Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Ethical Guidelines

To ensure that all editorial and publishing processes of  KKU Journal for Public Health Research, Khon Kaen University, comply with ethical principles and academic standards, the Editorial Board has established the following ethical guidelines:

1. Publication Ethics

1.1 All images, figures, tables, textual content, and articles published in the journal are the sole responsibility of the authors.

1.2 All manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated through a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of the authors are concealed from the reviewers, and the identities of the reviewers are likewise concealed from the authors.

1.3 All manuscripts submitted by authors from both within and outside the publishing institution are subject to peer review as follows:

• Manuscripts submitted by authors within the publishing institution are reviewed by three external peer reviewers from various institutions who have no conflicts of interest with the authors.
• Manuscripts submitted by authors outside the publishing institution are reviewed by two external peer reviewers from various institutions and one internal peer reviewer from the publishing institution, all of whom have no conflicts of interest with the authors, for a total of three reviewers.

2. Author Ethics

2.1 Authors are responsible for preparing their manuscripts in accordance with the journal’s formatting and submission guidelines. They must comply with these requirements before submitting their manuscripts through the submission system.

2.2 All individuals listed as authors in a manuscript must have made a substantial contribution to the research activities and the preparation of the manuscript submitted for consideration.

2.3 Authors must present research results or literature review findings accurately, comprehensively, and objectively, without data concealment, bias, or personal prejudice. Authors should also consider the academic and practical benefits that readers and relevant stakeholders may gain from the published work.

2.4 All references cited in the manuscript must be properly acknowledged in accordance with ethical standards and the citation format specified by the journal.

2.5 Manuscripts submitted for consideration must not be under review or submitted simultaneously to another journal. If misconduct is identified, including concealment or duplicate publication, the Editorial Board reserves the right to immediately reject or retract the manuscript and suspend future submissions from the first author and the corresponding author of the manuscript.

3. Peer Reviewer Ethics

3.1 Peer reviewers must evaluate manuscripts based on academic merit within their areas of expertise, free from personal bias, prejudice, or conflicts of interest.

3.2 Peer reviewers should provide constructive and professional feedback aimed at supporting learning and academic development, rather than criticism intended to demean or undermine authors.

3.3 Peer reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and must not disclose any information to unauthorized individuals.

3.4 Peer reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest related to the manuscript or its authors. If such conflicts exist, reviewers may decline the review invitation and notify the Editorial Board accordingly.

4. Editor Ethics

4.1 Editors must evaluate all submitted manuscripts impartially and fairly, without discrimination or decisions based on personal bias or prejudice.

4.2 The selection of peer reviewers must be conducted transparently and based on appropriate expertise relevant to the subject matter of the submitted manuscript.

4.3 Editors must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript review process and must not disclose any information to individuals who are not directly involved in the editorial process.

---

5. Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

5.1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy for Authors

KKU Journal for Public Health Research recognizes the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in scholarly writing. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, reliability, integrity, and completeness of all content submitted to the journal.

Authors may use AI tools to assist with language editing, grammar checking, formatting, or preliminary summarization. However, AI tools must not be used to generate research data, research findings, references, in-text citations, or scholarly conclusions that are not supported by verifiable sources.

Authors are required to carefully verify the accuracy of all content, citations, and references before submitting their manuscripts to the journal. Authors bear sole responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies, or misconduct arising from the use of AI tools.

If the Editorial Board identifies content, references, citations, or other materials that appear to have been generated by AI and whose accuracy cannot be verified through reliable sources, the journal reserves the right to request revisions, seek clarification from the authors, or reject the manuscript, as deemed appropriate.

5.2 Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Manuscript Screening

KKU Journal for Public Health Research may utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted tools to support the preliminary screening of submitted manuscripts before they enter the peer-review process.

The purpose of these tools is to assist in checking manuscript formatting, the completeness of submitted information, the consistency between in-text citations and reference lists, and the identification of issues that may require further examination by the Editorial Board.

AI-assisted tools are used solely as supportive instruments for preliminary screening and do not replace the evaluation, judgment, or decision-making responsibilities of the Editorial Board or peer reviewers. All editorial and publication decisions remain under the sole discretion of the Editorial Board and the journal’s reviewers.

---

6. Policy for the Transition to Electronic Article Publication

KKU Journal for Public Health Research is committed to developing its publication practices in accordance with the nature of electronic journal publishing and to enhancing flexibility in the management and online dissemination of published articles.

Therefore, beginning with Volume 20, Issue 1 January – April 2027, the journal will transition from the use of page numbers to a Publication ID as the official identifier of each published article. The Publication ID will replace page numbers for article identification and citation purposes.

Publication ID Format

The Publication ID will follow the format:

eYYYYNNNNNN

where:

e = Electronic Publication

YYYY = Year of publication in the Gregorian calendar

NNNNNN = Manuscript Submission ID assigned by the ThaiJO online journal system

Example:

e2027290683

The Publication ID will serve as the unique identifier of each published article and will be used in the journal's table of contents, article PDF, and bibliographic and citation information, as applicable.

Articles published before Volume 20, Issue 1 January–April 2027, will continue to use the existing page-numbering system. Articles published from this issue onward will use the Publication ID in place of page numbers.

Regarding page numbering for the full-issue compilation of the online journal, page numbers are assigned exclusively to the Front Matter using lowercase Roman numerals. Published articles in each issue utilize a Publication ID (Article ID) in place of continuous page numbers, and the Peer Reviewers List page is intentionally left unnumbered.

The omission of page numbers on the Peer Reviewers List page is an established journal policy, not a typesetting or formatting error.

Full-Issue Pagination Structure

Therefore, the structure of the online journal's full-issue compilation incorporates page numbers solely for reading and navigational purposes, whereas the Publication ID serves as the official identifier for indexing and formal academic citation.

This transition does not affect the journal's manuscript submission process, peer-review process, editorial decision-making, acceptance procedures, or academic standards and requirements. The change is intended to provide greater flexibility in electronic article publication and to facilitate article identification, retrieval, and citation.

The journal will continue to provide complete bibliographic and article-identification information necessary for accurate retrieval and citation in accordance with the journal's publication standards.