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Educational and Social Science Research is a peer reviewed international scholarly journal published in electronic form. This statement describes the ethical standards expected of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, editorial board members, peer reviewers, and the publisher. The ethical principles outlined in this statement are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of scholarly articles in Educational and Social Science Research constitutes an essential contribution to the development of a reliable and respected body of knowledge in the fields of education and social sciences. Peer reviewed publications reflect the quality of the research conducted by authors and the institutions that support them. It is therefore essential to establish and uphold ethical standards for all stakeholders involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

The publisher and editorial team of Educational and Social Science Research take responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the academic record at all stages of publication. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by advertising, commercial interests, or external pressures. The journal is committed to cooperating with other journals or publishers when ethical concerns require communication or coordination.

Research Misconduct Policy

The purpose of this policy is to prevent research misconduct and to provide a clear framework for addressing issues related to research integrity. Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following practices:

  • Fabrication, defined as the creation of false data or results that did not occur.

  • Falsification, defined as the manipulation of research materials, methods, or data that results in misleading research outcomes.

  • Plagiarism, defined as the use of ideas, data, or words of others without proper acknowledgment or permission.

  • Improper authorship, including the inclusion of individuals who did not make a significant scholarly contribution or the exclusion of those who did.

Additional forms of misconduct include deliberate interference with investigations of misconduct, misuse of confidential information obtained during the review process, unfair evaluation of others’ research, and other serious deviations from accepted research practices.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Editors and publishers of Educational and Social Science Research have an ethical obligation to:

  • Safeguard the integrity and quality of the peer review process.

  • Ensure the accuracy and reliability of the published literature.

  • Take corrective actions when ethical breaches are identified.

  • Educate authors, reviewers, and editors on ethical publishing practices.

The journal has established procedures to investigate allegations of misconduct and will cooperate with relevant institutions or funding bodies when necessary.

Sanctions for Misconduct

When misconduct is confirmed, the journal may apply one or more of the following actions:

  • Withdrawal of the manuscript during the review process.

  • Publication of corrections, expressions of editorial concern, or retractions after publication.

  • Notification of other editors or publishers when appropriate.

  • Temporary or permanent restriction on future submissions by the author.

  • Publication of an editorial statement to raise awareness of ethical issues.

Editorial decisions regarding retraction or correction will consider whether the misconduct resulted from intentional fraud or honest error, as well as the extent to which the published findings are unreliable.

Editorial Responsibilities

Publication Decisions

The Editor in Chief is responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts are accepted for publication. Decisions are based on the manuscript’s academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal’s scope, while also considering reviewers’ evaluations and applicable legal and ethical standards.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual content, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or political beliefs of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and must not disclose information beyond what is necessary for the review and publication process.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts for their own research without the authors’ explicit written consent.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to editorial decision making by providing objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of manuscripts.

  • Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to review a manuscript promptly must inform the editor.

  • Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential.

  • Reviews should be objective, evidence based, and free from personal criticism.

  • Reviewers should identify relevant literature not cited by the authors and report potential overlap with other published work.

  • Reviewers must disclose conflicts of interest and decline reviews where such conflicts exist.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors must present accurate and transparent accounts of their research and provide sufficient detail to allow replication. Fabrication, falsification, or deliberate misrepresentation of data is unethical and unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and should retain research data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is original and that all sources are appropriately cited.

Multiple or Redundant Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript or substantially similar work to more than one journal simultaneously.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who made significant contributions to the research. All co authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

Hazards and Ethical Clearance

Authors must clearly identify any potential hazards associated with their research and confirm compliance with ethical standards for research involving human or animal subjects.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or non financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of their findings.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

Authors are obligated to promptly notify the editor if they discover significant errors in their published work and to cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.