Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Social Exploration (IJSoE) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, fairness, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal's editorial and publication practices are guided by internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial team are expected to uphold ethical standards throughout the submission, peer-review, editorial, and publication processes.

Originality and Duplicate Publication

Manuscripts submitted to IJSoE must represent original scholarly work. A manuscript must not have been previously published in substantially the same form and must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors must appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources, ideas, data, and previously published material used in their work. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism involving substantial undisclosed reuse, duplicate publication, redundant publication, data fabrication, data falsification, and other forms of research misconduct are not acceptable.

The journal may use appropriate similarity-checking or other research-integrity tools when necessary. Similarity reports will be evaluated editorially and will not be treated as automatic evidence of plagiarism without appropriate assessment.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial scholarly contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the work and who accept responsibility for the published article.

All listed authors must approve the submitted version of the manuscript and agree to its submission to IJSoE. Guest, gift, honorary, and ghost authorship are not acceptable.

Any request to add, remove, or change the order of authors after submission must be supported by a reasonable explanation and agreement of the concerned authors and will be considered by the Editorial Team.

Research Ethics and Protection of Participants

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with appropriate ethical standards. Where applicable, authors should provide information regarding ethical approval, informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and protection of participants.

Particular care should be taken when research involves children, vulnerable populations, sensitive personal information, marginalized communities, or other circumstances requiring enhanced ethical protection.

Where formal institutional ethical approval was not required or available, authors should clearly explain the ethical procedures followed in conducting the research.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other competing interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

Reviewers and editors must also disclose potential conflicts of interest and should withdraw from handling or reviewing a manuscript where their impartiality may reasonably be questioned.

Editorial decisions will be based on scholarly merit, relevance, methodological quality, ethical integrity, and contribution to the journal's scope.

Funding and Supporting Agencies

Authors should disclose all sources of financial or institutional support received for the research. Where no specific funding was received, authors may state this clearly.

Funding arrangements must not compromise the independence of the research, analysis, interpretation, or publication decision.

Data Integrity and Availability

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data, evidence, analysis, and conclusions presented in their manuscript.

Authors should provide an appropriate Data Availability Statement. Where data cannot be publicly shared because of confidentiality, participant privacy, ethical restrictions, legal requirements, or other legitimate reasons, these restrictions should be clearly stated.

The journal may request relevant supporting information from authors when necessary to evaluate concerns regarding the integrity of the published or submitted research.

Peer-Review Ethics

Research Articles, Review Articles, and Research Notes submitted to IJSoE normally undergo double-anonymous peer review by at least two independent reviewers. Book Reviews are normally subject to editorial review.

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and provide objective, respectful, constructive, and timely assessments. Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, academic, or professional advantage.

Reviewers should not attempt to identify anonymous authors and must disclose any competing interests that could affect their impartiality.

The final decision regarding publication rests with the responsible Editor after considering reviewer reports, editorial assessment, and relevant ethical considerations.

Editorial Independence and Fairness

Editorial decisions are made independently on the basis of academic merit and relevance to the journal.

Decisions must not be influenced by an author's nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, seniority, personal relationships, or other characteristics unrelated to the scholarly quality of the manuscript.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and should not use unpublished material for personal benefit.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Generative Artificial Intelligence or AI-assisted technologies must not be listed as authors because such systems cannot accept responsibility or accountability for scholarly work.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, integrity, and content of their manuscript. Where generative AI has materially contributed to manuscript preparation, its use should be transparently disclosed as appropriate.

AI-generated or AI-assisted content must not be used to fabricate data, references, evidence, quotations, or research findings.

Reviewers and editors should not upload confidential manuscripts, unpublished data, or peer-review materials into external generative AI systems where confidentiality, privacy, or data security cannot be assured.

Allegations of Research or Publication Misconduct

IJSoE takes allegations of misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication.

Where concerns involve plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, inappropriate authorship, duplicate publication, unethical research, manipulated peer review, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other serious integrity concerns, the Editorial Team will evaluate the available evidence and may seek clarification or documentation from the concerned parties.

Where appropriate, the journal may contact relevant institutions or take additional action consistent with accepted publication-ethics practices.

Corrections, Retractions and Post-Publication Concerns

The journal recognizes its responsibility to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where a published article contains an error that does not invalidate its overall findings, an appropriate correction may be issued. Where reliable evidence demonstrates serious errors, misconduct, unreliable findings, or other circumstances that invalidate the publication, the journal may retract the article or take other appropriate editorial action.

Corrections, retractions, and other post-publication notices will be clearly identified and linked to the original publication wherever possible.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other concerned individuals may submit a complaint regarding editorial procedures, publication ethics, or journal practices.

Authors may also appeal an editorial decision where they believe a significant procedural or scholarly error has occurred. Complaints and appeals will be considered fairly and, where possible, by an editor who was not directly involved in the matter under dispute.

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee reversal of an editorial decision.

Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts, peer-review reports, author information, reviewer identities under the journal's anonymous review system, and other confidential editorial information will be handled responsibly and disclosed only where required for legitimate editorial, ethical, or legal purposes.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The International Journal of Social Exploration is committed to continuously reviewing and improving its editorial policies in accordance with developments in scholarly publishing and research integrity.

The journal reserves the right to reject a manuscript, suspend editorial consideration, issue corrections or retractions, or take other appropriate action where serious ethical or publication-integrity concerns are established.