Publication Ethics

 

Policy Overview

Observatorio (OBS*) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. Only original and unpublished work will be considered for peer review. Manuscripts must demonstrate novelty, originality, and scholarly contribution to the field of communication studies.

The following general ethical aspects must be considered by authors interested in publishing in Observatorio (OBS*):

– Fabrication, falsification, or any form of research fraud will not be tolerated. Authors must provide sufficient supplementary material and data to support their article. 

– Authors must comply with ethical standards in conducting research, including institutional approval for studies involving humans or sensitive data.

– Simultaneous submissions of the same manuscript to multiple journals are not permitted.

– No more than one article by the same author or co-author/s will be published within a calendar year.

– Self-citations should be limited to instances where they are strictly necessary for contextual or methodological reasons.

– All authors must have made a significant scientific contribution to the research. Neither “gift”, “guest” or “ghost” authorship is acceptable.

– All sources of institutional support and research funding must be explicitly stated under a subsection at the end of the manuscript named “Acknowledgments”.

– For aspects related to plagiarism, AI use or conflict of interest observe the specific policies below.

 

1. Anti-Plagiarism Policy

1.1. Definition of Plagiarism
For the purpose of this policy, plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying of text, data, images, or ideas without proper attribution.
  • Self-plagiarism, including redundant or duplicate publication, where an author reuses substantial parts of their own previously published work without appropriate citation or transparency.
  • Unattributed paraphrasing or translation of another author’s work.

1.2. Plagiarism Detection

  • To ensure the originality of the manuscripts, all submissions are checked with a plagiarism detection tool before peer review begins.
  • In addition to automated checks, manuscripts may be manually evaluated for originality and integrity.
  • Higher similarity levels, or significant overlap with a single source, will lead to further investigation and possible rejection.
  • The similarity assessment criteria will always be subject to the decision of the Editorial Team, and each case will be considered individually. 
  • Depending on the type and extent of plagiarism detected, authors may be asked to revise the manuscript and provide a new version, or the manuscript may be rejected. 
  • Manuscripts with confirmed plagiarism will be irrevocably rejected.

1.3. Author Responsibilities

  • To avoid plagiarism, articles derived from previously published work (thesis, dissertation, report, or other) must (1) contain substantial updates and new contributions, and (2) be accompanied by a cover letter explaining differences from the original work and providing the relevant details or links for the Editorial Team
  • Authors have to ensure that all sources are fully cited, including prior work of their authorship, without compromising anonymity. Additionally, permission is needed for reproducing any copyrighted third-party materials.

 

2. AI Usage Policy

  • Authorship: Authors must take full responsibility for the content of their manuscript, including conceptualization, interpretation, accuracy and overall scientific integrity. Authors should be aware that interacting with generative Artificial Inteligence (AI) tools or large language models (LLMs) may result in sharing intellectual content with external systems, which may compromise the confidentiality of their work.
  • Permissible uses of AI: The use of AI tools for copy-editing (e.g., improving clarity, grammar, or readability) is permissible, provided such tools are applied only to original content from the author. If AI tools are used for data processing or analysis it needs to be discussed in detail in the Methodology section of the manuscript to safeguard reliability and validity.
  • Disclosure of AI use: The use of AI tools at any stage of the research or writing process must be explicitly disclosed. Authors must provide a short statement under a subsection at the end of the manuscript named “Declaration of AI Usage”, specifying the AI tool(s) used and the precise role played in the research process.
  • No AI usage: If no AI tools were used in the preparation of the manuscript, authors must state this explicitly under a subsection at end of the manuscript named “Declaration of AI Usage” (e.g., “No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript”).

     

3. Conflict of Interest Policy

  • Authors: All authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could inappropriately influence (or be perceived to influence) the research process and its outcomes. Conflicts may include, but are not limited to, personal, institutional, financial, political, legal, or academic interests. Authors must state this explicitly under a subsection at end of manuscript named “Conflict of interest” (e.g., “The authors declare no conflict of interest”).
  • Reviewers: Peer reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to provide an impartial and objective evaluation of a manuscript. If a conflict exists, such as sharing the same institutional affiliation or a previous collaboration with the author(s), among others, reviewers should recuse themselves from the review process. Reviewers are also encouraged to notify the editor if they suspect any undisclosed conflicts of interest in a submitted manuscript.
  • Editors: Editors must not handle manuscripts for which they have a conflict of interest, regardless of its nature. Editors who are authors of a submitted manuscript are excluded from all editorial decisions related to that submission.

 

Observatorio (OBS*) recognizes that not all ethical issues identified during the review process indicate misconduct. Minor issues or overlaps will be addressed constructively, and authors may be invited to revise and provide a new version with appropriate corrections.

If you still have any doubts regarding any of the above issues, please do not hesitate to contact us through this email: obs@obercom.pt