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Publication Ethics Statement

The Caroliniana Undergraduate Research Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical practice in all stages of the publication process. Our policies are grounded in transparency, fairness, and academic honesty, and are guided by best practices in scholarly publishing.

Author Responsibilities

  • Original Work: Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and must not have been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
  • Plagiarism: All forms of plagiarism—including direct copying, paraphrasing without attribution, and self-plagiarism—are strictly prohibited. Suspected cases will be investigated and may result in rejection or retraction.
  • Citation of Sources: Authors are expected to appropriately cite all sources that have influenced their work.
  • Acknowledgment of Contributions: Anyone who made significant contributions to the project but does not meet authorship criteria should be properly acknowledged.

Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share or discuss them with anyone outside the review process.
  • Impartiality: Reviews should be conducted objectively and respectfully, with constructive feedback and without personal bias.
  • Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must inform the editorial board if they have any conflicts of interest with the work or authors being reviewed.

Editorial Responsibilities

  • Fair Decision-Making: Editors evaluate submissions solely on academic merit and relevance to the journal’s scope, regardless of the author’s identity or background.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling submissions where a conflict of interest exists.
  • Confidentiality: Editors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality during the review process and ensuring anonymous peer review.

Academic Misconduct

The journal will not tolerate academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical research practices. Suspected cases will be reviewed by the editorial board and, if necessary, referred to appropriate university offices.

AI Usage Policy

The Caroliniana Undergraduate Research Journal acknowledges that generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, DALL·E, Midjourney) are increasingly used in academic settings. However, to uphold academic integrity and transparency: The use of generative AI in the production of any part of a manuscript—whether for writing, analysis, or creative content—must be clearly disclosed and properly cited. Undisclosed or improperly cited use of AI is strictly prohibited.

Authors must:

  • Clearly indicate if generative AI tools were used and for what purpose (e.g., drafting, coding assistance, image generation).
  • Ensure that all AI-generated content is reviewed, edited, and verified by the author(s) to meet academic standards.
  • Accept full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and ethical use of any content generated with AI assistance.

Suspected misuse of AI (including plagiarism, fabrication, or failure to disclose) will be investigated by the editorial board and may result in rejection, retraction, or referral to the appropriate university office for academic misconduct.

Inclusivity and Ethics

We strive to promote inclusive excellence in research publishing. Discriminatory language or unethical treatment of research subjects will result in automatic disqualification from the publication process.