Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
The Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies follows the highest standards of publication ethics. This statement is primarily based on the Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE, 2011).
Editors’ Responsibilities
Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board, is responsible for deciding which manuscripts will be published. Evaluation of submissions is based solely on academic merit, including importance, originality, clarity, and the study’s validity and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions are made without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnicity, nationality, or political philosophy. Legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, and plagiarism are also taken into account.
Confidentiality
The editor and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts. Information may only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and relevant editorial advisers when necessary.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts must not be used in the editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author(s).
Reviewers’ Responsibilities
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists editors in making informed publication decisions and helps authors improve their manuscripts through constructive feedback.
Promptness
Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or unable to provide a timely review should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must not be discussed or shared with others unless authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively and respectfully. Criticism should focus on the content of the manuscript, not on the author(s). Feedback must be supported with clear arguments.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should ensure that relevant works are properly cited. They should also inform the editor of any significant overlap or similarity between the manuscript under review and other published works.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Information obtained through peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal benefit. Reviewers must decline manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or related institutions.
Authors’ Responsibilities
Reporting Standards
Authors must present their research accurately, providing sufficient detail and references to enable replication. Fraudulent, fabricated, or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to make it publicly accessible when possible, provided confidentiality and proprietary rights are respected. Authors should retain data for at least ten years after publication.
Originality, Plagiarism, and Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors must submit only original works and appropriately cite or quote the work of others. Influential publications relevant to the research must be cited.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Manuscripts should not be submitted to more than one journal simultaneously, nor should previously published works be submitted. Republishing essentially the same research in multiple journals is considered unethical.
Authors retain the rights to their published material. By submitting to The Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, authors agree to the distribution of their work under a CC-BY license [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/], allowing others to copy, distribute, adapt, and use the work commercially with proper attribution.
Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All contributors should be listed as co-authors.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the results or interpretation of their work. All funding sources should be clearly acknowledged.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.
References
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2011, March 7). Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Retrieved from http://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors_Mar11.pdf