Publication Ethics

The Journal of Social Science Perspectives (JSSP) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. Our policies align with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follow international best practices, including guidance from Elsevier’s Publishing Ethics. These standards are essential for ensuring the trustworthiness, scholarly value, and transparency of the journal’s content.

Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting to JSSP are expected to:
• Submit only original, unpublished work not under review elsewhere.
• Properly credit all sources and avoid any form of plagiarism.
• Disclose all conflicts of interest and sources of funding.
• Adhere to ethical standards, particularly for research involving human participants or sensitive data (with necessary ethics committee approvals).
• Participate constructively in the peer review process and promptly respond to editorial requests for clarifications or revisions.
• Notify the editorial team of any significant errors identified post-publication and collaborate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Responsibilities of Editors
The editorial team at JSSP ensures that:
• Manuscripts are reviewed objectively and impartially based solely on academic merit.
• The peer review process is confidential, fair, and free of bias or undue influence.
• Ethical violations (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication) are investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.
• Confidentiality is maintained for submitted manuscripts, reviewer identities, and author information.
• Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued when warranted by ethical findings.

Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are essential to maintaining the scholarly quality of JSSP and must:
• Provide constructive, objective, and timely feedback to authors.
• Treat all information in the manuscript as confidential.
• Report potential ethical issues such as plagiarism or duplicate submissions to the editors.
• Recuse themselves from reviewing any manuscript where a conflict of interest exists.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct
JSSP maintains a zero-tolerance policy for:
• Plagiarism
• Fabrication or falsification of data
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. If misconduct is detected, the journal may:
• Reject or retract the article
• Notify institutions or funders
• Ban authors from future submissions
Authors must also retain raw data for potential verification.

Data Integrity and Reproducibility
Authors are responsible for:
• Providing accurate and verifiable data.
• Clearly outlining the methodology to enable reproducibility.
• Avoiding manipulation, selective reporting, or any actions that may mislead readers.

Conflicts of Interest
All stakeholders—authors, reviewers, and editors—must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including:
• Financial interests (e.g., grants, consulting fees, stock ownership)
• Personal or institutional affiliations
• Competing research agendas
Undisclosed conflicts may result in rejection, retraction, or other corrective actions.

Retractions and Corrections
JSSP follows COPE’s protocols regarding post-publication issues:
• Errata will be issued for minor corrections that do not affect the study’s conclusions.
• Retractions will be issued for major breaches such as plagiarism or data falsification, with a clear retraction notice.
• Expressions of Concern may be published if ethical investigations are ongoing.

Ethical Oversight in Human Research
For research involving human participants:
• Approval from a recognized ethics committee is mandatory.
• Informed consent must be obtained, with privacy and confidentiality ensured.
• Compliance with ethical standards such as the Helsinki Declaration is required.

Handling of Complaints and Appeals
JSSP offers a transparent and fair process for handling:
• Complaints about editorial decisions
• Allegations of unethical conduct
• Appeals against rejections
All complaints must be submitted in writing and will be investigated thoroughly and fairly, in accordance with COPE guidelines. Proven misconduct may result in retraction, notification to institutions, or author sanctions.

Compliance with International Standards
JSSP adheres to the following ethical standards and guidelines:
• Elsevier’s Publishing Ethics Guidelines
• Helsinki Declaration (for social science or health-related studies involving humans)