Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research (EJSER) is a multidisciplinary, open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in the social sciences, education, and related fields. EJSER is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We adhere to the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other international standards to ensure the quality, transparency, and credibility of our journal. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submissions are original works and have not been published elsewhere. Proper attribution must be given to the works of others, and any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. Submissions must not be under review elsewhere.

  • Data Accuracy and Reproducibility: Authors should present accurate and reliable data. Fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of data is unacceptable. Authors are encouraged to provide access to data supporting their findings, where applicable.

  • Multiple or Concurrent Submissions: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable.

  • Authorship and Contributions: All individuals who have made significant contributions to the research should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission.

  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation.

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be provided. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in shaping their research.

  • Language and Style: Submissions must be in English, and authors are responsible for ensuring the language quality of their manuscripts.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not share or use any information from the manuscript for personal gain.

  • Objectivity and Constructiveness: Reviews should be conducted objectively, with no personal criticism of the author. Reviewers should provide constructive feedback to help improve the quality of the manuscript.

  • Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their evaluations within the agreed timeframe. If a reviewer cannot meet the deadline, they should notify the editor promptly.

  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should decline to review a manuscript if they have a conflict of interest with the authors, institutions, or funding sources associated with the research.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fairness and Impartiality: Editors must evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political philosophy.

  • Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or other editorial advisers.

  • Decision-Making: Editors are responsible for making final decisions on manuscript acceptance or rejection, taking into account the reviewers' recommendations and the journal's editorial policies.

  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest.

  • Transparency and Corrections: Editors should ensure transparency in the publication process and promptly address any ethical concerns or errors in published works through corrections, retractions, or clarifications.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

  • Support for Ethical Standards: The publisher is committed to supporting the journal in maintaining ethical standards and addressing any instances of misconduct.

  • Accessibility and Archiving: The publisher ensures that the journal is accessible to a wide audience and that published content is archived for long-term preservation.

  • Open Access Policy: EJSER is published under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International). This allows users to download, distribute, and adapt the work for noncommercial purposes, provided proper attribution is given to the original author(s) and the journal.

  • Handling Misconduct: The publisher will work closely with the editorial team to investigate and address any allegations of research or publication misconduct.

5. Handling Ethical Issues

  • Allegations of Misconduct: Any allegations of ethical misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes, will be investigated thoroughly and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

  • Retractions and Corrections: If ethical violations are confirmed, the journal will take appropriate action, including retracting the article or publishing corrections, as necessary.

  • Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions by providing a detailed explanation of their concerns. Appeals will be handled fairly and transparently.

6. Compliance with Ethical Standards

All parties involved in the publication process are expected to comply with these ethical guidelines. Failure to adhere to these principles may result in sanctions, including but not limited to rejection of manuscripts, retraction of published articles, or prohibition from future submissions.

7. Submission and Publication Process

  • Submission Guidelines: Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format via the online submission portal. If authors encounter difficulties, they may email their manuscript as an attachment to [email protected].

  • Peer Review: All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the publication of high-caliber scholarly work.

  • Article Processing and Publishing Fee (APC): A fee of €220 is charged for processing and publishing each accepted article. Payment methods are specified on the invoice issued upon acceptance.

  • Publication Deadlines: EJSER is published four times per year, with submission deadlines on 28 January, 28 April, 28 July, and 28 October.

8. Open Access and Licensing

EJSER is committed to open access and freely disseminating knowledge. Published articles are available under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, ensuring that the full text is accessible for noncommercial use. For more information, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

9. Indexing and Abstracting

EJSER is indexed and abstracted in numerous databases, including Baidu Scholar, CNKI Scholar, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and WorldCat, among others. This ensures the visibility and accessibility of published research to a global audience