Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Global Social and Human Research (JGSHR) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published in Germany. JGSHR is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, research ethics, and responsible scholarly publishing.

The journal's editorial and publishing practices are guided by internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including the recommendations and core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JGSHR are expected to:

  • Submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
  • Present research findings honestly, accurately, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data.
  • Properly acknowledge and cite all sources, ideas, data, and materials used in the research.
  • Avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and redundant publication.
  • Ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made a meaningful contribution to the work.
  • Disclose all relevant financial and non-financial competing interests.
  • Identify sources of funding and institutional support where applicable.
  • Obtain appropriate ethical approval and informed consent when required for research involving human participants.
  • Inform the journal promptly if a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered after submission or publication.

2. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial scholarly contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript. All authors should approve the final version and agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work.

Guest, honorary, and ghost authorship are not acceptable. Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

3. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

JGSHR does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate data manipulation, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, or other forms of research misconduct.

When concerns regarding misconduct arise, the editorial team may request explanations, supporting documentation, raw data, ethical approvals, or other relevant evidence from the authors. Submissions may be rejected, and published articles may be corrected, retracted, or otherwise updated where necessary.

4. Peer Review Ethics

Manuscripts submitted to JGSHR are evaluated through an independent peer-review process. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, timely, and confidential assessments.

Reviewers must:

  • Treat manuscripts and related materials as confidential documents.
  • Declare any potential conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.
  • Evaluate manuscripts fairly and without discrimination.
  • Refrain from using unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage.
  • Notify the editor if they identify possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.

5. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for making editorial decisions based on the academic merit, relevance, originality, clarity, and integrity of submitted manuscripts.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, religion, ethnicity, political views, or other personal characteristics unrelated to the scholarly quality of the work.

Editors must preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and disclose any competing interest that could affect impartial editorial decision-making.

6. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationship that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their work or judgment.

Where a conflict exists, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure independent and impartial editorial handling.

7. Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, personal data, or sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical and legal requirements. Where required, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board and obtain informed consent from participants.

Authors may be asked to provide information concerning ethical approval, approval numbers, informed consent procedures, or data-protection safeguards.

8. Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Notices

JGSHR is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When significant errors, misconduct, or unreliable findings are identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other appropriate editorial notice.

Any such action will be handled transparently and linked to the original publication whenever possible.

9. Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders may raise concerns regarding editorial decisions, publication ethics, peer review, or published content.

Complaints and appeals will be reviewed fairly and independently. Where appropriate, the journal may seek additional editorial or external advice before reaching a final decision.

10. Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must protect confidential information received during the submission and peer-review process. Manuscripts, reviewer reports, author correspondence, and editorial records must not be disclosed or used for purposes unrelated to the editorial process.

11. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Authors must respect copyright, licensing terms, and other intellectual-property rights. Permission must be obtained when copyrighted material is reproduced or adapted where such permission is legally required.

12. Post-Publication Discussion

JGSHR welcomes responsible scholarly discussion concerning published articles. Substantive concerns regarding the accuracy, integrity, or ethical status of published work will be examined and, where necessary, addressed through appropriate editorial action.

13. Commitment to Publication Integrity

The Journal of Global Social and Human Research is committed to a transparent, fair, and accountable publishing process. The journal will investigate credible allegations of publication misconduct and will take proportionate action to protect the integrity of the academic record.