Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEM Statement)

Revue Congolaise des Sciences et Technologies (RCST)

The Revue Congolaise des Sciences et Technologies (RCST) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, scientific integrity, and transparency. This document outlines the journal’s policies on publication ethics and the management of any malpractice.

A specific link to this statement is available on the official RCST website and can be accessed directly by all users.

1. Authorship and Contributorship Policies

All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the conception, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the work.

All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript.

Authors must disclose all financial or intellectual contributions and any potential conflicts of interest.

2. Handling Complaints and Appeals

Authors and readers may submit complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review, or ethical concerns.

RCST ensures impartial, confidential, and timely handling of complaints and provides a clear appeals mechanism for contested editorial decisions.

3. Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct

RCST follows COPE guidelines for investigating plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate authorship, or any other breach of research ethics.

Investigations may involve the relevant institutions, and corrective actions include corrections, retractions, or reporting to the appropriate authorities.

4. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual or potential financial or personal conflicts of interest that could influence their scientific judgment.

Disclosures are required in both the manuscript and the review process to ensure full transparency.

5. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

RCST encourages authors to make raw data, experimental protocols, and other necessary information available to allow replication of results.

Authors must comply with institutional and national standards for confidentiality and protection of human or animal subjects.

6. Ethical Oversight

All research involving human or animal subjects must be approved by a recognized ethics committee and comply with international and national ethical standards.

Documentation of ethical approval must be provided upon submission.

7. Intellectual Property

Copyright, patents, and other intellectual property rights must be respected.

Any use of third-party materials must be properly cited and authorized.

8. Post-Publication Discussions

RCST supports post-publication scientific discussions through letters to the editor or comments on the website to correct or clarify published work.

9. Corrections and Retractions

The journal publishes errata, corrigenda, and retractions according to COPE standards to correct the scientific record.

Retractions are clearly explained and publicly accessible to maintain scientific integrity.

10. Scholarly Integrity and Misconduct Prevention

RCST applies strict policies to prevent and address plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification or fabrication.

Manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software and evaluated by qualified peer reviewers.

Confirmed violations result in manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification of the authors’ institutions.