Policies

Policies

Copyright Agreement

The copyright of any published article in Sorsogon Multidisciplinary Research Journal is retained by the author, with the first publication rights granted to the Sorsogon State University, Research and Development Office. Use of articles published in Sor MRJ to any extent requires written permission from the authors and editors of the article. 

Intellectual Property Agreement

The manuscript has not yet been published in other articles. 

The manuscript shall be submitted for evaluation through internal and external refereeing using a double-blind scheme. 

The manuscript shall be submitted following the prescribed SorMRJ Publication Office format. 

An electronic copy of the manuscript shall be submitted through the SorMRJ website: This article will adhere to the standards of Intellectual Property (IP).

Authorship on Research Report

Authorship is defined as assigning responsibility and giving credit for intellectual work. Practices thereof are judged by honest reflection of the actual contributions to the final product. It is taking credit for a completed work and being accountable for the content of the published work. It is also a joint ownership from the contributions of different persons which shall be determined as follows:

  1. By stipulation in the research contract
  2. By application of the policies for joint and sole ownership
  3. Through dispute resolution arbitrated by the College Ethics Committee

Author of Publication

Authorship may not carry the same authors in the research report, as authorship will depend on the contribution of each of the members in the writing and packaging for publications as well as contributions that merit authorship. An author of a publication is someone who has made substantial intellectual and major practical contributions to the published work, and takes responsibility and accountability for the integrity of the research results being reported and for the content of the published work.

There are four criteria for a researcher to be considered as an author:

  1. Substantial contribution,
  2. Drafting and revising the manuscript,
  3. Approval of the final version, and
  4. Accountability for accuracy and integrity.

Substantial Contribution: Authors are expected to have played a substantial role in the intellectual aspects of the research study, including its conceptualization, design, data gathering, data analysis, execution, and interpretation. Authorship may not be achieved by only giving general supervision, managing data collection, or managing funding.

Drafting and Revising the Manuscript: In order to guarantee that the document has crucial material, authors should participate in its creation or critical revision. This involvement encompasses contributions to both the writing and analysis of the research findings.

Approval of the Final Version: To guarantee that all authors accept accountability for the content of the manuscript, each author must give their final approval before publication.

Accountability for Accuracy and Integrity: Authors are expected to uphold the accuracy and integrity of the work, encompassing both data and results. This duty entails being able to verify the accuracy of the underlying data and being prepared to accept public accountability for the information.

Authorship Order: In certain domains, the sequence of authors holds significance. First author typically refers to the person who contributed the most, while the final author typically refers to the senior figure or principal investigator in charge of the project. Middle authors usually provided contributions in decreasing degrees of involvement.

The authors should make a written agreement as to the percentage of contribution based on the actual contribution of each author in writing and publishing the paper with signature of all authors.

Acknowledgement vs. Authorship: Individuals who assisted with the project but do not meet the requirements for authorship should be recognized in the acknowledgement section. This could include members who helped with writing and editing, offered general support, or offered technical assistance.

Conflict of Interest: Any possible conflicts of interest that could be seen to have an impact on the work must be disclosed by the authors. This covers, but is not restricted to, monetary interests, interpersonal connections, and other matters that might have an effect on the research.

Compliance with Ethical Standards: It is mandatory for authors to uphold ethical standards in all of their research activities. This includes securing necessary approvals for studies involving humans or animals and making sure that relevant guidelines are followed while the research is being conducted.

Inclusion of All Contributors: Individuals who fulfill the requirements for authorship should be listed as authors; those who do not should be appropriately acknowledged.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities: The duties of the corresponding author include correspondence with the journal, obtaining consent from each author, and confirming that each author satisfies the requirements for authorship.

Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

The Journal acknowledges the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and manuscript preparation. While such tools may assist in improving clarity and language, the responsibility for the content of the manuscript remains entirely with the authors.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools (e.g., for grammar checking or language refinement) under the following conditions:

  • AI tools must not be used to generate core scholarly content such as analysis, interpretation, discussion, or conclusions without appropriate human oversight
  • Authors must carefully review and validate all AI-assisted outputs to ensure accuracy, originality, and absence of bias
  • Any use of AI must be transparently disclosed in the manuscript under a section titled “AI Use Statement”, indicating the name of the tool, its purpose, and the extent of its use

AI tools must not:

  • Be listed as authors or co-authors
  • Be used to fabricate data, references, or results
  • Replace the author’s intellectual contribution

To safeguard the integrity of submissions, the Journal employs similarity and AI-detection tools, including Turnitin, to assess both textual overlap and potential AI-generated content.

As a general guideline:

  • Manuscripts with an AI-detection score exceeding 20% will be returned to the authors for revision
  • Authors will be asked to review, revise, and reduce AI-generated content to ensure that the manuscript reflects original scholarly work
  • Repeated or excessive reliance on AI tools without proper disclosure may be considered a breach of publication ethics

For figures and images:

  • AI-generated or significantly AI-manipulated images are not permitted unless scientifically justified and explicitly approved by the Editor
  • Adjustments to images must not alter or misrepresent the original data

The Journal reserves the right to request clarification or supporting information regarding the use of AI tools at any stage of the editorial process.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice

SorMRJ is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against malpractice, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication

SorMRJ does not accept manuscripts that have been published elsewhere or are under simultaneous review by another journal. Redundant publication — dividing findings from a single study into multiple manuscripts — is likewise prohibited. Prior dissemination as a thesis, conference paper, or preprint must be disclosed in the cover letter. Where limited overlap is necessary, it requires the explicit endorsement of the original publication and proper citation. Violations detected before publication result in rejection; those discovered after publication are subject to retraction.

Plagiarism

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. A similarity index exceeding fifteen percent (15%) will result in the manuscript being returned for revision or rejected. Allegations of plagiarism may be reported to the editorial board by readers, reviewers, or editors.

Allegations of Research Misconduct

SorMRJ follows COPE guidelines in handling all allegations of misconduct, including data fabrication or falsification and citation manipulation. Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial board conducts an impartial and confidential assessment. If warranted, the author(s) are notified and given the opportunity to respond. Actions may include rejection, retraction, institutional notification, or referral to appropriate authorities.

Transparency

SorMRJ adheres to COPE’s Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing and encourages all authors, reviewers, and editorial partners to uphold the same standards.

Human and Animal Subjects

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards.

Authors must:

  • Obtain approval from an appropriate ethics review board (IRB/ERC)
  • Provide a statement confirming ethical clearance
  • Secure informed consent from participants

For animal studies:

  • Follow institutional and national guidelines for humane treatment

Manuscripts without appropriate ethical compliance may be rejected.

Comments on Published Articles

SorMRJ welcomes the submission of comments on articles previously published in the journal. Such comments will be reviewed by two (2) reviewers: typically, an author of the original article, to assess accuracy of representation, and an independent reviewer. If a comment is accepted for publication, the original author will be invited to submit a reply. All standard editorial requirements apply to submitted comments.

Digital Preservation

SorMRJ is committed to the long-term preservation of all published content. Electronic files are systematically stored across multiple formats and platforms — including cloud storage, institutional repositories, and external drives — to ensure continued access in the event of website failure, natural calamity, or other unforeseen disruptions.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to make underlying research data available and verifiable, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, ethical clearances, and institutional policies. Where full disclosure is not possible — such as for sensitive or personally identifiable information — authors must state this clearly in the manuscript. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited. The editorial board may request supporting data or materials at any stage of the review or post-publication process.

Corrections and Retractions

  • Correction — issued when a minor error in an otherwise reliable article is identified and the overall findings remain valid.
  • Retraction — The editorial board shall remove a published article from the digital file upon post-publication discovery of fraudulent research claims, plagiarism, or serious methodological errors that eluded detection during the quality assurance process. Validated complaints by third-party researchers on any of the foregoing grounds shall initiate the retraction process, but only after the author(s) have been formally notified and given the opportunity to respond in accordance with due process. When plagiarism is identified, the editorial board shall act according to the specific type detected. Unless the investigation determines otherwise, all authors share individual and collective responsibility for the content of a plagiarized work. All plagiarism claims shall be investigated and resolved with urgency and impartiality.
  • Expression of Concern — issued when evidence of misconduct is inconclusive or an investigation is ongoing.

All post-publication notices are permanently accessible and linked to the original article.

Complaints and Appeals

All complaints and appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief. The editorial board investigates complaints regarding copyright infringement, inaccuracies, libelous content, or ethical violations. If a complaint is found to be well-founded, appropriate action — including correction, retraction, or referral — will be taken. Authors may appeal editorial decisions within thirty (30) days of receipt by submitting written grounds and supporting evidence. Appeals based solely on disagreement with reviewer opinions will not be entertained. All decisions of the editorial board are final.

Code of Ethics

SorMRJ adopts the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for all parties in the publication process.

Authors must:

  • Submit only original, accurate work not published or under review elsewhere;
  • Represent data, methodology, and findings honestly; fabrication and falsification are strictly prohibited;
  • List only those who made substantial intellectual contributions as authors; guest, gift, and ghost authorship are prohibited;
  • Disclose all funding sources and conflicts of interest;
  • Obtain and declare required ethical clearances; and
  • Promptly report significant errors in published work and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations;
  • Treat all manuscripts as confidential and not use unpublished material for personal research;
  • Decline assignments where a conflict of interest exists; and
  • Report any ethical concerns or identified misconduct to the editorial board.

Editors must:

  • Evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit, free from bias or discrimination;
  • Maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts;
  • Recuse themselves from manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists;
  • Act promptly on allegations of misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines;
  • Ensure corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are published when needed; and
  • Maintain professional and respectful conduct toward all stakeholders at all times.

Publication Fees and Open Access

SorMRJ does not charge any Article Processing Charges (APC), submission fees, or publication fees. All editorial services, peer review, formatting, DOI registration, online hosting, and archiving are provided at no cost to authors. The journal provides open access to all published content, supporting the principle that freely available research advances global knowledge exchange.

SorMRJ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their published work while granting the journal an exclusive right of first publication. Under this license, authors may: (a) share their article in the same ways permitted to third parties, provided it contains a link to the version of record on SorMRJ; (b) retain patent, trademark, and other intellectual property rights, including research data; and (c) receive proper attribution and credit for their published work.

No part of any published article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the editorial board.

Privacy Statement

Personal information collected through this journal site — including names and email addresses — is used solely for the purposes of this journal. Such information will not be disclosed, shared, or made available to any third party, nor used for any purpose other than those directly related to the journal’s editorial and publication activities.

References:

https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/the-use-of-generative-ai-and-ai-assisted-technologies-in-writing-for-elsevier