Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies (JSSHRS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical integrity, transparency, and professionalism throughout the scholarly publishing process. This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement defines the responsibilities and expected conduct of all parties involved—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to safeguard the trustworthiness and quality of scientific communication.

Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit original work that has not been published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Proper citation and acknowledgment of all sources are mandatory. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or any form of data fabrication or falsification is strictly prohibited.

  • Accurate Reporting: Research must be reported honestly and transparently, providing sufficient detail to allow reproducibility. Any errors detected post-publication must be promptly reported to the editors.

  • Authorship: Only those who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work should be listed as authors. All authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to be accountable for its content.

  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest and Funding: Any financial or personal relationships that could bias the work must be disclosed. Sources of funding and support must be acknowledged transparently.

  • Ethical Compliance: Studies involving humans or animals require documented ethical approval and consent.

  • Duplicate Publication and Redundancy: Submitting the same or substantially similar work to multiple journals concurrently, or publishing duplicate articles, is unethical.

  • Cooperation: Authors are expected to participate fully in peer review and respond promptly and thoroughly to editorial inquiries.

Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fair and Impartial Evaluation: Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific merit, originality, and relevance of the manuscript, free from any bias related to authors’ characteristics or affiliations.

  • Confidentiality: Editors must ensure the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

  • Ethical Oversight: Editors act to detect, investigate, and prevent ethical breaches, including plagiarism and misconduct. When necessary, they will implement corrections, retractions, or other appropriate measures.

  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality and Objectivity: Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents, providing objective, unbiased, and constructive evaluations.

  • Recognition of Sources: Reviewers should alert editors to any relevant uncited work or potential ethical concerns, including plagiarism or data manipulation.

  • Disclosure: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest and decline assignments where impartial judgment is compromised.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

  • Integrity and Accessibility: The publisher supports editorial independence, ensures the permanent availability of published content, and enforces ethical standards consistently.

  • Addressing Misconduct: The publisher cooperates fully with editors to investigate allegations of misconduct and takes appropriate corrective action, including issuing corrections or retractions.

Handling of Misconduct

  • Allegations of ethical breaches—such as plagiarism, falsification, authorship disputes, or duplicate publication—are taken seriously and investigated promptly and fairly.

  • Actions may include manuscript rejection, publication of corrections or retractions, notification of authors’ institutions, and sanctions against authors if warranted.

  • Authors and reviewers are expected to cooperate transparently and promptly in such investigations.

Complaints and Appeals

  • Authors and other stakeholders who wish to raise concerns or appeal editorial decisions should contact the editorial office with detailed explanations.

  • Complaints are acknowledged within five working days and addressed according to COPE guidelines.

  • If unresolved satisfactorily at the journal level, matters may be escalated to appropriate external bodies.

Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination

JSSHRS is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment, free from discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or other personal attributes.

By submitting to or participating in the review and editorial process of JSSHRS, authors, reviewers, and editors agree to abide by this Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, ensuring the integrity and quality of scholarly communication.

For any ethical concerns or questions, please contact the JSSHRS editorial office at editor@ep-journals.org.