Publication Ethics & Malpractice

The KOSALB International Journal of Human Movements Science follows the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All contributors are expected to uphold these principles to maintain integrity and academic quality.

Authors must ensure their submissions are original, properly cited, and not under review elsewhere. Only individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions should be listed as authors. Any potential conflicts of interest must be clearly disclosed. Authors are required to retain supporting data for five years after publication and must provide it upon request. They must have obtained all necessary permissions for data use and participant involvement. If errors are identified at any stage, authors must inform the editor and cooperate in making corrections or retractions. Simultaneous submissions to multiple journals are not allowed, and no changes to authorship are permitted once the review process begins.

Before submission, manuscripts should be checked for plagiarism using detection software. If authors do not submit a plagiarism report, the journal may conduct the screening upon request. The similarity index, excluding references, must not exceed 20 percent; otherwise, the manuscript will be returned. Authors must also submit a signed Publication Rights Transfer Form and an Ethics Board Approval Document. Manuscripts not meeting these requirements will not proceed to review.

Unethical behavior, whether observed in submitted, in-review, or published articles, must be reported to the journal via email. Editors, reviewers, or readers who become aware of ethical violations are responsible for reporting them.

Unethical conduct includes presenting others’ work without proper citation, using fabricated or altered data, manipulating results, publishing the same work more than once, unjustifiably dividing a study into multiple parts, including or excluding authors inappropriately, failing to disclose funding sources or conflicts of interest, using unpublished theses without permission, violating ethical standards in human or animal research, misusing research facilities, or making misleading claims in academic evaluations.

KOSALB is committed to upholding academic integrity and ethical research practices throughout the publication process.

For Editors:

Editors of the KOSALB International Journal of Human Movements Science must adhere to the ethical standards set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines.

The editor holds full responsibility for the quality and integrity of all published content. This includes promoting academic excellence, supporting freedom of expression, and ensuring fair, transparent editorial practices.

Responsibilities to Readers and Authors:
The editor must ensure that non-peer-reviewed content (e.g., letters, announcements) is clearly labeled and that all published material aligns with the journal’s audience and academic scope. Authors should receive clear, timely communication regarding their submissions. Submissions must be evaluated for originality, relevance, and adherence to journal guidelines. If revisions are needed—whether editorial or formatting—authors should be informed and given time to revise. Submission and acceptance dates should be noted in all published articles. Authors must be updated on article status without compromising the double-blind review process.

Responsibilities in the Peer Review Process:
Reviewers should be selected based on subject expertise and must confirm no conflicts of interest before reviewing. The editor must maintain a fair, double-blind peer review system and provide reviewers with clear instructions. Reviewer performance should be monitored, and unprofessional or underperforming reviewers should be removed. The reviewer database should be regularly updated and expanded to ensure quality and coverage across specialties.

Responsibilities to the Editorial Board:
The editor must provide new and current board members with updated editorial policies and clearly communicate their responsibilities. Editorial board members are expected to support the journal’s development, contribute expert reviews when needed, help refine editorial policies, and assist in journal operations.

For Reviewers:

All submissions to the KOSALB International Journal of Human Movements Science are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process to ensure impartiality, confidentiality, and academic integrity. Reviewers must not contact authors directly; all feedback is exchanged through the journal management system via the editor.

Reviewers are expected to:

• Accept review assignments only within their area of expertise.
• Conduct reviews impartially and confidentially, avoiding any potential conflicts of interest. If such a conflict arises, they must decline the review and notify the editor.
• Respect the confidentiality of the manuscript and refrain from using or sharing its content before publication.
• Base their assessments solely on the academic merit of the work, without bias related to the authors’ identity, background, or affiliations.
• Provide respectful, constructive, and professional feedback, avoiding personal criticism or inappropriate language.
• Complete reviews in a timely manner, upholding the ethical standards of the journal.