Editorial Policies

 AUTHOR(S) CONTRIBUTIONS/CREDITS POLICY

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is committed to ensuring fair and transparent authorship credit for all contributors to the research and publication process. Following best practices and ethical standards, we request authors to provide detailed contributions for each manuscript submitted.

Author Contributions

All authors must describe their specific contributions to the research. This should be done using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system, which categorizes the following roles:

Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project Administration, and Funding Acquisition

Authorship Criteria

Authors are those individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study and the manuscript. Furthermore, the SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) follows the principles of authorship as stated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ensuring that AI tools cannot be considered as authors of any manuscript. As per the COPE position on authorship and AI tools, only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research are eligible for authorship. AI, while valuable in assisting with research, does not fulfil the criteria for authorship and is, therefore, not acceptable as an author.

To qualify as an author, individuals must meet the following criteria:

  • Have made substantial contributions to the research design, methodology, or analysis.
  • Be involved in writing the manuscript or revising it critically for intellectual content.
  • Approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
  • Authors should only be listed if they meet these criteria. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUTHOR(S) CONTRIBUTIONS/CREDITS POLICY

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is committed to ensuring fair and transparent authorship credit for all contributors to the research and publication process. Following best practices and ethical standards, we request authors to provide detailed contributions for each manuscript submitted.

Author Contributions

All authors must describe their specific contributions to the research. This should be done using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system, which categorizes the following roles:
Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project Administration, and Funding Acquisition.

Authorship Criteria

Authors are those individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study and the manuscript. Furthermore, the SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) follows the principles of authorship as stated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ensuring that AI tools cannot be considered as authors of any manuscript. As per the COPE position on authorship and AI tools, only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research are eligible for authorship. AI, while valuable in assisting with research, does not fulfil the criteria for authorship and is, therefore, not acceptable as an author.
To qualify as an author, individuals must meet the following criteria:

  • Have made substantial contributions to the research design, methodology, or analysis.
  • Be involved in writing the manuscript or revising it critically for intellectual content.
  • Approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
  • Authors should only be listed if they meet these criteria. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

Order of Authors

The order of authorship should reflect the significance of each individual’s contribution to the research. The first author is typically the person who has contributed most to the research and manuscript preparation.
The corresponding author is the primary contact for the manuscript during the submission, review, and publication process. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors agree with the final version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgement of Non-Authorship Contributions

Individuals who have provided non-authorship contributions (e.g., administrative support, technical assistance, funding) should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.

Ghost and Honorary Authorship

Ghost authorship (excluding individuals who have made significant contributions) and honorary authorship (including individuals who have not made substantial contributions) are strictly prohibited in SMARCONS Journals– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) .

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for managing communication with the journal, responding to reviewer comments, submitting revisions, and ensuring that all co-authors approve the manuscript before submission and publication.
This policy is designed to uphold the integrity of the research process and ensure fair recognition for all contributions. Authors are encouraged to consult this policy and disclose their contributions clearly at the time of manuscript submission.
For any questions regarding authorship or contributions, authors can contact the editorial office at journals@smarcons.com

AFFILIATION POLICY

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS)  all authors to provide clear and accurate institutional or organizational affiliation information at the time of manuscript submission. This ensures transparency, credibility, and proper acknowledgement of the authors’ academic or professional background.

Institutional Affiliation

Each author must provide their institutional affiliation, including the institution’s name, department (if applicable), and location (city, country).
The corresponding author must indicate their primary affiliation and include contact details, which will be used for all correspondence related to the manuscript.

Multiple Affiliations

In cases where an author is affiliated with more than one institution, each affiliation should be listed separately with corresponding superscript numbers linked to the author’s name. Authors from the same institution can list their shared affiliation only once.

Affiliation During Research

Authors should provide their affiliation at the time the research was conducted. If their affiliation has changed since the study, the current affiliation should also be included, along with a note clarifying the change.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise due to their affiliations or any financial or professional relationships with organizations related to the study.

Non-Institutional Affiliations

Authors who are independent researchers, consultants, or affiliated with non-institutional organizations should clearly state their affiliation in the manuscript to avoid ambiguity.

Acknowledgement of Institutional Support

Authors should acknowledge any financial support, research funding, or institutional support received in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.
This policy aims to ensure clarity and transparency regarding author affiliations, contributing to the integrity of the research and publication process.
For further inquiries or clarification, authors can contact the editorial office at jounrals@smarcons.com.

PLAGIARISM POLICY

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) strictly adheres to the plagiarism policy outlined by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, as per the guidelines provided in HEC Plagiarism Policy. This includes ensuring that all submissions are original and that any form of plagiarism, whether full or partial, is not tolerated. The journal employs thorough plagiarism detection tools to assess all submitted manuscripts. Any submission found to be plagiarized will be rejected immediately, and further action may be taken in accordance with HEC’s policy.
By submitting to the SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), authors acknowledge and commit to complying with these strict plagiarism and authorship policies. Failure to adhere to these policies may result in the rejection of submissions or retraction of accepted manuscripts.

ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

Open Access Statement

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) adheres to an Open Access policy, ensuring that all content is freely accessible to readers worldwide without any subscription or paywall restrictions. By supporting the principles of open knowledge sharing, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) enables the global community to access, read, and benefit from the research published in our journal.
All articles in SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are appropriately credited. This approach aligns with our commitment to fostering transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration in the dissemination of scholarly work.
Furthermore, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) complies with the open access mandates of research funding agencies and institutions, ensuring authors meet their grant requirements. To guarantee the long-term availability of our articles, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) archives its content in trusted repositories such as the Internet Archive and the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.
By adopting an Open Access model, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) aims to enhance the visibility and impact of academic research, promoting innovation and the advancement of knowledge across disciplines.

DIGITAL ARCHIVING POLICY

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of its published content. To ensure that scholarly articles remain available to the academic community and the public, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) archives all its digital content through the following trusted platforms:

Internet Archive: SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) deposits their published articles and associated metadata in the Internet Archive, which ensures public access and long-term preservation by maintaining content in a secure and distributed digital repository.

PKP Preservation Network (PN): All content is preserved using the PKP Preservation Network (PN), which operates on the LOCKSS principle (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe). This ensures secure, decentralized, and long-term storage of journal materials in multiple preservation nodes worldwide. The PKP PN guarantees accessibility even in case of journal discontinuation.

SMARCONS Journals ensures that all files are stored in universally recognized formats, such as PDF, to facilitate future access. Metadata for all articles is preserved in accordance with Dublin Core standards to maintain compatibility with archiving systems.

The editorial team of SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is responsible for ensuring timely and accurate deposit of articles into the designated archiving platforms. Regular checks will be conducted to verify the integrity and accessibility of archived materials.

This policy is publicly available on the journal’s website to inform authors, readers, and stakeholders about our commitment to digital preservation. It will be reviewed annually to incorporate advancements in digital archiving technologies and standards.

If you have any questions or concerns about the digital archiving policy, please contact the SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) editorial team at journals@smarcons.com.

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)s Policy:

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) assigns Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to all published articles to ensure permanent access and improve discoverability and citation. DOIs are managed through CrossRef and provide a stable link to each article.
Every article published in SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is assigned a unique DOI at the time of publication. The DOI is included in the article’s metadata to facilitate indexing, citation, and accessibility. Authors and readers are encouraged to use the DOI link when citing articles.
SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) ensures all assigned DOIs remain active and functional. Any changes to article metadata or hosting are promptly updated with CrossRef. This policy aligns with international standards set by the International DOI Foundation (IDF) to ensure accuracy and reliability. For questions regarding DOIs, contact the editorial office at journals@smarcons.com.

Author Self-Archiving Policy

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) supports the principles of open access and encourages authors to share their research widely through self-archiving. To facilitate this, JEMs permit authors to deposit different versions of their manuscripts in institutional repositories, subject-specific archives, or personal websites in accordance with the following guidelines:

Permitted Versions for Self-Archiving

Published Version

Authors may share the final, published version of their article (with journal formatting) immediately upon publication, as all articles in SMARCONS are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits unrestricted sharing and distribution, provided appropriate credit is given to the original work.

Archiving Locations

  • Authors are encouraged to deposit their work in:
  • Institutional repositories.
  • Subject-specific repositories (e.g., SSRN, PubMed Central).
  • General academic networking sites (e.g., ResearchGate, Academia.edu).
  • Personal or institutional websites.

Benefits of Self-Archiving:

By self-archiving, authors increase the visibility, accessibility, and impact of their research while ensuring compliance with institutional and funding agency mandates.
For further information or clarification, authors may contact the editorial office at journals@smarcons.com.

PEER REVIEW POLICY

Understanding Our Peer Review Approach

The SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS)uses an efficient online manuscript management system to facilitate efficient article submissions, peer reviews, and tracking. We aim to provide a streamlined peer review process that ensures high-quality feedback within a timely turnaround of approximately 3 to 4 weeks, followed by expedited publication.
The editorial team at SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), led by the Editor-in-Chief and supported by the board members, is committed to high standards of ethical conduct and transparency in all aspects. We aim to support established and emerging researchers across diverse disciplines, offering guidance and encouragement to nurture innovation, creativity and academic growth.

Types of Peer Review Models

Different peer-review models exist and are followed by journals. At SMARCONS– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), we follow a double-blind peer review process.

1. Single-Anonymous Peer Review

  • Reviewers’ identities remain anonymous to the authors, while the author’s identity is disclosed to the reviewers.
  • This anonymity allows reviewers to provide honest, unbiased feedback while also allowing them to contextualize their feedback by considering the author's previous work and contributions to the field.

2. Double-Anonymous Peer Review

  • Both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.
  • This ensures an objective focus on the manuscript’s content, minimizing the risk of conscious or unconscious bias.

3. Triple-Anonymous Peer Review

  • The identities of authors, reviewers, and editors are hidden throughout the process.
  • Communication is managed through our submission system, ensuring a transparent review process, and eliminating any potential bias.

4. Open Peer Review

  • This transparent model varies in format, from sharing reviewer and author identities to publishing reviews alongside the article.
  • In some cases, reviews are assigned their Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), making them citable. Open reviews encourage thorough, high-quality feedback while recognizing reviewers’ contributions.
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Our Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review, ensuring that reviewers and authors remain anonymous. We prioritize submissions that make significant, innovative, or thought-provoking contributions in the field, regardless of the scale of the impact.

Here’s how our review process works:
1. Initial Screening

The Editor-in-Chief/Editor review each manuscript to assess its relevance, significance and alignment with the journal’s scope and quality standards.

2. Expert Peer Review

Selected manuscripts are sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers specialized in the subject area.

3. Editorial Decision

Upon completion of the review process, authors receive a notification via email. If revisions are needed, authors must submit a detailed response addressing reviewers' comments.

4. Revisions and Re-Review

Depending on the changes made, revised manuscripts may be re-assessed by the original reviewers or new experts.

5. Final Acceptance

After all concerns are addressed, the manuscript is formally accepted. Authors are then provided with proofs for a final review, during which only minor typographical or scientific corrections are permitted.

6. Publication

The production team upholds the standards for high-quality publication, and the journal retains the discretion to determine formatting and figure dimensions.

Your Research is in Trusted Hands

At the SMARCONS Journals– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), we accurately and professionally review your research. Our peer review process is conducted by active researchers and esteemed leaders in their fields, selected for their excellence and unwavering commitment to upholding high standards.

Expert Reviewers: Subject matter experts evaluate each manuscript using a stringent quality assessment tool. They thoroughly review the methodology to ensure it is rigorous and verify that robust data underpin the conclusions. Dedicated Editors: Our editors, esteemed researchers across various domains, meticulously oversee the review process. They ensure that manuscripts are approved for publication only after thorough validation by the reviewers. Collaborative Feedback: Our online platform facilitates transparent and dynamic communication between authors, reviewers, and editors.  This real-time collaboration enhances manuscript quality and promotes a productive and efficient review process. Transparency and Accountability: The names of reviewers and editors are formally recognized and published alongside the published Issue they evaluate. This transparency encourages everyone to uphold the highest quality standards and act responsibly. Timely and Efficient: Our custom-built peer review platform optimises the evaluation process, providing authors, reviewers, and editors with real-time updates and timely alerts for required actions. A dedicated peer review team is available to assist with questions and guide each manuscript through the process. This streamlined system enables us to maintain an average review time of under 90 days, ensuring efficient and timely publication of high-quality research. Integrity-Focused: Our Research Integrity Team conducts meticulous investigations of any signs of misconduct, including citation manipulation, false reviewer identities, conflicts of interest, or other activities that could compromise the peer review process. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct, trust and credibility in our review system.
Our experienced and dedicated in-house peer review team guides and supports the entire evaluation process, ensuring consistent quality, scientific rigour, and constructive exchange of ideas among authors, reviewers, and editors. We are committed to certifying the quality of every article while promoting meaningful, collaborative improvements.

Editorial Authority

SMARCON reserves the right to exercise editorial oversight, wherein the Chief Editors and Chief Executive Editor may request additional revisions, solicit further expert reviews, or override acceptance or rejection decisions made by Editors. This policy ensures strict adherence to SMARCON's editorial guidelines, terms of service, and publication ethics, to which authors implicitly consent upon manuscript submission.

Roles and Responsibilities in the Peer Review Process

Authors: Authors are required to submit original, rigorous, and scholarly manuscripts aligned with the journal's scope. It is essential that authors adhere to all ethical guidelines, editorial policies, and standards of academic integrity and carefully address feedback from reviewers and editors.
To ensure their manuscripts remain under consideration, authors must:

  • Respond promptly to queries from editors, reviewers, or the journal editorial office.
  • Collaborate effectively by addressing feedback constructively and within the agreed timeframe.
  • Use respectful and professional language in all communications with the editorial board, reviewers, or the editorial office.

Consequences for non-adherence

  • Authors who fail to respond for an extended period (30 days) or use offensive or inappropriate language may have their manuscripts rejected.

Reviewers: Reviewers are experts who evaluate systematic submissions using a structured approach. Their role is to assess the scientific quality, accuracy, relevance and overall validity of the research. They ensure the study’s methods are meaningful, its conclusions are valid, and its data sufficiently supports the findings.

Editors: Editors oversee the peer-review process, focusing on fairness and rigour. They evaluate the feedback provided by reviewers and approve manuscripts for publication that meet the journal’s high criteria for quality standards.
Our peer review team provides comprehensive support to all including chief editors, handling editors, reviewers, and authors—ensuring that manuscripts meet the highest quality and scientific integrity standards, guiding the process to ensure that manuscripts meet the highest standards of quality and integrity. If any participant—whether an editor, reviewer, or author—needs assistance, the peer review team is always available to help. For additional support, we have two dedicated sub-teams:

  • Research Integrity Team: Dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in research, ensuring the integrity of the publication process.
  • Editorial Review Operations Team: Focused on optimizing the review process, streamlining workflows, and enhancing efficiency.

Our goal is to ensure the publication of rigorous, impactful research while promoting a collaborative and supportive environment that values collaboration, integrity, and academic excellence.

Manuscript Quality Standards
Our Research Integrity Team is committed to maintaining high research excellence and ethical conduct standards. We ensure that only high-quality manuscripts are considered for publication while preventing those that fall short of these standards from proceeding.
If concerns about a manuscript’s quality, ethical compliance, or peer-review integrity arise at any stage before official publication—even if the abstract has been made available online—these concerns will be thoroughly investigated. This applies regardless of whether the manuscript has already undergone peer review or been accepted. The journal’s Chief Editors and SMARCON’s Chief Executive Editor will conduct the investigation.
To guide manuscript acceptance or rejection, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) follows clearly defined criteria. For more details, please refer to:

  • Our Author Guidelines
  • SMARCONS Policies and Publication Ethics
  • Terms and Conditions

These resources outline our commitment to publishing research that upholds the highest ethical and editorial standards.

Acceptance Criteria
To be accepted at SMARCONS– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), all submissions must adhere to the following VALID criteria:

  • Valid Research Question and Hypothesis:

Submissions should articulate a clear, well-defined research question and hypothesis situated within a relevant theoretical framework. The research question should address a meaningful and relevant problem that aligns with the study's objectives, demonstrating a clear understanding of the underlying issues and their significance within the field.

  • Appropriate Methodology

The study must employ correct methodological transparency and rigour. This necessitates thorough documentation of the research design, materials, and procedures to ensure reproducibility and credibility. Robust methodology ensures that the study's conclusions are reliably supported and contribute meaningfully to the existing body of knowledge.

  • Lucid Presentation

Manuscripts must be composed in a language that is clear, concise, and scientifically accurate, adhering to established standards of academic writing. Figures, tables, and other visual aids must conform to internationally recognised scientific standards, effectively enhancing the manuscript’s clarity and impact.

  • In Compliance with Policies

Submissions must strictly adhere to SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) editorial and ethical guidelines. This encompasses strict compliance with policies on originality, ethics in research involving human or animal subjects, and transparency in reporting.

  • Grounded in Literature

A comprehensive and representative list of references should thoroughly support manuscripts and provide a balanced overview of the field. Citations must demonstrate unbiased engagement with current and relevant research, avoiding geographic bias, citation cartels, or excessive self-citations.

These criteria ensure that all submissions are of the highest quality and contribute meaningful advancements to their respective fields.

Rejection Criteria
Submissions may be rejected at any stage of the publication process—whether during initial validation, peer review, final validation, or even post-acceptance—based on the following reasons:

  • Invalid Research Foundation
  • The manuscript lacks a well-defined research question or hypothesis.
  • It investigates pseudoscientific topics that fail to meet scholarly standards.
  • Errors in Methodology
  • Significant flaws in the study design, data collection, or analysis undermine the validity of the research.
  • Non-compliance with Editorial Policies
  • The manuscript fails to meet originality requirements due to plagiarism, duplication, or insufficient novelty.
  • Substandard Presentation Quality
  • Poor language, unclear structure, or substandard visuals make the manuscript unsuitable for rigorous peer review or publication.
  • Ethical Policy Violations
  • Research involving humans or animals lacks proper approvals or fails to comply with internationally recognized ethical guidelines.
  • Privacy and confidentiality standards are not maintained.
  • Authorship and Data Integrity Issues
  • Non-adherence to authorship policies, such as disputes over contributions or inclusion of individuals without consent.
  • Fabrication, falsification, or deceitful manipulation of data, images, or figures.
  • Referencing and Literature Gaps
  • References are biased, outdated, or insufficient, failing to provide a well-rounded context for the study.
  • Misleading or Harmful Conclusions
  • Biased or faulty analyses lead to misleading conclusions, lack scientific validity, or pose risks to public health.

Each of these criteria is designed to uphold the journal's integrity, quality, and ethical standards, ensuring that only reliable, impactful, and well-executed research is published. By upholding these standards, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) ensures a fair, transparent, and rigorous peer review process, fostering professionalism and scholarly integrity across all stages of publication.

Publishing Ethics
SMARCON'S Publishing is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. We adhere strictly to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and actively advocate for ethical practices throughout the academic publishing community. For further information on our ethics policies, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Research & publishing ethics

You should only submit your research to us if the following conditions apply:

  • Your research meets the highest standards of integrity and rigor.
  • The original submission has not been published or submitted elsewhere (exceptions may apply for preprints or conference papers; check our policies).
  • The content is free from libelous, defamatory, or unlawful statements that could potentially harm individuals, organizations, or communities.
  • You have obtained permission for any third-party materials included.
  • Consent has been secured to mention any individuals or organizations.
  • Authorship has been agreed upon, with proper credit given to all contributors (no "gift" or "ghost" authorship).

If your work is published and these conditions are later found to be violated, we may act according to COPE guidelines. This could include issuing corrections or, in severe cases, Removing or Retracting the publication. Actions may be delayed for legal or independent hearing reasons until all matters are resolved.

Ethics issues

AI and Peer Review

SMARCONS prioritizes confidentiality throughout the submission and review process. Sharing your submission with others or using AI tools or Large Language Models (LLMs) for evaluation, editing, or decision-making violates the author’s privacy and data rights. 

This applies to peer review reports as well, as they may include sensitive or identifiable information about the work or its authors. Additionally, AI tools have limitations, including potential biases, inaccuracies, and unreliable assessments, which can compromise the quality and fairness of the review process. 

To safeguard the trust and integrity of scholarly publishing, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) prohibits using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the review, evaluation, or decision-making process for submissions. Peer reviewers are expected to personally ensure their reviews' accuracy, meticulousness, and validity, as emphasized in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)  position statement on AI tools. 

Any misuse of AI in the review process will be treated as misconduct and addressed accordingly.


Attribution

Please cite any previous publication or presentation of the ideas in your submission, such as conference papers, workshop talks, or communications on listservs. This helps document the entire history of your work. 

For SMARC journals, references should follow the APA 7th style. You can find specific guidelines in your chosen journal's author instructions. Double-check all references to ensure they are complete, accurate, and consistent.

 Authorship

When listing authors for your paper, it’s important to get it right. Sometimes, you might want to include everyone who helped or accidentally leave out someone who contributed early on.

Common authorship issues include: 

  • Ghost authorship: Leaving out someone who contributed to the work.
  • Gift or guest authorship: Adding someone who didn’t contribute or doesn’t want to be associated with the research.
  • Disputes: Disagreements about the order of authors or how much each person contributed.

These issues can create problems for your paper and even lead to retractions. To avoid this, make sure everyone agrees on authorship before you submit.

At SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), we follow the authorship principles set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). To be credited as an author, a person must: 

  • Significantly contribute to the work's conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
  • Participate in drafting or critically revising the work for key intellectual content,
  • Approve the final version to be published, AND
  • Take responsibility for all aspects of the work, ensuring any questions about its accuracy or integrity are addressed. 

Simply securing research funding does not qualify an individual as an author. To be considered an author, one must meet all four authorship criteria. 

Additionally, per COPE's position statement on AI tools, Large Language Models (LLMs) cannot be credited as authors since they cannot independently design research or ensure the integrity and originality of the work. 

When AI tools are utilized to create or modify content in a SMARCONS publication – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), clear disclosure is mandatory in the Methods or Acknowledgments section. Authors must provide specific details, including what was generated or modified, the name of the AI tool and version, and cite any sources the tool used. Notably, this requirement excludes basic spelling and grammar check tools. 

Our Editors and Publishers reserve the right to decide whether an AI tool is acceptable in a submitted article, chapter, or case study.

Generative AI usage key principles

  • Copywriting Restrictions: Using generative AI tools (e.g., LLMs) to write any part of your article, such as the abstract or literature review, is not allo wed. Authors must take full responsibility for their work’s accuracy, integrity, and validity. However, you can use AI-generated examples for critique or discussion, provided they are correctly cited and do not include AI-created images.
  • Results and Statistics: Generating or reporting results or statistics using AI tools is prohibited, as authors must create and interpret their work. However, AI tools can assist in analyzing your data.
  • Language Improvements: You may use AI tools to improve language and readability, similar to standard grammar and spell-check tools. This is acceptable if the content originates from the author, not the AI tool.
  • AI-Generated Images: Submitting or publishing AI-created images is not permitted.
  • Accountability: All authors must clearly understand each contributor's role and responsibilities in the paper and have full confidence and trust in their co-authors’ work.

If you’re unsure about meeting these criteria, discuss them with your co-authors and Institution.

Resolving Authorship Disputes

If disputes arise, we will help authors work toward a resolution. However, as the research process occurs before submission, we cannot determine the level of contribution by each author.  Please refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) website guidelines for further details.

If disputes remain unresolved, we may escalate the matter to the authors' institutions or issue an expression of concern.

Authorship roles

While the author’s responsibilities may vary depending on the research project, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), expects submitting authors and corresponding authors to fulfill certain tasks.

To aid you in your choice about who is best placed to submit as corresponding author, we have created the table below. For any questions, please do contact us or the journal Editorial Office for your submitting journal.

 

Task

Author Submitting

Corresponding author

Ensuring the accuracy of all article content, including authors' names, addresses, and affiliations.

X

 

Taking the lead on open access initiatives, including eligibility for OA vouchers.

 

X

Serving as the primary point of contact for all inquiries related to the published article.

 

X

Providing and managing the email address included in the published article

 

X

Acting as the main communicator with the journal for all matters.

X

 

Managing the submission process and responding to peer reviews.

X

 

Receiving notifications and updates through the submission system.

X

X

Handling administrative tasks and ensuring deadlines are promptly met.

X

 

Ensuring prompt response to deadlines

X

 

Addressing disclosures related to research ethics and permissions.

X

 

Responding to any queries throughout the publication process.

X

 

 

Citation manipulation

Citations and referencing are important when writing any research. However, researchers should be mindful of the following behaviors:

Self-citation

Authors should refrain from excessive self-citation of their previous works. Citations should always be relevant and purposeful and contribute meaningfully to the article rather than artificially inflating the author's citation count. When discussing methodologies or literature reviews, self-citations should be kept to a minimum.

Coercive citation

During the peer-review process, reviewers might suggest papers they believe could help strengthen or develop your ideas. While these recommendations can be helpful, it’s important to note that forcing authors to include references without valid academic reasons—known as coercive citation—is unethical. 

At SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), we strongly support author freedom and editorial independence. If you ever feel coerced into including a specific reference or suspect an editor of unethical practices, please do not hesitate to contact us at journal@smarcons.com. Your concerns will be addressed promptly and confidentially.

Citation pushing

Citation pushing occurs when authors intentionally include unnecessary or irrelevant references solely to artificially inflate another researcher's citation count, often as part of a group effort to boost each other’s citation metrics. 

At SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), we consider citation pushing a serious offence and actively monitor its occurrence across our publications. If committed, we will follow the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and, if necessary, collaborate with the author's institution to address the matter and prevent future instances.

Conflicts of interest

All stakeholders in the publishing process – authors, reviewers, and editors – must disclose any conflicts of interest that could potentially influence research, peer review, or publication. It is the author’s responsibility to declare any factors that may have impacted his work. If the author is uncertain about what constitutes a conflict of interest, he must consult with the editor or publisher before submission. Here are some examples of possible conflicts of interest:

  • A prior relationship with the editor.
  • Financial or personal stakes in the research outcomes.
  • Undisclosed funding from a third party with an interest in the research.
  • Financial or personal interests in suppressing the research.

When submitting research, the author must include details about any financial support from third parties and mention any other potential conflicts.

If you think the editor or reviewer assigned to your work may have a conflict of interest, let the publisher or commissioning editor at SMARCONS know. We follow COPE guidelines and will ensure that anyone with a conflict is removed from handling your manuscript.

Defamation/libel

Before submitting your work, obtaining written consent for studies involving named organisations or individuals is mandatory. 

Submissions containing inaccurate, unsubstantiated, or emotional statements about individuals or organisations may be subject to revision or rejection before publication. While critiques of products and services are acceptable, they must be free from malice and focused on constructive feedback. 

If any defamatory statements are found in work published by SMARCONS, a retraction notice will be issued. In certain cases, we may withdraw the paper from online versions of journals or books, as legally required. 

We recommend that authors of case studies inform the subject (individual or organization) and seek their consent. If we suspect a case study may contain libellous or sensitive information, we will require written consent from the subject before proceeding with production.

Fabricated data

Fabricating or manipulating data is fundamentally wrong and a breach of research integrity. We may review data or request the original data files; we reserve the right to request a dataset at any point as part of an investigation. If there is reason to suspect that the data is not plausible, we reserve the right to reject that paper and notify your institution as appropriate.

Figure or image manipulation

Image manipulation can be categorized into two types:

  1. Inappropriate manipulation: This involves adjusting an image or figure that doesn’t follow research guidelines but does not affect how the data is interpreted.
  2. Fraudulent manipulation: This is the intentional alteration of an image or figure to mislead the interpretation of the data.

Manipulation might include adding or removing elements from a figure or altering the image to hide or emphasise specific results.

Images or figures submitted to SMARCONS journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) should be minimally processed. We reserve the right to screen these images and request original data if manipulation is suspected. If we find intentional manipulation, we will reject the paper and notify the author's institution, adhering to guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Since research is completed before submission, not all issues can be resolved by our team or editors, especially since research is completed before submission. However, we will help resolve issues where possible and refer matters to the authors’ institutions when necessary. For detailed guidance on our procedures, please refer to the relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts.

Grievance Procedure

 At SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), We Value Transparency and Accountability

We recognise that errors can occur despite our best efforts. If you've encountered any issues or concerns with your publication experience, we encourage you to contact us. Your feedback is essential in helping us improve our processes and provide better support to our authors.

Complaint about an Editorial Decision

SMARCONS Journals– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), upholds editorial independence and will not interfere with a journal editor's decision unless there is evidence that the article was not handled according to best practices.

If your article has been rejected and you believe there are valid reasons to appeal—such as new evidence or a misunderstanding by the reviewer—you can appeal the decision.

To appeal, please follow this process:

  1. Submit your appeal: Write to the journal's Editor, stating your grounds for appeal.
  2. Editorial review: The editorial team will assess your complaint.
  3. Acknowledgment: Expect a response within 10 days, with a resolution aimed within 60 days.
  4. Final decision: The outcome will be communicated in writing, with no further appeals on the same article allowed.

 

Complaint about the editorial management of a journal

If you have concerns about how your article was handled or the editorial management of the journal—such as the time it took to make a decision or ethical issues with the journal—you should first contact the Journal Commissioning Editor listed on the journal homepage or email  journal@smarcons.com

When submitting a complaint, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS), will respond to you professionally and respectfully. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a courteous and respectful dialogue. Any abusive or harassing behaviour toward SMARCONS staff or editorial teams will not be tolerated, and your complaint may no longer be considered.

We take all complaints seriously and aim to provide an initial response within 10 days of receiving your complaint to resolve it within 50 days. If we are unable to resolve your complaint within this timeframe, we will keep you fully informed of our progress (excluding cases requiring correction or retraction notices).

Informed Consent

As a researcher and member of a trusted academic community, you are ethically obligated to follow national and international research ethics guidelines, the ethical principles of your discipline, and any rules set by relevant authorities. It would further be appreciated if you also were transparent about your research methods so that your work can be fairly and accurately evaluated throughout the publication process. 

Informed consent requires you to clearly explain to participants (or their legal representatives) the purpose of your research, whether their anonymity will be protected, how their data will be stored and used, and any potential risks of participation. Your submission must confirm that informed consent was obtained and detail how it was addressed. This applies to all research involving human participants, not just medical studies. Additionally, you should comply with any legal or institutional requirements related to data protection

Ethical approval

Ethical approval must be obtained before initiating research, particularly for studies with a medical focus or involving identifiable human participants, including individuals, samples, or data). In such cases, clearance from your institution’s ethics board is mandatory. It is essential to note that many countries require ethical approval for studies involving human participants, regardless of identifiability.   

You must also ensure that established ethical standards, such as the World Medical Association’s (Declaration of Helsinki), are followed to protect participants and minimize harm. According to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the privacy, rights, and well-being of human subjects must always be respected.

Be prepared to provide additional details about your study—such as its design, ethical approval, and informed consent process—if requested, even after publication. This may include anonymized data and answers to follow-up questions. Therefore, it’s essential to retain copies of written consent from participants.

Ethical statement

When submitting your work, you must include a clear ethical statement confirming that your research received approval from an institutional and national (or international) ethics board. The statement should include: 

  • The name and location of the ethics review committee or board.
  • The approval number and date.
  • Details of the national or international guidelines followed.
  • Any other relevant information.

If your study didn’t require approval, explain why it is exempt. Additionally, you should describe how your research complies with consent guidelines and confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants. Ensure these details maintain the anonymity of both authors and participants. 

Submissions without a proper ethical statement or proof of informed consent (when required) will be returned to the authors for revision. SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) reserves the right to reject any work that lacks adequate evidence of informed consent from human participants.

 

Consent to Publish

 When submitting work that includes personal information about individual participants—such as case histories, clinical data, X-rays, quotations, images, photographs, recordings, or videos—a completed Consent to Publish form is mandatory. This form must confirm that the participant(s) have reviewed the content of the work, understand how the findings will be used and shared, and consent to its publication. 

Third-Party Datasets

 If your study uses third-party datasets, you must secure permission from the dataset owner unless the dataset is publicly available and unrestricted. All data used should remain anonymized unless the dataset owner specifies otherwise. Your submission should include a statement confirming that the required permissions to use the dataset have been obtained.

Plagiarism

The work you submit to a publisher should be based on your original research and written in your own words. Failing to do so may be considered plagiarism, a serious academic offence. To maintain the integrity of published works, SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) employs the Turnitin and Crossref Similarity Check, a plagiarism detection tool that compares submissions against a database of 49 million works from over 800 scholarly publishers. Along with our experienced reviewers and editors, this ensures that plagiarized content is increasingly difficult to overlook. Plagiarism can manifest in various forms.

Verbatim Copying

An exact copy of, or a significant passage or section of text taken from another person's work without acknowledgement, references or use of quotation marks.

Paraphrasing

 More than one sentence within a paragraph or section of text has been changed or rearranged without appropriate attribution. Significant improper paraphrasing, where the original work is rewritten without proper attribution, is considered a serious offence and is treated similarly to verbatim copying.

Re-using parts of a work without attribution

For example, using a figure, table, or paragraph without acknowledgement, references, or using quotation marks. As an author, you are responsible for securing the necessary permissions from the copyright holder for any copyrighted material used in your work.

 Publishing permissions

As the author, it is your responsibility to obtain written permission from the copyright holder to use any third party-created material, such as images, tables, or excerpts, in your manuscript.

Legal Requirement

Permission clearance is a legal requirement; before SMARCONS Journals– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) can reproduce any content, you haven't created yourself, you must obtain permission to reuse it. Failure to clear permission puts both you and SMARCONS at risk of copyright infringement. The 1988 UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act clearly states that rights holders have control over how their work appears and is used. We believe in protecting both your work and the works of others.

When submitting your research, you will be required to provide proof of permission to use any third-party material. We recommend clearing all necessary permissions before submission. If permissions are not obtained, you will be asked to remove the third-party material.

When using third-party material, you must ensure that the copyright holder is referenced directly below the material, with a copyright line as requested by them.

Content that may require permissions

Any material that you have not created, subject to copyright, is covered. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Figures/tables/illustrations
  • Photos
  • Artwork
  • Maps
  • Extensive quotations/excerpts
  • Song lyrics and poetry
  • Screenshots
  • Computer Programmes/software
  • Logos/trademarks

If you are unsure whether permission is required, please check with the copyright holder or your publishing contact. 

When to start Clearing Permissions

Start thinking about clearing permissions as you write your submission. Frequently reused and popular content can take some time; larger publishing houses have average waiting times of six to eight weeks. You should clear all permissions before you submit your research. 

Proof of Permission Clearance

We can accept written proof of permission clearance in two ways. 

  • Our permissions request form, signed by an authorized representative of the company/publisher/estate that holds the copyright.
  • An email that explicitly states permission is granted for the following rights:
    • Non-exclusive rights to reproduce the material
    • Print and electronic rights
    • Worldwide English language rights
    • To use the material for the life of the work.

Self-plagiarism or Text Recycling

SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) publications require original content. Replication of previous research is only acceptable if it yields new conclusions, compares with new data, or provides significant additional insights.

If any element of your latest submission has been previously published, it is essential to fully reference the original work and disclose this information to the editor or publisher at the time of submission.

Handling Allegations of Plagiarism

A plagiarism allegation can severely damage a researcher's career and reputation. Upon receiving a plagiarism complaint from a third party, we will contact the original author(s) or copyright holder(s) to gather their response before determining our next steps.

We maintain impartiality and will not be influenced by other parties. All allegations will be handled under the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

We are not obliged to discuss individual cases of alleged plagiarism with third parties, and we reserve the right not to proceed with a case if the complainant provides false identification or affiliation or exhibits inappropriate or threatening behaviour towards SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) editors and staff.

If you have concerns about plagiarism or would like to learn more about our approach to addressing allegations of misconduct, please don’t hesitate to contact us at journal@smarcons.com

Redundant Publication

Duplicate or simultaneous submission of the same work to multiple journals, also known as dual publication, is unacceptable. All submissions must be original and not previously published. To avoid duplication, please wait for a decision from one journal before submitting your work to another.

 Our Promise

Whenever a research or publishing ethics issue arises, we promise to:

  1. Handle issues efficiently and professionally.
  2. Maintain fairness and impartiality throughout the process.
  3. Provide the accused party an opportunity to respond before making decisions.
  4. Allow sufficient time for all parties to respond.
  5. Keep authors, editors, copyright owners, and other stakeholders informed about decisions.
  6. Adhere to the processes outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts.
  7. Protect authors' rights, ensuring accurate representation and acknowledgement of their work.

If ethical misconduct is discovered before publication, we reserve the right to withdraw acceptance. After a thorough and fair investigation, the editor and SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) will make the final decision, which may not satisfy all parties but will prioritize the integrity of the publication process.