Publication Ethics

The Malaysian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (MyJMS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Our policies follow the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All parties involved in the act of publishing — authors, editors, and reviewers — are expected to observe these standards.

Duties of Authors

  • Manuscripts must report original work, must not be under simultaneous consideration elsewhere, and must be free of plagiarism, data fabrication, and falsification.
  • All listed authors must have made a substantive contribution to the work and approved the final manuscript. Ghost, guest, and gift authorship are not permitted.
  • Sources of funding and any conflicts of interest must be disclosed at submission.
  • Authors must promptly notify the editor of any significant error discovered in their published work and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Review manuscripts objectively and judge solely on academic merit, regardless of the authors' identity, nationality, or affiliation.
  • Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and do not use unpublished material for personal advantage.
  • Declare any conflict of interest and decline to review where one exists.
  • Alert the editor to any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and other published work.

Duties of Editors

  • Evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, without discrimination.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of submitted work and ensure a fair, unbiased, and timely peer-review process.
  • Take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of plagiarised or fraudulent research.
  • Be willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when needed.

Plagiarism Screening

All submissions are screened for textual similarity prior to review. Manuscripts containing unoriginal content beyond accepted academic norms (for example, properly cited quotations) are rejected or returned to the author for revision.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

MyJMS recognises that generative-AI and AI-assisted tools are increasingly used in research and writing. In line with the practices of leading publishers such as Elsevier and Springer Nature, our position is as follows:

  • AI cannot be an author. Authorship carries responsibilities and accountability that can be held only by humans. AI tools must not be listed as an author or co-author.
  • Authors are fully responsible for their work. Where AI-assisted tools are used, the authors remain wholly accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the entire manuscript, including any AI-generated portions. Authors must carefully review and edit all output, check for fabricated or incorrect references, and ensure there is no plagiarism.
  • Disclosure is required for substantive use. Any substantive use of generative AI in the preparation of a manuscript (for example, generating text, ideas, analysis, figures, or code) must be disclosed in a brief statement, placed before the reference list, naming the tool and describing how it was used. This statement will be published with the article.
  • Routine language assistance need not be declared. Basic grammar, spelling, and readability checks do not require a declaration. When AI substantially changes the structure or content of the text, disclosure is required.
  • Data and confidentiality. Authors are responsible for ensuring that confidential or personal data are not entered into AI tools in violation of privacy, ethics, or copyright obligations.

MyJMS does not penalise the responsible, transparent use of AI. What matters is that the authors take full responsibility for their submission and are honest about how it was prepared.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationship that could be perceived to influence the objectivity of a submission's evaluation. Editors recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such a conflict exists.

Corrections, Retractions, and Errata

Minor errors that do not affect the integrity of the work are corrected through a published erratum linked to the original article. Serious issues — plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or major undisclosed conflicts of interest — result in a retraction issued in line with COPE retraction guidelines. The original article remains online, clearly marked "RETRACTED", with a linked notice explaining the reason.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision or raise a concern about the review process may contact the Editor-in-Chief in writing, stating the manuscript ID and the grounds for appeal. Appeals are reviewed, where possible, by an editor not involved in the original decision.