Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal is a vital step in the development of academic knowledge. It reflects not only the quality of the research itself but also the integrity of the authors and the institutions behind them. To maintain a fair, transparent, and accountable publication process, all parties involved—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to uphold high standards of ethical behavior.

By submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pacific (IJTHAP), authors confirm that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under review by another publication. The journal adheres to the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors, and all parties are encouraged to consult the ethical guidelines available at http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines.

---

Editorial Responsibilities

Publication Decisions
The editor is responsible for deciding which submitted articles will be published. This decision is based on the manuscript’s academic merit, relevance to the journal's scope, and overall contribution to the field. Legal and ethical considerations, such as copyright and plagiarism, are also taken into account.

Impartiality and Fair Play
Editors evaluate submissions based solely on their content, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal background.

Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must ensure that information related to submitted manuscripts remains confidential and is shared only with individuals involved in the publication process.

Conflicts of Interest
Editors should not use unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts in their own research and must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

---

Reviewer Responsibilities

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review helps editors make informed decisions and provides authors with constructive feedback to improve their work.

Timeliness
Reviewers should notify the editor if they are unable to complete a review in a timely manner or feel unqualified to assess the manuscript.

Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and not shared or discussed without editorial permission.

Objectivity and Constructive Feedback
Reviews should be professional, objective, and free of personal criticism. Reviewers are expected to provide clear, evidence-based feedback.

Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should point out relevant published work that has not been cited and report any potential overlap with other publications.

Conflict of Interest
Reviewers must disclose any potential conflict of interest and recuse themselves if necessary.

---

Author Responsibilities

Research Integrity
Authors should report research findings accurately and provide sufficient detail to enable replication. Falsification or misrepresentation of data is unethical.

Originality and Proper Citation
Manuscripts must be original. If authors use other sources or prior work, they must be properly cited or quoted.

Multiple Submissions
Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.

Acknowledging Sources
All sources that influenced the work should be clearly acknowledged in the manuscript.

Authorship Criteria
Only individuals who made a significant contribution to the research should be listed as authors. All listed authors should have approved the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts of interest that may have influenced the research. Funding sources should be declared.

Correction of Errors
If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they should inform the journal promptly so that a correction or retraction can be issued.