PUBLICATION ETHICS
The Scientific Journal of Saigon University (hereinafter referred to as the Journal) operates in accordance with its licensed aims and scope as approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Journal complies with regulations on press and publishing activities under the Vietnamese Press Law and is committed to adhering to the highest standards of publication ethics in accordance with the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
This policy applies to the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board, peer reviewers, and authors in order to ensure the transparency, integrity, and quality of scientific publications.
I. Responsibilities of the Parties Involved
- Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board
- Decide to accept or reject manuscripts based on scientific merit, novelty, methodological validity, and alignment with the Journal’s aims and scope, without discrimination on the basis of the authors’ nationality, gender, ethnicity, or religion.
- Ensure the confidentiality of the editorial process; do not disclose any information related to a manuscript to any third party other than the author group and the relevant peer reviewers, prior to publication.
- Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers
- Provide objective, clear, well-reasoned comments supported by scientific evidence; avoid using language that is personal, biased, or offensive.
- Promptly notify the Journal if you lack the required expertise or are unable to complete the review by the deadline.
- Under no circumstances share, publicly cite, or use data or ideas from a manuscript under review for personal or academic purposes before the manuscript is published.
- Responsibilities of Authors
- Confirm that the manuscript is an original scholarly work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere.
- All individuals listed as authors must meet internationally recognized authorship criteria (see the standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors—ICMJE) and must have made a substantial scholarly contribution to at least one of the following aspects: formulating the research idea, designing the study, collecting data, or analyzing and interpreting results. The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating the manuscript and ensuring full agreement among all co-authors regarding the content and submission.
- Do not falsify or fabricate data; do not engage in plagiarism or self-plagiarism in any form.
II. Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism and Handling of Violations
The Journal uses specialized software to check manuscript for similarity.
- Permissible Similarity Thresholds
- Overall similarity rate: Not to exceed 25%.
- Single-source similarity (from one other document): Not to exceed 5%.
Note: All quotations and citations must be fully and accurately referenced. Manuscripts exceeding these thresholds will be rejected immediately or may be required to provide an explanation and/or revisions, depending on the severity.
- Procedure for Handling Misconduct
Where there is an allegation or suspicion of misconduct (plagiarism, data fraud, ethical violations, etc.)
Step 1: The editor collects evidence, cross-checks, and conducts a preliminary assessment.
Step 2: The author will be requested to provide a written explanation within the prescribed timeframe.
Step 3: The Editorial Board will make a decision based on the severity of the violation:
+ Minor: Request revision and/or issue a correction (if applicable);
+ Serious: Reject the manuscript; retract the article (if already published); and notify relevant parties when necessary.
III. Standards on AI, Transparency, and Research Ethics
The Journal applies strict requirements regarding the use of technology, disclosure of interests, and oversight of research ethics to ensure transparency in the digital era.
- Declaration of AI Use
If AI has been used, authors are required to include a section titled “Declaration on the Use of AI” at the end of the manuscript (before the References), including:
- Tools used: Clearly state the name(s) of the AI tool(s) used (e.g., ChatGPT-5, Grammarly, QuillBot, MidJourney, LLMs…).
- Purpose of use: Clearly describe whether AI was used for grammar editing, idea generation, or preliminary data processing.
- Extent of use: Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy of AI-generated content and disclose the extent to which AI was used in the manuscript.
Note: AI tools do not meet international authorship criteria; listing AI as a co-author is considered a violation.
- Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest and Funding Sources
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial support that could create a conflict of interest and could influence the research results.
- Ethical Requirements for Research Subjects
- Research involving humans: Comply with the Declaration of Helsinki, including mandatory informed consent from participants and safeguards for privacy and anonymity.
- Research involving animals: The author group commits to strict compliance with the ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) for reporting animal experiments, and ensures that all experimental procedures comply with applicable laws and regulations on animal welfare.
- Policy on Corrections, Retractions, and Disclaimers
- Correction: Applies to minor errors (typographical errors, data inaccuracies) that do not affect the paper’s main scientific conclusions.
- Retraction: Applies when serious violations are identified after publication, such as unreliable data, substantial plagiarism, scientific fraud, or breaches of research ethics. Retraction notices are published publicly, stating the reason and linking to the original article.
- Disclaimer: The Journal assumes no legal liability for viewpoints expressed or intellectual property infringements caused by authors. Authors bear ultimate responsibility for the published content./.