Publication Ethics

 

Introduction

The International Journal of Peace, Governance and Social Change (IJPGSC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and professional responsibility. The journal recognizes that ethical publishing is fundamental to the advancement of scholarly knowledge and the preservation of trust in academic research. All participants in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher, are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, fairness, accountability, confidentiality, and respect for intellectual property. The journal is dedicated to publishing high-quality, original research that contributes meaningfully to the fields of peace studies, governance, public policy, conflict resolution, social change, development studies, political science, sociology, and related disciplines.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to submit manuscripts that represent original scholarly work and have not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another journal. Submitted manuscripts must accurately present the research conducted, including the methodology, findings, analysis, and conclusions. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is free from fabrication, falsification, and any other form of research misconduct.

Authors must acknowledge all sources that have influenced their work by providing complete and accurate citations. Any use of another person's words, ideas, figures, tables, or data must be appropriately referenced. Failure to provide proper attribution constitutes plagiarism and is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

Authors should ensure that all listed authors have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. Individuals who have not contributed significantly should not be included as authors but may be recognized appropriately in the acknowledgements section. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining approval from all co-authors before submitting the manuscript.

Authors must promptly inform the editorial office if they discover a significant error in their manuscript after submission or publication. They are expected to cooperate fully with the journal in correcting or retracting the article where necessary.

Originality and Plagiarism

The journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism in all its forms. Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are entirely original and properly acknowledge the work of other researchers. Plagiarism includes direct copying, close paraphrasing without citation, mosaic plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and unauthorized use of published materials.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer review process. Manuscripts found to contain substantial plagiarism or other unethical publication practices may be rejected immediately. If plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal reserves the right to publish corrections, retract the article, and notify the relevant institutions where appropriate.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should accurately reflect the contributions made by each individual involved in the research. Every listed author should have participated substantially in the conception of the study, research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of findings, or preparation and critical revision of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission and agree to take public responsibility for the published work.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that no qualified contributor has been omitted and that all authors have agreed to the order in which their names appear on the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence or appear to influence the interpretation of their research findings. Such relationships may include employment, research funding, consultancy, advisory roles, stock ownership, honoraria, or other financial interests.

Editors and reviewers are also expected to disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise their impartiality. Individuals with significant conflicts should withdraw from the editorial or review process to ensure fairness and objectivity.

Ethical Approval and Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and relevant national or institutional regulations. Authors should confirm that ethical approval was obtained from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board whenever required. Participants should provide informed consent before participating in the research, and their privacy, dignity, and confidentiality must always be protected.

Personally identifiable information should not be published without the explicit written consent of the participant.

Research Involving Animals

Research involving animals must be conducted in accordance with recognized institutional and national guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals. Authors should clearly indicate that appropriate ethical approval was obtained and that animal welfare was protected throughout the study.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The journal recognizes that artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist with language editing, grammar improvement, or manuscript preparation. However, artificial intelligence systems cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity of scholarly work. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, interpretation, and ethical compliance of all submitted manuscripts. Where artificial intelligence has been used extensively during manuscript preparation, its use should be disclosed appropriately.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that every manuscript receives a fair, objective, and confidential evaluation. Editorial decisions are based solely on the originality, academic quality, methodological soundness, significance of the findings, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal's scope.

Editors shall not discriminate against authors based on nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, disability, or any other personal characteristic. Editorial decisions must remain independent of commercial interests or external influence.

Editors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not disclose information about submissions to individuals outside the editorial process. Editors should also avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publishing. Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively while providing clear recommendations that assist editors in making informed publication decisions.

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share, reproduce, or use unpublished information for personal advantage. If reviewers identify possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated data, or other forms of research misconduct, they should immediately notify the editor.

Reviewers should decline invitations to review manuscripts whenever they have conflicts of interest or when they lack sufficient expertise to provide an informed evaluation.

Peer Review Process

The International Journal of Peace, Governance and Social Change employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential. Each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment to determine whether it falls within the journal's scope and satisfies the basic requirements for publication. Suitable manuscripts are then assigned to independent expert reviewers for detailed evaluation.

Editorial decisions are based on reviewers' recommendations, the academic merit of the manuscript, and compliance with the journal's ethical and publication standards.

Data Integrity and Availability

Authors are expected to maintain accurate records of the data supporting their research findings. Whenever possible, authors are encouraged to make their research data publicly available or provide information regarding how the data can be accessed. Where legal, ethical, or confidentiality restrictions apply, authors should explain these limitations in a data availability statement.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. If minor errors are identified after publication that do not affect the validity of the findings, the journal may publish a correction. If significant errors or evidence of research misconduct render the findings unreliable, the journal may retract the article. Where concerns arise but investigations remain ongoing, the journal may issue an expression of concern until the matter has been resolved.

All corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will remain permanently linked to the original article to ensure transparency.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions by submitting a detailed explanation supported by relevant evidence. Appeals will be reviewed fairly and independently, and additional expert opinions may be sought before a final decision is reached. The journal also welcomes complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, or other aspects of the publication process and will investigate such complaints confidentially and impartially.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports the editorial independence of the journal and is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical publishing. The publisher works closely with the editorial team to ensure that allegations of misconduct are investigated appropriately and that necessary corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued when required. Commercial interests shall never influence editorial decisions.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

The International Journal of Peace, Governance and Social Change is committed to promoting honesty, transparency, accountability, and excellence in scholarly publishing. By submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors acknowledge that they have read and agreed to comply with this Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement. The journal will continue to uphold internationally recognized ethical standards to ensure that all published research contributes responsibly and credibly to the advancement of knowledge.