Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Language (JSSAL) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. Our policies are aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices.

Research Ethics Policy

JSSAL is dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical standards in research and publication. All studies involving human participants must adhere to internationally recognized ethical guidelines and institutional regulations. Authors are required to ensure that their research complies with ethical principles regarding human subjects, informed consent, and the protection of vulnerable populations.

1. Ethical Approval

All research involving human participants is expected to obtain ethical approval from a recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee prior to data collection. Authors are encouraged to include a statement in the methods section specifying the name of the ethics committee, the approval number, and the date of approval, where applicable. If ethical approval was not required (e.g., for studies using publicly available data), authors are invited to provide a justification for the exemption. Research should comply with institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines, such as the BERA Ethical Guidelines, APA Ethics Code, and GDPR regulations (if applicable).

2. Informed Consent

Authors must obtain informed consent from all participants before data collection. Participants should be provided with detailed information about the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks, benefits, and their right to withdraw at any time without consequences. Consent must be documented (e.g., via signed forms or electronic consent). For studies involving children under the age of 18 or other vulnerable populations (e.g., individuals with cognitive impairments), informed consent must be obtained from both the participant (when possible) and their legal guardian/parent. The consent form should be age-appropriate and culturally sensitive.

3. Research Involving Vulnerable Populations

Research involving vulnerable populations, such as children, individuals with cognitive impairments, prisoners, refugees, or other at-risk groups, must adhere to additional ethical safeguards. Authors must ensure that:

  • Participation is entirely voluntary, with no coercion or undue influence.
  • Potential risks (e.g., psychological distress, privacy breaches) are minimized, and protective measures are in place.
  • For children under 18, consent is obtained from both the child (using age-appropriate methods) and their legal guardian/parent.
  • Research involving vulnerable groups is reviewed by an ethics committee with expertise in such studies, if necessary.
  • Deception, if used, is scientifically justified, and participants are debriefed appropriately after the study.

4. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors must ensure that participants’ privacy and confidentiality are strictly maintained. Personally identifiable information must be anonymized or pseudonymized unless explicit permission has been obtained from participants. Authors must comply with data protection laws, including GDPR, when applicable.

5. Ethical Misconduct and Reporting

Any form of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical data collection, will result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript. If ethical concerns arise post-publication, JSSAL reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action, including issuing a correction, retraction, or notifying relevant institutions.

6. Ethical Statement Requirement

Authors submitting manuscripts to JSSAL must include an Ethical Statement in their methods section, addressing:

  • Ethical approval details (including institution name and approval number).
  • How informed consent was obtained.
  • Any potential ethical concerns and how they were addressed.

Failure to comply with these ethical policies may result in the rejection of the manuscript or post-publication investigation.

Publication Ethics Policies

Publication Decisions

The editors of JSSAL are responsible for deciding which articles to publish, guided by referees’ reports and the journal’s policies. They may confer with other editors or reviewers and are constrained by legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Fair Play

All manuscripts are reviewed based on intellectual content, without regard for age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of origin, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted for peer review are kept strictly confidential. Editors and editorial staff must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or editorial advisers.

Dealing with Unethical Behavior

When dealing with unethical behavior, the Editorial Board follows the guidelines provided by COPE Flowcharts.

Retraction Policy

JSSAL adheres to the COPE Retraction Guidelines. For more details, see our Retraction Policy.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted paper will not be used by the editor or editorial board for their own research purposes without the author’s explicit written consent. All authors must disclose any financial or substantive conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.

Duties of Authors

Authors must submit original work and comply with the following ethical standards:

  • Reporting Standards: Authors must present an accurate and objective account of their research, including sufficient details and references to allow replication. Fraudulent or inaccurate statements are unacceptable.
  • Data Access and Retention: Authors should provide raw data for editorial review and retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cite any used sources. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
  • Multiple or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently.
  • Authorship: All individuals who contributed significantly to the work should be listed as co-authors. Changes to authorship after acceptance require written consent from all authors.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that might influence their work.
  • Fundamental Errors: If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate to retract or correct the paper.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality of JSSAL publications and must adhere to the following principles:

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist the editor in making editorial decisions and help authors improve their work.
  • Promptness: Reviewers should notify the editor if they are unable to review a manuscript promptly.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential.
  • Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear arguments and no personal criticism of the author.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

Duties of Publisher

The publisher ensures independent editorial decisions, takes precautions against scientific misconduct, and collaborates with editors to address allegations of misconduct, including issuing corrections or retractions when necessary.

For more details, see our Publication Policy.