About the Journal
Editorial Policy
The UM Digos Research Journal (UMDRJ) stands as the distinguished annual, peer-reviewed publication of the UM Digos College. Embracing a double-blind review process, UMDRJ ensures the anonymity of both reviewers and authors, upholding the integrity and objectivity of its scholarly discourse.
The UM Digos Research Journal is open to all student and faculty researches. This journal is viewed as the premier multidisciplinary journal that accepts contributions from various areas like Accounting, Business and Management, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Education and Technology and Innovation and other related and allied disciplines. The quality of articles published in this journal is our top priority. The Editorial Board is inviting external reviewers for every issues of the journal.
ISSN
ISSN 2467-6489 (print) | ISSN 3028-0095 (online)
Aims
UMDRJ is committed to the advancement of knowledge across a multitude of disciplines through the publication of high-quality research. It rigorously adheres to a double-blind peer-review and editing protocol, ensuring that all featured articles meet the highest standards of scientific merit and academic excellence.
Editorial Process
The primary consideration for publication in the UM Digos Research Journal is its contribution to providing new knowledge leading to the betterment of human lives and our society as a whole. The action of both the authors and reviewers is very critical in maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the review process. The authors’ role is to prepare the manuscript to be evaluated by our external evaluators who are experts in their fields. The acceptance of the paper will be deliberated by the Editorial Board who will consider the significance of the paper and comments and suggestions of the external reviewers.
Dedicated to fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and innovation, UMDRJ values editorial independence, diversity, and equity. We welcome contributions from researchers of diverse backgrounds and geographic origins. Manuscripts undergo a preliminary review by our editors to ascertain their suitability for our journal. Those deemed suitable are then peer-reviewed by at least two independent experts, whose evaluations inform the publication decisions made by the Chief Editor.
Peer Review Process
UMDRJ’s peer review process is central to our mission of ensuring the quality and reliability of published research. This process subjects an author's scholarly work to the scrutiny of experts in the field, promoting adherence to the discipline's accepted standards and enhancing the research's overall quality.
Criteria for Acceptance and Rejection
Manuscripts are accepted for publication based on the following:
- Endorsement by at least two referees
- Adherence to reviewer instructions and ethical standards
- A plagiarism detection score of no more than 10% and a Grammarly score of 95% or higher
Comments
UMDRJ encourages the submission of comments on previously published articles, aiming to stimulate scholarly debate and discussion. Comments are reviewed by two experts, typically including an author of the original article, to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Transparency
In line with COPE's Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, UMDRJ is committed to an open, transparent editorial and publishing process, reinforcing the integrity of our work and the contributions of our authors.
Publication Frequency and Fee
UMDRJ is published annually, and we charge no fees for article submission, processing, or publishing, promoting unrestricted access to scholarly research.
Turnaround Time
The publication process, from submission to publication, can take anywhere from four months to one year, depending on the availability of peer reviewers and the timely submission of revised documents by authors.
Policy on Handling Complaints
If the UM Digos Research Journal receives a formal complaint that a contribution infringes copyright or other intellectual property rights, the Editorial Board will investigate the complaint. The Editorial Board will ONLY entertain complaint supported with a FORMAL LETTER via courier or email address to the Editor-In-Chief. Any other form of complaints will not be entertained. If formal complaint is done, the Editorial Board will request both parties to submit substantial evidences which will then be weighed by the Editorial Board as basis for retraction or withdrawal of the manuscript.
Policy of Copyright Transfer
Each corresponding author will sign a Transfer of Copyright Form (Form 2). The copyright transfer signifies that the Author acknowledges that UMDRJ will have the right to print, create derivative works, and publish the work throughout the world, all rights in and to all revisions or versions or subsequent editions of the work in all languages and media throughout the world. Furthermore, it is very important for the author to warrant and represent that the manuscript does not violate any proprietary or personal rights of others including, without limitation, any copyrights or privacy rights. The research is factually accurate and contains no matter libelous or otherwise unlawful. Lastly, the author/s substantially participated in the creation of the Work and that it represents his/her original work sufficient to claim authorship.
It is very important that the author will secure the consent of his/her co-authors to transfer and assign any and all right, title, and interest, including copyright of the article referenced above. Under this policy, the author should warrant the transfer to UMDRJ copyright and all rights under it. He/She should confirm that the article has not been published elsewhere, nor is it under consideration by any other publisher by signing the Transfer of Copyright Form.
Policy on Peer Reviewing
The editorial Board will make every attempt to ensure that fair, equitable and unbiased procedures are utilized in all peer review proceedings. Conflicts stemming from social, political or business affiliations will be avoided. Individuals involved especially in the peer review process shall be impartial peers and do not have conflict of interest with the research being reviewed.
Submission Guidelines
Authors are required to check the compliance of their submission to the editorial policies. Failure to adhere the following guidelines below may result to rejection of the manuscript.
1. The manuscript has not been submitted or previously published to ANY journals.
2. All references are valid and can be traced. As much as it is possible, do not use grey literatures like unpublished thesis or dissertations.
Statement of Privacy
The names of the authors and their institutional address and contact details will be exclusively used for this journal only and will not be used to other purposes or other parties.
Indexing
Being an open-access journal, the articles of UM Digos Research Journal are now indexed in Google Scholar. Its two issues (Volume 8 and Volume 9) are indexed in Zenodo.
Sponsor and Source of Support
UMDRJ, the official journal of UM Digos College, is funded under the UM Institute of Economy and Enterprise Studies (UM-IEES) as its funding agency and publisher. The journal, joining other open-access research journals funded by the Institute, ensures a robust platform for the dissemination and exchange of scholarly research. For further inquiries, please contact us at iees@umindanao.edu.ph. You may also call (082) 305-0640 local 174 to directly reach us.
