About the Journal
Scope
Romblon State University Research Journal (RSURJ) is an open-access refereed multidisciplinary research journal that implements a double-blind review process.
The journal aims to provide information through dissemination of research findings in areas of in agriculture and fisheries, forestry, engineering and technology, education, humanities and sciences, and other relevant fields of study. It serves as a platform for educators and decision-makers to share their research results.
Open Access Policy
All articles published by RSURJ are free and accessible for public use. These articles could be downloaded, shared, and used without any fees such as subscription and registration, as permitted by CC BY-NC 4.0 licensing. The authors can deposit versions of their articles in any repository of their choice.
Copyright Notice
Copyright of the articles published is transferred to RSURJ and should be included in citations, including the author/s’ names. The public must adhere to the journal’s copyright and licensing guidelines.
Publication Frequency
RSURJ publishes biannually, June and December, which can be accessed at the Open Journal Systems platform.
Archiving
RSURJ is currently working with its archiving on OJS PKP Preservation Network. The journal maintains its database where multiple copies of its issues are deposited. Authors are also allowed to deposit/upload their articles in a repository of their choice.
Article Processing Fee
Publication in this journal is free, and no other fee is asked of the authors.
Complaints and Appeals
Authors who wish to appeal the decision or raise a complaint must submit their concerns in writing within a week after the review with valid grounds such as procedural flaws, partiality, or error in their manuscript’s content. Upon receipt, the editorial office will carefully study both the submitted document and other relevant materials before promptly sending it back to them in a manner that is transparent and upholds confidentiality. Although RSURJ makes attempts to handle authors’ grievances professionally, decisions made after an appeal process are final and binding with emphasis on moral behavior carried throughout the procedure so as not to compromise the journal’s publication standards.
Allegations of Research Misconduct
Authors must ensure they have the necessary rights to submit the paper. In case of research misconduct such as but not limited to fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and other breaches of ethical conduct, the manuscript will be immediately rejected. If the manuscript was already published, it will be removed from the website’s page. Furthermore, a letter will also be sent to the author’s institution or affiliation to inform them of this research misconduct.
Authorship and Contributorship
The list of authors and their contributions, including the order of the authors as presented on the website, will be established by the principal author upon submission of the manuscript. Addition or deletion of an author, before or after publication, should be requested by the principal author stating the reason/s for such action. Editors are not allowed to make edits of the authorship and contributorship submitted unless requested by the principal author.
Data Sharing and Reproducibility
The journal encourages authors to openly distribute the study’s data and exhibits, thus promoting transparency and reproducibility in science. When these resources are made available to everyone, we will not only enhance the trustworthiness of published articles but also promote further inquiry, cooperation as well as invention among scientists. Writers should follow guidelines on how they can share their findings which include properly presenting them, categorizing them as well, and licensing so that they are more useful and influential at large. This data sharing is limited by ethical standards such that there is no breach of participants’ privacy.
Conflicts of Interest
All participants, including authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial board members, must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence their decisions or actions. Conflicts of interest may include financial ties, personal relationships, or competing academic interests that could potentially bias the research, review, or publication process. Upon disclosure, the journal will manage conflicts by reassigning manuscripts, selecting alternative reviewers, or publishing disclosure statements as necessary. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in manuscript retraction.
If a conflict of interest is disclosed after the publication, RSURJ will re-evaluate the article's validity in light of the undisclosed conflict. In cases where the conflict significantly undermines the integrity of the research, the journal may issue a retraction.
Ethical Oversight
All manuscripts must comply with ethical guidelines, including obtaining necessary approvals and informed consent. The journal will address any instances of research misconduct, such as data falsification or plagiarism, through investigation and corrective actions like corrections or retractions.
If a manuscript submitted is found to have violated ethical standards before or after publication, the journal will undertake the following actions:
- For pre-publication violations, the journal may request revisions to address the issues, providing clear explanations to the authors or reject the manuscript, depending on the gravity of the violation.
- For post-publication violations, the journal will promptly investigate the reported issues, such as data falsification or plagiarism, and take corrective actions, including issuing corrections or retractions as appropriate. Corrections and retractions will be clearly labeled and linked to the original article, with explanatory notices published to maintain transparency.
Post-publication Discussions
Authors and readers can submit commentaries or letters to the editor, which undergo editorial review and may be published with responses from the original authors. The journal will address any post-publication issues, such as errors or ethical concerns, through formal corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the academic record.
Corrections and Retractions
RSURJ is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. If errors or significant issues are identified in published articles, the journal will take appropriate actions, including issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern. Corrections are published to address minor errors that do not affect the overall conclusions of the work, while retractions are issued for more serious issues, such as significant errors, research misconduct, or ethical breaches, that invalidate the findings.
Intellectual Property
All submitted manuscripts must be original works, and authors are responsible for ensuring that their work does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. Upon submission, authors must confirm that their work has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere, except in cases where proper permissions have been obtained and clearly stated. Any use of third-party content, such as figures, tables, or text excerpts, must be properly credited and accompanied by necessary permissions. If intellectual property issues arise, the journal will investigate issue corrections or retractions, depending on the case.
Manuscript with more than 15% Similarity Index is returned to the owner until a lower score is obtained. In case of plagiarism in published articles, the journal will employ the following actions:
- Editors, reviewers and readers may send a letter to the editor complaining a case of plagiarism. The plagiarized part of the manuscript and the original article must be submitted together with the letter.
- Editor will investigate and if found to be a case of plagiarism, the editor will contact the author and request for an explanation.
- An editorial note will be published citing the original author of the content.
- If the author did not respond for an explanation, the journal will inform the author’s institution informing them of this case and may proceed accordingly to the COPE’s guidelines.
Furthermore, all authors are advised to confirm their manuscript is not submitted to any journal prior to submission. Overlapping publication means that the author has submitted the same manuscript to another journal for publication whether or not it was already accepted or undergoing review. In case of overlapping, the manuscript is automatically rejected.
