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Publication ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Social Issues is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical publishing principles and adopts the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and recognized international editorial standards.

The journal expects all participants involved in the publication process, authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers to comply with ethical responsibilities and professional conduct.

Ethical Principles

The journal strictly prohibits all forms of publication misconduct, including but not limited to:

  • Plagiarism 
  • Self-plagiarism 
  • Data fabrication 
  • Data falsification 
  • Duplicate publication 
  • Simultaneous submission 
  • Citation manipulation 
  • Image manipulation 
  • Ghost authorship 
  • Gift authorship 
  • Peer review manipulation 
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest 
  • AI-generated fabricated content or references 

Any unethical behavior will be investigated thoroughly according to international ethical publishing standards and COPE procedures.

COPE Guidelines

Please read COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Guidelines from the following website: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines or, browse the full COPE guidelines by choosing one of the sections below:

Ethics toolkit for a successful editorial office

Editing peer reviews

Editorial board participation

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

Ensuring consent for publishing medical case reports

Text recycling guidelines for editors

A short guide to ethical editing for new editors

Retraction guidelines

How to handle authorship disputes: a guide for new researchers

Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers

Sharing of information among editors-in-chief regarding possible misconduct

Cooperation between research institutions and journals on research integrity and publication misconduct cases

Guidance for Editors: research, audit and service evaluations

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Social Issues must ensure that:

  • The submitted work is original and has not been published previously. 
  • The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere. 
  • All authors have significantly contributed to the research. 
  • All co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript. 
  • Data presented in the manuscript are accurate and authentic. 
  • Sources and references are properly cited. 
  • Permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials where necessary. 
  • Research involving humans or animals complies with relevant ethical standards and institutional regulations. 
  • Any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest are disclosed. 
  • The use of AI-assisted tools is transparently declared. 

Authors are fully responsible for the scientific accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of their submissions.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to:

  • Research conception or design 
  • Data collection, analysis, or interpretation 
  • Manuscript drafting or critical revision 
  • Final approval of the manuscript 

Individuals who contributed partially but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

The journal does not accept honorary, guest, or ghost authorship.

Originality and Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to Social Issues are checked using professional plagiarism detection software prior to peer review.

Authors must submit entirely original work. Proper citation and quotation are required when using the work or words of others.

The journal may reject manuscripts immediately if substantial overlap, plagiarism, manipulated citations, or unethical textual reuse is identified.

Severe ethical violations may result in:

  • Immediate rejection 
  • Retraction after publication 
  • Notification to affiliated institutions 
  • Temporary or permanent submission restrictions 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies only for language editing or technical assistance under human supervision.

Authors must disclose any use of AI tools within the manuscript.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity, originality, or accountability of scholarly work.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • Scientific accuracy 
  • Validity of data 
  • Proper citations 
  • Absence of fabricated information 
  • Ethical compliance 

The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts containing AI-generated fabricated data, references, images, or misleading content.

Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Authors must retain original research data and provide access if requested by editors.

Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or manipulation of data constitutes serious ethical misconduct.

If research misconduct is suspected, the editorial office may:

  • Request raw data 
  • Contact authors’ institutions 
  • Suspend editorial processing 
  • Reject or retract the manuscript 

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.

Previously published work, including translated publications without disclosure, redundant publications, or salami publication practices, are considered unethical.

Submissions derived from theses, dissertations, conference proceedings, or preprints must be transparently disclosed during submission.

Citation Ethics

Authors should cite only relevant and academically appropriate sources.

Excessive self-citation, citation stacking, coerced citation, or manipulation intended to artificially increase citation metrics is unethical and unacceptable.

Editors and reviewers must not request irrelevant citations for personal or institutional benefit.

Ethical Oversight for Research Involving Humans or Animals

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards and institutional regulations.

Authors must provide:

  • Ethics committee approval information where applicable 
  • Informed consent statements when necessary 
  • Assurance of participant confidentiality and privacy 

The journal may request supporting ethical approval documentation during evaluation.

Peer Review Ethics

Social Issues applies a double-blind peer review process to ensure fair, objective, and independent evaluation.

Reviewers must:

  • Maintain confidentiality 
  • Evaluate manuscripts objectively 
  • Declare conflicts of interest 
  • Avoid personal criticism 
  • Identify relevant uncited work 
  • Report suspected ethical concerns 

Reviewers must not use unpublished materials for personal advantage.

Any attempt to manipulate the peer review process constitutes serious misconduct.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring fair and unbiased editorial decisions 
  • Maintaining confidentiality 
  • Preventing conflicts of interest 
  • Protecting the integrity of the scholarly record 
  • Evaluating submissions solely on academic merit 
  • Responding appropriately to ethical concerns 

Editorial decisions are independent of commercial interests, institutional influence, nationality, gender, political beliefs, or religious considerations.

Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose conflicts of interest that could influence editorial decisions or research interpretation.

Conflicts may include:

  • Financial relationships 
  • Institutional affiliations 
  • Employment 
  • Personal relationships 
  • Academic competition 
  • Funding sources 

Undisclosed conflicts identified after publication may lead to corrections or retractions.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit appeals regarding editorial decisions by providing a detailed scientific justification.

Ethical complaints, appeals, and allegations of misconduct are reviewed carefully by the editorial board according to COPE guidance.

The journal reserves the right to seek external expert opinions when necessary.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

The journal is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

Corrections may be issued for significant publication errors that do not invalidate the findings.

Expressions of concern may be published when investigations are ongoing.

Retractions may occur in cases involving:

  • Proven misconduct 
  • Major methodological errors 
  • Fabricated data 
  • Plagiarism 
  • Duplicate publication 
  • Unethical research practices 

Retraction notices remain permanently linked to the original article.

Archiving and Preservation

The journal ensures long-term digital preservation and accessibility of published content through journal archives, institutional repositories, and indexing systems where applicable.

Ethical Investigation Procedures

Suspected ethical violations are handled confidentially and fairly.

The editorial office may:

  • Conduct an initial assessment 
  • Contact authors for clarification 
  • Request supporting documents or raw data 
  • Consult independent experts 
  • Follow COPE flowcharts and recommendations 
  • Inform institutions where necessary 

The journal reserves the right to reject, retract, or correct manuscripts based on investigation outcomes.

Commitment to International Publishing Standards

Social Issues continuously works to maintain transparency, editorial independence, academic integrity, and ethical publishing quality in accordance with internationally recognized scholarly publishing standards and indexing requirements.