Editorial Policies
1. Overview
Design and Art Studies is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal established by Asia Design Week, dedicated to the promotion of scholarly research, artistic exploration, and interdisciplinary dialogue across the fields of design, visual arts, creative theory, and cultural innovation.
The journal adheres to the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics, following the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and best practices in the humanities and creative industries.
Submission of a manuscript to Design and Art Studies implies that all authors have agreed to its content and that the submission conforms to the journal’s editorial policies and ethical requirements.
2. Ethics and Consent
2.1 Ethics Approval
For research involving human subjects (e.g., user studies, participatory design, interviews, ethnographic studies, or psychological experiments), authors must confirm that ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee. The manuscript must clearly state the name of the committee and the reference number of approval. If the research was exempt, this must also be justified and documented.
2.2 Consent for Publication
Informed consent is required for all studies involving identifiable human participants or their personal data. If minors are involved, consent must be obtained from legal guardians. Authors should include a statement within the “Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate” section of the manuscript.
2.3 Creative and Artistic Ethics
For submissions involving artwork, photographs, or cultural materials, authors must confirm that all visuals comply with copyright laws and that appropriate permissions or licenses were obtained. Sensitive cultural content must be treated with respect and contextual accuracy.
2.4 Research Involving Indigenous or Cultural Heritage
Authors conducting research involving indigenous knowledge, traditional practices, or community-based artistic expressions must demonstrate compliance with local, national, and international standards for ethical cultural engagement. Consent and acknowledgment from relevant communities are essential.
2.5 Research Involving Animals or Nature
Though rare in our journal's scope, if animals or natural environments are included in the research or visual documentation, authors must comply with legal and ethical guidelines and obtain necessary approvals.
3. Availability of Data and Materials
Authors are expected to make all relevant data, creative assets, and materials available to editors and reviewers upon request. Where appropriate, a Data Availability Statement must be included in the manuscript.
If data or materials cannot be publicly shared due to copyright, confidentiality, or cultural sensitivity, this must be clearly stated (e.g., “Due to confidentiality agreements with participants, data supporting this study are available upon request”).
Where applicable, datasets, portfolios, or multimedia should be deposited in recognized open repositories with permanent identifiers (e.g., DOI or accession number).
4. Conflicts of Interest
4.1 Author Declaration
Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the submitted work. These may include funding sources, affiliations, consultancies, artistic commissions, or professional collaborations.
If no conflict of interest exists, authors must explicitly state:
“The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.”
4.2 Editorial and Reviewer Integrity
Editors and reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if they have a relationship with any author, institution, or subject matter that could compromise impartiality.
5. Changes to Authorship
Changes in authorship must be approved by all listed authors and documented via a signed statement. Requests made after acceptance will be evaluated with care and transparency.
6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI-generated content (e.g., images, text, or code) must be clearly disclosed and may not be credited as an author. AI tools can be used to support language editing or data analysis but must not replace original human intellectual contributions.
AI may not be used in the peer review or editorial decision-making processes.
7. Citations
7.1 Citation Ethics
Authors must ensure that all cited works are relevant, accessible, and accurately referenced. Over-reliance on self-citations, citation manipulation, or referencing sources not directly consulted is prohibited.
7.2 Referencing Diversity
Authors are encouraged to cite a diverse range of voices, including international, interdisciplinary, and underrepresented scholars or practitioners, where relevant.
8. Corrections and Retractions
8.1 Corrections
Minor factual errors (e.g., author names, figure labels) will be corrected via an official erratum.
8.2 Retractions
Articles may be retracted for serious ethical breaches, invalid data, or proven misconduct. Retractions are clearly labeled and remain accessible for transparency.
8.3 Expressions of Concern
If an investigation is ongoing, the journal may publish a temporary Expression of Concern to inform readers of potential issues.
8.4 Comments and Replies
Scholarly debate is welcome. Submissions of comments on published articles and replies by authors will be reviewed and published under editorial oversight.
9. Editorial Philosophy and Indexing Objectives
The editorial team of Design and Art Studies upholds strict standards of academic excellence, peer-review integrity, and professional publishing ethics. We are committed to continuously improving the journal's quality and reputation, with the goal of achieving indexing in globally recognized databases such as DOAJ, Scopus, and Web of Science. Through this, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the international academic community.
