Research and Publication Ethics: Developing Procedures to Avoid Questionable and Poor Academic Activities

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate and reinstate preventative guidelines necessary for a sound academic journal (or academic conference) for the articles published by KODISA and its branch journals. As questionable or predatory academic journals and academic conferences are rapidly increasing, preemptively establishing preventative standards have become essential to obviate questionable academic activities. Research design, data and methodology: This is an analytical study that explores and examines research, publication ethics, and misconducts. For this purpose, research ethics related data in overseas and domestic academic journals have been examined and analyzed. Results: The issues identified from this research are as follows: enhancing the expertise of editor-inchief (no concurrent jobs for major and non-major area); clarifying the index; complying with the review policy (The review policy should be publicly announced); complying with anonymous review process; complying with 3 peer-review policy, complying with the publication policy as per field of study; avoiding conference hosting at holiday resorts unless unavoidable; complying with the planned programs and cancelling events if not feasible; following proper review standards and management for all journals, including the journals publishing large number of articles (all materials should be prepared in case explanatory data is required); complying with the marketing policy standards; complying with the impact factor; excluding personal solicitation; and complying with the general policy. Conclusions: Questionable and predatory academic activities by academic organizations and journals will continue, and it is the responsibility of the individual scholars to identify and reject these types of dubious academic activities. This study provides standards to prevent the possibility of questionable academic activities that have been conducted in the past. The analysis and findings will strengthen the continued efforts of KODISA as it strives to be a transparent, ethical, and professional academic association, and the association will continue to foster an academic environment that is well-respected by scholars and practitioners throughout the world.