Publication Ethics Statement
ORBIT: Journal of University Student and Career Development is committed to upholding high standards of academic integrity, ethical conduct, and transparency in scholarly publishing. All parties involved in the publication process, including editors, reviewers, and authors, are expected to comply with ethical principles and professional responsibilities to ensure the credibility, accountability, and quality of published articles.
ORBIT applies a peer-reviewed publication process to ensure that submitted manuscripts are evaluated fairly, objectively, and confidentially. Unethical practices, including plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, multiple submissions, redundant publication, and other forms of academic misconduct, are strictly prohibited.
Editorial Responsibilities
Editors are responsible for making publication decisions based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, clarity, and contribution of submitted manuscripts. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by personal, institutional, financial, or commercial interests.
Editors are expected to manage the peer review process in a fair, objective, confidential, and transparent manner. Manuscripts must be evaluated without discrimination based on authors’ gender, ethnicity, institutional affiliation, nationality, religion, or personal background. Editors are also responsible for identifying potential ethical issues and taking appropriate action in cases of suspected misconduct in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.
Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Reviewers play an important role in maintaining the academic quality of the journal through the peer review process. Reviewers are expected to conduct reviews objectively, professionally, constructively, and within the agreed timeframe.
Reviewers must assess manuscripts based on their scholarly merit, methodological rigor, originality, clarity, and relevance to the scope of the journal. All information related to manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential. Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to decline reviewing manuscripts when such conflicts exist. Unpublished materials, data, or ideas obtained through the review process must not be used for personal or professional benefit.
Authors’ Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts represent original work and are prepared in accordance with ethical standards of academic research and publication. All data, findings, and arguments presented in the manuscript must be accurate, honestly obtained, appropriately analyzed, and clearly reported.
Authors must ensure that their manuscripts have not been previously published and are not under consideration by another journal. All sources used in the research must be properly cited and acknowledged. Any form of plagiarism or self-plagiarism is considered unethical and unacceptable. Authors are also required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of the research findings.
For research involving students, alumni, or other human participants, including tracer studies and career-related surveys, authors must ensure compliance with research ethics principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, privacy protection, and responsible data management.
Authorship and Contribution
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the research, including the conception and design of the study, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of findings, drafting, or critical revision of the manuscript.
All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for the content of the work. Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately. Any changes in authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all authors involved.
Originality and Plagiarism
ORBIT requires all submitted manuscripts to be original works that have not been published previously and are not under consideration by other journals. Authors must ensure that their work is free from plagiarism, self-plagiarism, improper citation, and unethical reuse of published materials.
The journal reserves the right to screen submitted manuscripts using plagiarism detection tools. Manuscripts found to contain unacceptable levels of similarity or evidence of unethical publication practices may be returned for revision, rejected, or subject to further ethical review. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of publication ethics.
Conflict of Interest
All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and editors, must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of the research.
Conflicts of interest may include financial, professional, institutional, academic, or personal relationships. Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication; however, transparency is required to ensure ethical decision-making and maintain trust in the publication process.
Research Ethics and Human Subjects
For research involving human participants, including students, alumni, or respondents of tracer studies and career-related surveys, authors must ensure that the research is conducted in accordance with applicable ethical research standards.
Authors are required to obtain informed consent from participants and to ensure the confidentiality, privacy, and protection of personal data. ORBIT expects authors to handle research data responsibly and to comply with applicable ethical guidelines and institutional regulations related to research involving human subjects.
Peer Review Process
ORBIT applies a peer review process to ensure the academic quality, integrity, and relevance of published articles. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated by qualified reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject matter of the manuscript.
The peer review process is conducted objectively and confidentially. Editorial decisions are based on reviewers’ recommendations, the scholarly merit of the manuscript, and its relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. ORBIT strives to ensure fairness, transparency, and timeliness throughout the review process.
Misconduct, Retraction, and Correction
ORBIT takes allegations of publication misconduct seriously. In cases of suspected ethical violations, including plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, multiple submissions, or undisclosed conflicts of interest, the journal will conduct an appropriate investigation in accordance with its publication ethics policies.
If misconduct is confirmed, ORBIT may take corrective actions, including rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, publication of corrections, or issuance of notices of concern. Such actions are undertaken to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record and the credibility of the journal.
