The Institute of African Studies establishes the following ethics regulations to enhance the quality of Asian Journal of African Studies.

Enacted: January 7, 2008   Revised: February 10, 2009   Revised: December 30, 2015   Revised: November 4, 2025

Chapter 1. Research Ethics Regulations

Section 1. Research Ethics Regulations for Authors

Article 1 Prohibition of Plagiarism, Forging, Falsification

1. Authors shall not present in papers or publications any part of research or claims not conducted by themselves as if it were their own research results or claims.
2. While authors may cite or reference another's research results with proper attribution, presenting any part of it as their own research results or claims constitutes plagiarism.
3. Authors must not fabricate non-existent research data (forging) or distort research content or results by artificially manipulating, arbitrarily altering, or deleting research processes (falsification).

Article 2 Prohibition of Duplicate Submission, Publication, or Double Publication of Research

1. Authors shall not publish or submit their previously published research (including research scheduled for publication or under review) as new research, regardless of whether it was published domestically or internationally. They shall also not submit the same research to similar journals or other publications.
2. If an author wishes to publish using part of research previously published before submission, they must obtain permission from the publisher.

Article 3 Citation and Reference Indication

1. When citing publicly available academic materials, authors must strive for accurate description and clearly indicate the source unless the information is common knowledge. Materials obtained through personal contact may only be cited after obtaining consent from the researcher who provided the information.
2. When an author cites another person's writing or references another person's ideas, they must indicate the citation or reference through footnotes. Such notation must clearly distinguish where the results of prior research end and where the author's original thoughts, arguments, or interpretations begin.

Article 4 (Use of AI Tools)

1. Authors must clearly disclose the use and scope of any artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research or manuscript preparation.
2. AI tools may only be used as auxiliary means and shall not replace the author’s own scholarly judgment or responsibility.
3. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and ethical use of any content generated or assisted by AI tools, including issues related to copyright and data protection.
4. The use of AI tools to fabricate data, manipulate citations, or conceal their use constitutes a violation of research ethics.

Section 2. Research Ethics Regulations for Editorial Board Members

Article 4 Editorial board members shall decide whether submitted manuscripts are accepted for publication and must respect the authors' independence.

Article 5 Editorial board members must evaluate manuscripts submitted for publication in the journal based solely on the manuscript's quality and compliance with submission guidelines, without regard to the author's gender, age, institutional affiliation, or any preconceived notions or personal relationships.

Article 6 Editorial board members must not disclose any information about the author or the content of the manuscript until a decision on publication has been made.

Article 7 Editorial board members must promptly notify the research ethics committee and respond appropriately if any issues arise concerning the review of submitted manuscripts by reviewers.

Section 3 Research Ethics Regulations for Reviewers

Article 8 Reviewers must faithfully evaluate manuscripts requested by the editorial board of the journal within the period specified by the review regulations and notify the editorial board of the results. If a reviewer determines that they are not qualified to evaluate the content of a manuscript, they must notify the editorial board of this fact.

Article 9 Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts fairly based on objective criteria, free from personal beliefs or private relationships with the authors. They must not reject a manuscript without providing sufficient justification, nor reject it solely because it conflicts with their own perspective or interpretation. They must not evaluate a manuscript without reading it properly.

Article 10 If reviewers discover that a paper submitted for review has already been published in another journal, is under duplicate review, or has other issues, they must inform the editorial board of this fact.

Article 11 Reviewers must maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscripts under review. They must not show the manuscript to others or discuss its contents with others, except when specifically seeking advice for the evaluation. Furthermore, they must not cite the manuscript's content before the journal in which it is published is released.

Chapter 2: Research Ethics Regulations Enforcement Guidelines

Article 12 Research Ethics Regulations Pledge

Authors submitting papers to the Institute of African Studies must pledge to comply with these Research Ethics Regulations. However, authors who submitted papers before these regulations took effect shall be deemed to have pledged to comply with them.

Article 13 Reporting Research Ethics Regulations Violations

If another researcher becomes aware of a case where an author has violated the Research Ethics Regulations, they may report it to the Ethics Committee of the Institute of African Studies. The ethics committee must not disclose the identity of the reporting researcher to outside parties.

Article 14 Principles for the Composition of the Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee shall consist of three or more members appointed by the Director of the Institute upon recommendation by members of the Institute's Steering Committee. However, any member with a direct interest in a particular case shall not participate in the investigation, deliberation, or decision-making regarding that case.

Article 15 Authority of the Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee shall conduct a broad investigation into matters reported as violations of the Research Ethics Regulations, utilizing the reporter, the subject of the investigation, witnesses, reference persons, and evidence materials. If a violation of the Research Ethics Regulations is determined to be factual, the Committee may recommend appropriate disciplinary measures to the Director of the Institute.

Article 16 Investigation and Deliberation by the Ethics Committee

Authors reported for violating the Research Ethics Regulations must cooperate with investigations conducted by the Ethics Committee. Failure to cooperate with or obstruction of a legitimate investigation constitutes a violation of the Research Ethics Regulations in itself.

Article 17 Guarantee of Opportunity to State Case

Authors determined to have violated the Research Ethics Regulations must be given a sufficient opportunity to state their case.

Article 18 Protection of Confidentiality Regarding Subjects of Investigation

Until the Institute of African Studies makes a final disciplinary decision regarding a violation of the Research Ethics Regulations, Ethics Committee members shall not disclose the identity of the relevant author to outside parties.

Article 19 Disciplinary Procedures and Content

When the Ethics Committee recommends disciplinary action, the Director of the Institute shall convene the Committee to make the final decision on whether to impose discipline and the content of such discipline. Submitters determined to have violated the Research Ethics Regulations may be subject to disciplinary actions such as warnings, submission restrictions, or disqualification. These measures may be publicly announced, including to the submitter's affiliated institution.

Article 20 Revision of Research Ethics Regulations

The procedure for revising the Research Ethics Regulations shall follow the regulations of this Institute of African Studies

Additional Rules
(1) These Ethics Regulations are enforced starting January 7, 2008.
(2) These Ethics Regulations are enforced starting February 10, 2009.
(3) These Ethics Regulations are enforced starting December 30, 2015.
(4) These Ethics Regulations are enforced starting November 4, 2025