Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics for Academic Journals

The Academic Journal of the Council of University Administrative Staff of Thailand (CUST) is published by the Council of University Administrative Staff of Thailand (CUAST) with the aim of disseminating academic works, including academic and research articles, authored by academic support staff from various higher education institutions. It also serves as a hub for sharing knowledge, exchanging views, and offering suggestions, which can guide solutions to shared issues within organizations, thereby improving work efficiency. To ensure the integrity of the academic work published, CAUST has established ethical guidelines and best practices for publishing academic and research articles. These guidelines apply to authors, editors, and reviewers, who must adhere to them strictly for the benefit of readers, scholars, and the advancement of academia.

 

1. Roles and Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are those who submit academic or research articles for publication in the Academic Journal of CUAST. They must uphold honesty, integrity, and ethical standards in their research, conduct, and reporting. Authors are expected to follow these practices:

  1. Truthful Reporting: Authors must certify that their articles are based on factual data derived from genuine research without data fabrication or falsification. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism or uncredited use of others' work, is strictly prohibited. All referenced work must be properly cited.

  2. Originality: The article must be original and not previously published or currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

  3. Authorship Transparency: In cases of co-authorship, all contributors to the work must be clearly acknowledged.

  4. Compliance with Journal Guidelines: Authors must ensure that their articles conform to the format and standards set by the Academic Journal of CUAST.

  5. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Any sources of funding or potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

  6. Consequences for Misconduct: Authors who breach these guidelines will be barred from submitting to the journal for a minimum of two years, with formal notification sent to their affiliated institutions.

 

2. Roles and Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for managing the Academic Journal of CUAST to meet its objectives. They oversee the entire editorial process, including selecting suitable articles, appointing expert reviewers, and ensuring that articles meet the journal's standards and academic integrity requirements. The editors' responsibilities include:

  1. Support for Authors and Reviewers: Editors must facilitate clear communication between authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders throughout the publication process.

  2. Selection of Articles: Editors evaluate and select articles based on their alignment with the journal’s scope and policy.

  3. Confidentiality: Editors must ensure the confidentiality of the authors and reviewers throughout the review process.

  4. Plagiarism Detection: Editors must actively check for plagiarism in all submissions and will cease the review process if plagiarism is detected. If the article has already been published, it will be retracted, and the relevant institution will be notified.

  5. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Editors must not publish their own articles to avoid conflicts of interest and must protect intellectual property from business exploitation.

 

3. Roles and Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are experts tasked with evaluating the quality and relevance of academic or research articles submitted to the Academic Journal of CUAST. Reviewers may come from either academic or support staff backgrounds or from related organizations. Reviewers’ responsibilities include:

  1. Confidentiality: Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and related information.

  2. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must not assess articles if there is any conflict of interest with the author, or if they are unable to provide an unbiased review.

  3. Expertise-Based Evaluation: Reviewers should only review articles within their field of expertise and should base their evaluations on academic merit, avoiding personal biases.

  4. Reporting Similarities: If the article shows signs of plagiarism or overlaps significantly with other published works, the reviewer must inform the editor for further investigation.

4. Guidelines for the Protection of Human and Animal Research Subjects

Protection of Human Subjects
Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki. All original research articles must explicitly state the approval number granted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee, along with the name of the committee and relevant methodological details. In studies involving individual cases or case series, authors are required to obtain informed consent from participants or their legally authorized representatives, particularly when personal information or identifiable images are included. Such consent must be clearly stated within the manuscript.

Care and Use of Animals
Research involving animal subjects must receive prior approval from an institutional or national ethics committee responsible for animal welfare at the site where the study is conducted. Manuscripts reporting research that involves unnecessary pain, distress, suffering, or lasting harm to animals may be subject to rejection at the discretion of the editor, based on ethical considerations and adherence to recognized standards of animal care and welfare."