Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Central Asian Studies is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, in alignment with the guidelines and ethical frameworks established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Elsevier’s Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK). We are dedicated to ensuring the integrity of the academic record by rigorously maintaining transparency, accountability, and fairness throughout the publication process. Under the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (Version 4.0; September 15, 2022), we continuously update our website and editorial policies to reflect the latest best practices in scholarly publishing. 

 

Authorship and Contributorship

The manuscript's authorship belongs to those researchers who participated directly in its creation, idea formation, article writing, and interpretation, and significantly contributed to obtaining scientific results. When submitting a manuscript, authors are required to identify all co-authors and any other contributors. Authors must specify their contributions using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). All authors must also approve the final version of the manuscript before publication. After the manuscript has been submitted, changes to authorship cannot be made unless there is a valid reason to add, remove, or rearrange authors.  

 

Plagiarism and borrowing checks

When the editorial team of the Journal of Central Asian Studies reviews manuscripts for compliance with formal requirements, they also conduct a plagiarism check using a subscription-based system. Only original manuscripts or those with more than 75% originality according to the plagiarism check system (Antiplagiat.ru) will be submitted for further review.
If a manuscript does not meet the journal's requirements or is deemed not original based on the plagiarism check, it will be declined and returned to the corresponding author. 
Authors must properly cite any works, articles, provisions, quotes, or statements from other researchers that they incorporate into their manuscripts.
It is not allowed to use methods to bypass plagiarism detection, such as using formula words or replacing letters with characters. If such violations are identified, the manuscript will be rejected immediately.
In cases of violations of the principles, standards, and norms of scientific ethics recognized by the international community, the editorial board will adhere to the standards set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

 

Funding

In the manuscript, all authors should disclose any financial contributions or other support they received from non-authors, as well as any acknowledgments.

 

The use of AI

Authors are responsible for the content of their work. The AI tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author of a manuscript since they cannot meet the requirements for authorship and take responsibility for the manuscript. The manuscripts generated wholly or primarily by AI tools are not accepted for consideration.
Authors may use AI-assisted technologies (e.g., grammar correction, language polishing, data visualization, reference formatting) if the use is limited, transparent, and non-creative. Any use of AI must be disclosed in the manuscript, preferably in a footnote or a dedicated section (e.g., Acknowledgments or Methods). Authors must verify and take full responsibility for the accuracy of any AI-assisted content, including citations and data summaries.
Journal of Central Asian Studies does not allow the use of AI tools in peer review or editorial decision-making processes. Reviewers and editors must base decisions on human expertise and judgment.

Note: As AI continues to evolve, this policy will be reviewed periodically.

 

Data Fabrication and Falsification

Authors must not engage in data fabrication or falsification. All data, facts, citations, names, initials, and other details presented must be accurate and verifiable. Authors are liable for the accuracy of the information provided in the manuscript.  

 

Conflicts of Interest

Authors submitting to the journal shall inform the editorial team of any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the objectivity or integrity of the publication. A conflict of interest is any situation that may be perceived as influencing the review process or publication of a manuscript. Both authors and reviewers should notify the editorial office if they suspect there is an undisclosed conflict of interest, whether it is financial, professional, contractual, personal, or otherwise.

 

Research Ethics 

Research involving human subjects or animals must receive ethical approval, and authors should provide evidence of this during the submission process. The journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript based on unethical conduct in either human or animal studies.
Any complaints or appeals regarding research ethics, the journal’s staff, editorial board, or publisher should be submitted electronically to ca_journal@kisi.kz or in writing to the following address: Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Beibitshilik 4, Astana, 010000. Complaints should include detailed information about the issue along with supporting documents. The publisher’s ethical committee will review the matter after notifying all concerned parties. The administrative procedure initiated based on the application will take up to 15 working days from the date of receipt. This timeframe may be extended by a reasoned decision from the head of the publisher, up to a maximum of 30 working days.
In instances of misconduct related to improper behavior or ethical violations by the author, the editorial team will convene to take appropriate measures following the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics. 

 

Responsibilities of Reviewers: 

  • A reviewer must keep any information from authors or editors confidential, not discuss unpublished material with third parties, and not use the information for personal gain.
  • A reviewer agrees to voluntarily review only those manuscripts that fall within their field of scientific and professional interests within the timeframe set by the editor.
  • The reviewer plays a crucial role in the decision-making process and helps improve the quality of the manuscript by providing an objective and timely review of the manuscript. They should refrain from making hostile, inflammatory, defamatory, or derogatory comments.
  • The reviews should be expressed clearly and constructively, supported by well-reasoned arguments and, if necessary, appropriate references.
  • A reviewer must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
  • If a reviewer identifies any errors in the manuscript, instances of plagiarism, or any unethical behavior by the author, they must promptly inform the editorial team.

 

Responsibilities of Editors:

  • Editors must ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, or nationality.
  • Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts throughout the editorial process and protect the anonymity of both authors and reviewers.
  • Editors are responsible for effectively selecting reviewers to assess the manuscripts.
  • Editors make decisions about accepting or rejecting manuscripts solely based on their quality, originality, clarity, significance, adherence to editorial policy, and alignment with the journal’s aims and scope.
  • Editors will ensure that commercial interests or policies do not influence their publishing decisions.
  • Editors are responsible for maintaining the timeliness and frequency of the journal’s publications.
  • Editors should disclose potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from decision-making when needed.  

 

Post Publication Policies 

Regarding post-publication issues involving serious ethical or integrity concerns, the Journal of Central Asian Studies adheres to the guidelines established by COPE. The Journal of Central Asian Studies issues post-publication editorial decisions—such as corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions—only after thorough consideration of the raised issues.
In accordance with COPE guidelines, we aim to discuss post-publication concerns with the corresponding author of the article before making any editorial decisions. 

 

Procedure for Retraction or Correction

The editorial team values the integrity and completeness of research data, recognizing its importance to the scientific community. We adhere to high standards to ensure the credibility of the journal’s electronic archive.
If any errors or inaccuracies are detected, the author or any other individual should promptly notify the editorial team to retract or amend the publication. The amendments will be published on the journal webpage, replacing the electronic version of the manuscript and indicating the corrections made.

The editorial team may consider retracting an article in the following cases:

  • There is evidence of the unreliability of published information, either due to deliberate actions (such as data falsification) or errors in calculations or experiments.
  • The conclusions were previously published elsewhere without proper reference, permission, or justification for re-publication (i.e., cases of duplicate publication).
  • There are violations of copyright or instances of plagiarism.
  • The manuscript contains classified materials without permission for their use.
  • The manuscript was published through a compromised or altered review process.
  • The author failed to disclose a conflict of interest that could influence the interpretation of the paper or the reviewers’ recommendations.

A «retracted» watermark will be added to the electronic version of any retracted manuscript, along with an explanation of the reasons for retraction. A manuscript may be removed from the journal’s webpage in exceptional cases where the retraction is due to a violation of intellectual property rights, privacy rights, disclosure of classified materials, or a court or governmental decision. The details of the retraction will be forwarded to the databases in which the journal is indexed.
The journal will only consider appeals against retraction or correction decisions if new information or data that directly addresses the underlying issues is provided. Appeals are reviewed by the publisher’s ethics committee. All decisions regarding appeals are final, and no further appeals will be considered.

 

 

Last updated 2025-02-13