMCOUJS Editorial Council
Version	3.0
Effective Date	May 2026
Review Cycle	Annual