Publication Ethics

This section has been prepared based on the materials and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Introduction

1.1. The publication of materials in peer-reviewed journals is not only a fundamental vehicle for scholarly communication but also contributes significantly to the development of the relevant field of scientific knowledge. Accordingly, it is essential for the “International Journal of Justice”, an international scientific and practical journal, to establish standards of ethical behavior for all parties involved in the publication process, namely: the authors, journal editors, reviewers, the publisher, and the scholarly community.

1.2. The publisher not only supports scholarly communication and invests in this process, but also assumes responsibility for ensuring compliance with all contemporary recommendations and standards in the published works.

2. Duties of Editors

2.1. Publication Decisions

The editor of the “International Journal of Justice”, an international scientific and practical journal, shall be personally and independently responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The decision to publish must be fundamentally guided by the reliability, validity, and scientific significance of the work under consideration. In the process of making publication decisions, the editor may consult with other editors and reviewers.

2.2. Fairness and Objectivity

The editor shall evaluate the intellectual content of manuscripts strictly on their merit, regardless of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

2.3. Confidentiality

The editor must not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

2.4. Publication Oversight

An editor who is presented with convincing, incontrovertible evidence that the statements or conclusions contained in a publication are erroneous shall promptly notify the publisher. This notification shall be made for the purpose of facilitating corrections, retracting the publication, or issuing other public statements appropriate to the situation as circumstances warrant.

2.5. Involvement and Cooperation in Research

The editor, in conjunction with the publisher, shall take appropriate measures when ethical complaints or grievances arise regarding submitted manuscripts or published materials. Such measures shall generally include communicating with the authors of the manuscript and assessing the merits of the respective complaint or claim; however, they may further entail cooperating with relevant institutions and research centers.

3. Duties of Reviewers

3.1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through the established channels of communication with the author, may also assist the author in improving the quality of the paper. Peer review is an essential component of formal scholarly communication and lies at the heart of the scientific method.

3.2. Accountability and Compliance with Deadlines

Any selected reviewer who feels unqualified to review the manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible due to time constraints shall notify the editor and request to be recused from the review process for that specific manuscript.

3.3. Confidentiality

Any manuscript received for review shall be treated as a confidential document. It must not be shown to, or discussed with, any third parties except as authorized by the editor.

3.4. Standards of Objectivity and Manuscript Requirements

The reviewer shall be bound to conduct the evaluation objectively. Personal criticism of the author is impermissible. Reviewers shall express their views clearly, supported by explicit arguments and evidence.

3.5. Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers shall identify relevant published work that has not been cited in the manuscript's bibliography. Any statement (observation, derivation, conclusion, or argument) that had been previously reported must be accompanied by the relevant bibliographic citation in the manuscript. A reviewer shall also call the editor's attention to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge within their scientific competence.

4. Duties of Authors

4.1. Manuscript Standards

4.1.1. Authors shall present an accurate account of the original work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data shall be represented accurately and without errors in the paper. The manuscript shall contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

4.1.2. Reviews and scholarly articles must be accurate and objective, and the editorial viewpoint or stance must be clearly defined.

4.2. Data Access and Retention

Authors may be requested by the editors to provide the raw (primary) data related to the manuscript for the purposes of editorial review. Authors shall be prepared to provide public access to such data, where practicable, and shall in all events retain such data for a reasonable and appropriate period of time following publication.

4.3. Originality and Plagiarism

4.3.1. Authors shall ensure that the submitted work is entirely original, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted via relevant bibliographic references.

4.3.2. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.

4.4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

4.4.1. As a general rule, an author shall not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research as an original publication in more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.

4.4.2. As a general rule, an author shall not submit a previously published paper for consideration in another journal.

4.4.3. The publication of certain types of articles (e.g., clinical guidelines, translated articles) in more than one journal is acceptable in specified circumstances, provided that the established conditions are strictly met. The authors and editors of the journals concerned must agree to the secondary publication, which must reflect the exact same data and interpretation of the primary document. The primary reference must be cited in the secondary publication.

4.5. Acknowledgement of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors shall cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, such as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, shall not be used or reported without explicit, written permission from the primary source. Information obtained in the course of confidential services, such as refereeing manuscripts or grant applications, shall not be used without the explicit written permission of the author of the work involved in these services.

4.6. Authorship of the Paper

4.6.1. Authorship shall be limited strictly to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All individuals who have made significant contributions shall be listed as co-authors. Where research participants have made important contributions to specific substantive aspects of the research project, they shall be acknowledged as significant contributors to the study.

4.6.2. The corresponding author shall ensure that all appropriate co-authors (who have made significant contributions) are included in the paper, and that no inappropriate co-authors are listed. Furthermore, the author shall verify that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

4.7. Disclosure Policy and Conflicts of Interest

4.7.1. All authors shall disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or conclusions presented in the work.

4.7.2. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include: employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications or registrations, grants, and other financial support. Potential conflicts of interest shall be disclosed at the earliest possible stage.

4.8. Fundamental Errors in Published Works

Where an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it shall be the author’s obligation to promptly notify the editor of the “International Journal of Justice” and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper as soon as practicable. If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, the author is obligated to retract the work or correct the errors within the shortest possible timeframe.

5. Duties of the Publisher

5.1. The publisher shall adhere to principles and procedures that facilitate compliance with ethical obligations by the editors, reviewers, and authors of the “International Journal of Justice” in accordance with these requirements. The publisher shall ensure that potential revenue from advertising or the production of reprints does not influence editorial decisions.

5.2. The publisher shall assist the editors of the “International Journal of Justice” in investigating and handling complaints or claims regarding the ethical aspects of published materials, and shall aid in establishing communication with other journals and/or publishers where such actions serve the fulfillment of the editors' duties.

5.3. The publisher shall promote proper research integrity and practices, and shall implement industry standards to improve ethical guidelines, retraction procedures, and the correction of errors.

5.4. The publisher shall provide appropriate specialized legal assistance (legal opinions or consultation) whenever necessary.