Publication Ethics Guidelines for WAYSA Conference Proceedings

The West Africa Young Statisticians Association (WAYSA) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity for all papers published in our conference proceedings. These guidelines outline the ethical principles and standards expected of authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process.

1. Authors' Responsibilities

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is original and does not contain any form of plagiarism. Plagiarism includes presenting someone else's work as one's own, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Data Accuracy and Integrity: Authors must ensure that the data used in their research is accurate and reliable. Any manipulation or fabrication of data is strictly prohibited.

Multiple Submissions: Authors should not submit the same paper to multiple conferences or journals simultaneously.

Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the work. All authors must agree to the submission of the paper and accept responsibility for its content.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of their research.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Authors must properly acknowledge the work of others by citing relevant sources.

Errors in Published Works: If authors discover any significant errors in their published work, they must promptly notify the editors and cooperate in correcting or retracting the paper.

2. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all papers as confidential documents and not disclose their contents to others without prior permission from the editors.

Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate.

Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the agreed-upon timeframe.

Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to provide an unbiased review.

Identification of Plagiarism: Reviewers should be vigilant in detecting any instances of plagiarism or potential ethical violations.

Substantive Comments: Reviewers should provide detailed and constructive feedback to help authors improve their work.

3. Editors' Responsibilities

Fairness and Impartiality: Editors must evaluate papers based on their scientific merit without regard to the authors' race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of the review process.

Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their decision-making.

Publication Decisions: Editors have the final authority to accept or reject papers for publication. Their decisions should be based on the reviewers' comments and the scientific merit of the work.

Handling of Ethical Issues: Editors must take appropriate action in cases of alleged ethical violations, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes. This may involve contacting the authors, institutions, or relevant authorities.

Corrections and Retractions: Editors should publish corrections or retractions when necessary to address errors or ethical violations in published papers.

Quality Assurance: Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality of the published proceedings.

4. Allegations of Misconduct

Any allegations of ethical misconduct will be thoroughly investigated by the editors in accordance with established procedures.

The editors will provide authors with an opportunity to respond to any allegations.

If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions will be taken, which may include:

Retraction of the paper

Publication of a correction or erratum

Prohibition of future submissions

Reporting the matter to the authors' institutions

5. Scope

These guidelines apply to all papers submitted to and published in WAYSA conference proceedings.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines, we aim to ensure the integrity, credibility, and quality of the research published in WAYSA conference proceedings, thereby promoting the advancement of statistics in West Africa.