Publication Ethics

The Davao Research Journal (DRJ) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly communication. The journal adheres to internationally recognized ethical publishing principles and follows the best practices and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other recognized scholarly publishing standards. All authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers involved in the publication process are expected to observe ethical conduct and maintain the integrity and credibility of the scholarly record.

1. Human Subjects Research

Research involving human participants must comply with recognized international ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national or institutional ethical guidelines. Authors must clearly indicate in the manuscript that the study protocol was reviewed and approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Review Committee, or equivalent body. The name of the approving institution and approval/reference number should be provided whenever applicable. Informed consent must be obtained from all participants or their legal guardians before participation. Authors must ensure that participants were adequately informed regarding:       

• Purpose and procedures of the study;
• Voluntary participation and the right to withdraw at any time;
• Confidentiality and anonymity measures; and
• The intended use of research data and findings.

Special consideration must be given to vulnerable populations, including minors and marginalized groups.

2. Anonymity, Privacy, and Confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy, dignity, and confidentiality of research participants. Personally identifiable information, including names, photographs, videos, institutional identifiers, or other identifying materials, must not be published without explicit written consent. Manuscripts should clearly describe the measures undertaken to ensure anonymity, confidentiality, secure data handling, and responsible reporting practices.

3. Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals must comply with recognized international standards for the ethical treatment and welfare of animals in research, including relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines such as the ARRIVE Guidelines and OECD Principles. Authors must state whether ethical approval was obtained from an appropriate institutional or regulatory committee and confirm that animal suffering, distress, and unnecessary harm were minimized throughout the conduct of the study.

4. Environmental and Community Responsibility

The journal encourages environmentally responsible and socially ethical research practices, particularly for studies involving ecosystems, biodiversity, coastal communities, indigenous peoples, and vulnerable populations. Authors should demonstrate that their research was conducted responsibly, sustainably, and with appropriate permissions, community engagement, and compliance with environmental regulations whenever applicable.

5. Data Integrity, Availability, and Transparency

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all data, analyses, and reported findings are accurate, authentic, transparent, and honestly presented. The journal maintains zero tolerance for:

• Data fabrication or falsification;
• Image or figure manipulation intended to mislead;
• Plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
• Duplicate or redundant publication; and
• Any form of research misconduct.

All manuscripts may undergo similarity screening and editorial evaluation using appropriate software and review procedures. When appropriate and ethically permissible, authors are encouraged to make anonymized research data, supplementary materials, and methodological details available to support transparency, reproducibility, and open science practices.

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use and Ethical Compliance

The journal recognizes the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted technologies in research and scholarly writing. Authors may use AI tools for language improvement, grammar correction, coding assistance, or data organization, provided that such use is ethical, transparent, and properly disclosed. Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for:

• Originality, accuracy, and integrity of the manuscript;
• Validity of all data, analyses, interpretations, and conclusions;
• Ensuring that AI-generated content does not contain plagiarism, fabricated citations, misleading information, or copyright violations; and
• Compliance with ethical publishing standards.

The use of AI-assisted tools must be disclosed appropriately within the manuscript, including the name of the tool and its purpose. AI systems or generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for scholarly work. The journal does not permit the use of AI technologies for:

• Fabrication or falsification of data, images, or results;
• Generation of fraudulent peer reviews or reviewer identities;
• Citation manipulation;
• Plagiarism or ghostwriting, or
• Any practice that compromises research integrity or ethical publishing standards.

Editors and reviewers must also maintain manuscript confidentiality and should not upload unpublished materials into unsecured or public AI platforms without proper authorization.

7. Author Responsibility and Ethical Declaration

All authors are expected to adhere to responsible authorship practices and must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original scholarly work conducted ethically and transparently. Manuscripts must include appropriate ethical declarations, including:

• Ethics approval statements;
• Informed consent statements where applicable;
• Conflict of interest disclosures;
• Funding information; and
• Author contribution statements.

The journal reserves the right to request supporting ethical documents, permits, approvals, raw data, or institutional verification when necessary. Manuscripts lacking sufficient ethical compliance or documentation may be rejected without peer review.

8. Editorial Responsibilities and Ethical Oversight

Editors are independently responsible for making fair, objective, and evidence-based decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editorial decisions must remain free from discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, religion, institutional affiliation, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.

Editors are expected to:

• Maintain confidentiality throughout the review process;
• Manage conflicts of interest appropriately;
• Safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record;
• Respond responsibly to ethical complaints or allegations of misconduct; and
• Coordinate corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary, in accordance with COPE recommendations and internationally recognized publishing standards.

9. Role of the Publisher

The publisher supports the journal’s commitment to ethical publishing, editorial independence, transparency, and scholarly integrity. The publisher shall collaborate with the Editorial Team to maintain best practices in scholarly communication and ensure compliance with recognized ethical standards, including those established by COPE and the STM Association. When credible evidence indicates errors, ethical violations, or invalid findings in published works, the publisher and editors will work together to facilitate appropriate corrective actions, including corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, to preserve the integrity and reliability of the scholarly record.