Journal of Surveying, Construction & Property (JSCP) is peer reviewed international journal committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Therefore, the prevention of publication malpractice is one of the important responsibilities of the editorial board. All members of the JSCP publication, authors and reviewers and editorial members must adhere to the duties and responsibilities outlined here. 

 

1) PUBLICATION ETHICS POLICY

The following policies outline the expectations for each stage of the publication process:

 

a) Authorship and Contributions

This concerns on the authorship criteria, acknowledgment of contributions responsibility and authorship disputes

• Authors must meet specific criteria for authorship, which include making significant contributions to the conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of the research and manuscript. All individuals who have contributed substantively to the work must be listed as authors.
• Those who contributed in non-authorship roles (such as technical support, data collection, or financial support) should be acknowledged appropriately in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript.
• Corresponding authors are responsible for ensuring that all authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and have agreed to its submission.
• Any disputes regarding authorship will be resolved in consultation with the journal’s editorial team, and may involve contacting the institutions involved.

 

b) Originality and Plagiarism

Author Responsibility: 

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is entirely original and that any content taken from other sources is properly cited. Authors must submit only original work. Manuscripts that have been previously published or are under consideration for publication elsewhere will not be accepted. Authors must ensure that all sources, including data, text, figures, and tables, are properly cited and referenced in the manuscript. Proper citation acknowledges the original creators and avoids misrepresentation of others' work.

 

Plagiarism Policy and Actions:

The journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism in any form. All submitted manuscripts are screened for similarity using reputable plagiarism detection software before being sent for peer review.

 

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

1) Direct copying of text, ideas, images, or data from other sources without proper attribution.

2) Paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s work without acknowledgment.

3) Reusing portions of one’s own previously published work without citing the original (self-plagiarism).

 

Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism (generally more than 25% similarity, excluding references, quotes, and methods) will be automatically rejected. Minor similarity issues may be returned to authors for correction prior to peer review. In cases of confirmed unethical behavior or deliberate plagiarism, the manuscript will be rejected, and the corresponding author’s institution may be notified.

 

c) Data Integrity

It is important that authors ensures accurate data reporting, data availability and attend corrections to errors and discrepancies where relevant.

Authors must present their data accurately and transparently. Data should not be fabricated, manipulated, or misrepresented to support a desired conclusion. Authors should ensure that all methods, results, and conclusions are based on reliable data.

Authors are encouraged to provide access to raw data and supplementary materials to enhance transparency and reproducibility, in line with ethical research practices. In the event that authors discover errors or discrepancies in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal and work with the editorial team to issue corrections or retractions if necessary.

 

d) Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research or its interpretation. This includes financial, professional, or personal interests that could bias the objectivity of the work. If conflicts of interest are identified, they will be managed according to the journal's policy. This may involve additional scrutiny in the peer review process or disqualifying individuals with conflicts from involvement in the review or editorial decision-making process.

Authors must disclose any funding sources or sponsorships that supported the research, as well as any financial relationships with organizations that might have an interest in the results.

 

e) Peer Review Process

• The peer review process must be fair, objective, and unbiased. Reviewers should assess manuscripts based on their scientific merit, originality, and relevance to the field, rather than on the author's reputation, affiliation, or personal biases.
• Manuscripts and any associated materials should be treated as confidential. Reviewers should not share, copy, or use the contents of manuscripts under review for their personal benefit or to influence their own research.
• Reviewers are expected to provide constructive and detailed feedback that will help authors improve their work. They should highlight strengths as well as provide suggestions for improvement in a respectful manner.
• Reviewers should provide their feedback in a timely manner, adhering to deadlines set by the journal. If a reviewer is unable to complete the review on time, they should notify the editorial team immediately.
• The editorial team is responsible for ensuring that the peer review process is conducted fairly, transparently, and without undue influence. Editors must also be transparent about the decision-making process and ensure that all manuscripts are reviewed in accordance with the journal's guidelines.

More detailed explanation on the policies:

1. Plagiarism Policy 
2. Peer Review Process Policy 

This policy reflects the journal’s strong commitment to academic integrity and to maintaining the highest standards of ethical publishing.

f) Transfer of copyright 

COPYRIGHT: All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without proper written permission from the publisher. Any opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Authors retain the right to share their work publicly, subject to proper attribution. 

JSCP accepts manuscripts that have not been published elsewhere and are not under consideration for publication by other print or electronic media. The authors agree to transfer the copyright to JSCP editorial office. The author no longer retains copyright without restrictions however, it can be downloaded, reprinted, copied, distributed or link to the full texts of its articles and allow it to be used for any other lawful purpose with a proper acknowledgement that it was published in JSCP.

 

g) Simultaneous Submission and Previous Publication

Submission of a manuscript implies a commitment to publish in this journal. Simultaneous submission to other journals is unacceptable. Previously published work, or work which is substantially similar to previously published work, is ordinarily not acceptable. If in doubt about these requirements, contact the editors.

h) Notification

Contributors will be notified whether their manuscripts have been accepted after the review process is completed. If changes are required, authors are furnished with comments from the editors and the international review board. The editors are responsible for all final decisions on editorial changes. The editors reserve the right to copy-edit and proof all articles accepted for publication without prior consultation with contributing authors.

 

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