Research Ethics and Integrity

Chapter I – General Provisions

Art. 1 Ciência da Informação Express reaffirms its commitment to ethical editorial practices and research integrity, requiring responsible conduct from all parties involved in the editorial process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the Editorial Board.

Sole paragraph. This policy is aligned with the principles and guidelines set forth in the following reference documents:

I – Best Practice Guidelines for Strengthening Ethics in Scientific Publishing (SciELO);
II – Guidelines of the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity;
III – COPE's Guide for Journal Editors (Committee on Publication Ethics).

Chapter II – Editorial Team Responsibilities

Art. 2 The editorial team shall conduct its duties in accordance with the following commitments:

I – Confidentiality:
To preserve the confidentiality of all information related to manuscripts throughout all stages of the editorial process. Author anonymity will be maintained, except in submissions identified as preprints.

II – Impartiality:
To act with neutrality and fairness in manuscript screening and editorial decisions, based solely on scientific merit and the Editorial Policy.

Sole paragraph. In cases of reported misconduct (plagiarism, falsification, improper authorship), editors must follow COPE’s flowcharts to ensure fair and transparent resolution.

III – Transparency:
To ensure clarity and accessibility of editorial policies and misconduct investigation procedures.

IV – Conflict of Interest:
To disclose any existing or potential conflict of interest in advance. If involving the editor-in-chief, editorial responsibility must be transferred to the associate editor or the Editorial Board.

Chapter III – Reviewer Responsibilities

Art. 3 Reviewers commit to:

I – Confidentiality:
Maintaining absolute confidentiality regarding the manuscripts and any accessed information during the review process.

II – Impartiality:
Evaluating manuscripts based on scientific merit, without personal, professional, or financial influence.

III – Transparency:
Immediately notifying the editors in cases of identified misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation, improper authorship), or if they feel unqualified to conduct the review.

IV – Objectivity and Justification:
Providing technical reports that are clear, objective, and well-reasoned, focused on improving the manuscript.

V – Punctuality:
Meeting deadlines or promptly informing the editors in case of delays.

VI – Conflict of Interest:
Declaring any conflict of interest prior to or during the manuscript review process.

Chapter IV – Author Responsibilities

Art. 4 Authors must adhere to the following commitments:

I – Compliance with Author Guidelines:
Fully respect the journal’s editorial norms and criteria to reduce the risk of scientific misconduct.

II – Responsible Authorship:
Only include as co-authors individuals who contributed substantially to the conception, writing, critical revision, and intellectual responsibility of the manuscript.

Sole paragraph. Author roles must be declared according to the CRediT – Contributor Role Taxonomy.

III – Citation and Source Use:
Ensure accurate citation of all sources used, especially third-party materials, as specified in the Author Guidelines.

IV – Conflict of Interest:
Disclose to the editor any actual or potential conflict of interest at the time of submission or during the editorial process.

V – Research Integrity:
In cases of suspected misconduct, the manuscript will be assessed according to procedures defined by COPE's Core Practices.

Chapter V – Final Provisions

Art. 5 This policy is an integral part of the editorial guidelines of Ciência da Informação Express and may be revised periodically in light of new national and international ethical, regulatory, and scientific recommendations.