Publication Ethics Statement
Chinese Journal of Rice Science (CJRS) employs a rigorous peer-review system to guarantees the academic standard and enhance the reputation of the journal. The peer review procedure is double-blind. For all parties involved in the act of publishing (the author, the journal editor(s), the peer reviewer and the publisher), it is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior.
Authors' Responsibilities
Authorship
All authors must have read and approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission to CJRS. Individuals qualify for authorship by meeting all the following criteria:1)Making substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the research;2)Drafting the article or critically revising it for important intellectual content;3)Giving final approval of the version to be published;4)Agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately investigated and resolved.Those who do not meet all four criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged with their consent. For group authorship, all members must meet the above criteria, share responsibility for the quality, accuracy, and ethics of the work, and participate in determining the authorship order.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure their work is entirely original. If they have used the work and/or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. All submitted manuscripts will be screened using the AMLC system powered by CNKI.
Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication
An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Parallel submission constitute unacceptable unethical behavior
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or their interpretation. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal's editor and cooperate in retracting the paper or publishing an appropriate correction statement.
Editors' Responsibilities
Accountability
The editor of a peer-reviewed journal is responsible for deciding which
submitted articles should be published and is ultimately accountable for all
content appearing in the journal. In making such decisions, the editor should
adhere to the policies established by the journal’s editorial board as well as relevant
legal standards concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The
editor may consult with other editors or reviewers during the decision-making process.
It is the editor’s duty to uphold the integrity of the academic record, prevent
commercial interests from undermining intellectual and ethical standards, and
be prepared to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies as
necessary.
Fairness
Editors must evaluate manuscripts based solely on their intellectual content, without regard to authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. Information pertaining to a manuscript under review shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, and, where appropriate, members of the editorial board.
Confidentiality
The editor and editorial staff must keep all details of a submitted manuscript confidential, except as shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure, Conflicts of Interest, and Other Issues
When considering retractions, expressions of concern, or corrections related to published articles, the editor will follow the COPE Guidelines for Retracting Articles.
Unpublished material from submitted manuscripts must not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained during peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain.
The editor shall ensure that advertising, reprint sales, or other commercial revenues do not influence editorial decisions.
Editors must work to maintain a fair and appropriate peer-review process. They should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with authors, affiliated companies, or institutions. In such cases, another editor or editorial board member should oversee the review. Editors should also require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and arrange for corrections if such interests emerge after publication. Where necessary, further actions—such as retraction or an expression of concern—should be taken.
Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations
Editors are responsible for safeguarding the published record by issuing corrections and retractions when warranted and by addressing suspected research or publication misconduct. This includes investigating potential misconduct by reviewers or editorial staff. Editors must also respond appropriately to ethical complaints concerning submitted or published papers.
Reviewers' Responsibilities
Competence and Promptness
Reviewers should only agree to review manuscripts for which they have the necessary expertise. They should perform the review promptly and notify the editor immediately if they cannot meet the deadline or feel unqualified.
Objectivity and Constructiveness
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Criticism should be evidence-based, constructive, and devoid of personal remarks or unfounded accusations. Reviewers should clearly articulate their views with supporting arguments.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts received for review are confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others without the editor's authorization. Ideas and information obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. They should alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other known published or unpublished work. Reviewers should be alert to potential academic misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate publication and bring any suspicions to the editor's attention with supporting evidence.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must disclose potential conflicts of interest (competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with authors or their institutions) to the editor and decline the invitation if such conflicts exist.
