Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

For all parties involved in the act of publishing (Authors, Editors, Reviewers, and the Publisher), adherence to ethical standards is essential. The ethical guidelines for the Journal of Geography, Politics and Society are derived from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Editorial Duties:

a) Responsibility

The journal editor has the authority to decide which of the submitted articles should be published and is accountable for everything published in the journal. Decisions to publish are based on the journal's editorial policy and legal considerations concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor consults with Subject Editors and Reviewers when making publication decisions. The Editorial Board maintains accurate documentation and avoids conflicts of interest among its members. Moreover, the Board is prepared to issue corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when necessary.

b) Impartiality

The Editor assesses manuscripts solely on their content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic background, citizenship, or political philosophy. The Editor ensures that information about a manuscript is disclosed only to the authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, and, in certain cases, members of the Editorial Board.

c) Confidentiality

The Editor and the Editorial Board are prohibited from disclosing any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding Author/Authors, Reviewers, potential reviewers, and the Publisher.

d) Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

The Editor adheres to COPE guidelines for retracting articles, addressing conflicts of interest, and revising published articles in the Journal of Geography, Politics and Society.

The Editor must not use unpublished material from a submitted manuscript for their own research without the written consent of the Author/Authors. Information and ideas acquired through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

The Editor is committed to ensuring a fair and proper review process. The Editor will recuse themselves from handling manuscripts if a conflict of interest arises due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the Authors (e.g., by delegating the review and decision process to the Subject Editor or another member of the Editorial Board).

Editors require all Authors to declare any potential conflicts of interest and will publish corrections if conflicts of interest are discovered after publication. If necessary, further actions may be taken, such as retraction or expression of concern in the journal.

e) Integrity and Cooperation in Proceedings

Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity of published articles by issuing corrections and retractions, and by investigating suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct. Editors should oversee Reviewers and address any editorial misconduct. Upon an ethical complaint concerning a submitted manuscript or published article, the Editor shall take suitable measures.

 

REVIEWER'S DUTIES

a) Contribution to Editorial Decisions

A review aids the Editor in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with the Author(s), may also assist in enhancing the manuscript.

b) Punctuality

Any invited Reviewer who feels unqualified to review the research presented in a manuscript, or knows that a timely review will be unfeasible, should inform the Editor promptly to facilitate the search for alternative reviewers.

c) Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They should not be shown to or discussed with others unless authorized by the Editor.

d) Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the Author(s) is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

e) Acknowledgment of Sources

It is the duty of Reviewers to identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the Authors. Any claim that an argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers must also alert the Editor to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

f) Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must keep information and ideas acquired during the review process confidential and not use them for personal advantage. Reviewers must refrain from evaluating manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other connections or relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

 

DUTIES OF THE AUTHOR/AUTHORS

a) Standards for Manuscript Submission

Authors presenting original research results should provide a detailed account of the work performed and an impartial discussion of its importance. The manuscript should thoroughly address the fundamental data. It should also include enough detail and references to enable others to replicate the work. Deliberately false or inaccurate statements represent unethical conduct and are not tolerated.

b) Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original, and if they have utilized the work or words of others, these must be appropriately cited.

c) Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not publish manuscripts detailing the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is considered unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

d) Acknowledgment of Sources

It is essential to always acknowledge the work of others. Authors should cite any publications that have been influential in shaping the submitted manuscript.

e) Authorship of the Manuscript

Authorship must be confined to those who have contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All such contributors must be listed as co-authors. Individuals who have contributed to certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgements" section. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included on the manuscript, that no inappropriate co-authors are listed, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and consented to its submission for publication.

f) Ghostwriting & Guest authorship

The editors of Journal of Geography, Politics and Society try to counteract scientific abuses, such as “ghostwriting” and “guest authorship”.

Honesty and integrity in science are the basis of its quality. Readers should be sure that the authors of the publication present the results of their work in a transparent and honest manner, regardless of whether they are direct authors or have accepted the help of specialized entities. The researchers’ ethical approach and the highest editorial standards are manifested by the transparency of information regarding entities contributing to the publication (substantive, material, financial input, etc.). In contrast to the ethical actions mentioned above, there are unethical behaviors such as “ghostwriting” and “guest authorship”.

“Ghostwriting” occurs when someone has made a significant contribution to a publication and has not been disclosed as one of the authors or their role is not mentioned in the acknowledgments.

“Guest authorship” (honorary authorship) is another situation where a person has made little or no contribution to a publication and is nevertheless listed as the Author or a co-author. To cope with “ghostwriting” and “guest authorship”, the Editorial Board of Journal of Geography, Politics and Society introduces the following requirements for Authors:

All Authors/co-Authors are asked to complete and send (by post or scanned copy by e-mail) a statement on their contribution to the publication (including affiliation and information identifying the author of the concept, principles, methods, etc.). This requirement also applies to articles by one author in terms of affiliation, contribution and possible wide use of the work of other Authors or institutions.

Authors are asked to provide information on funding sources, contributions from institutions, associations and other entities. These data will be used to assess whether the authors have duly (sufficiently) met the requirements leading to the elimination of “ghostwriting” and “guest authorship”.

These requirements are shared by all Authors represented by the corresponding author. The corresponding author is primarily responsible for the accuracy and the completeness of the information requested. Only one declaration is required (submitted by the respective author).

The Editorial Board of Journal of Geography, Politics and Society informs that all cases of unethical activity will be reported to the appropriate institutions (employing institution, associations, etc.).

g) Disclosure of information and conflict of interest

All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other material conflicts of interest that might be construed as affecting the results or their interpretation in the manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

h) Fundamental errors in published works

When Author/Authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their responsibility to promptly notify the editor or publisher of the journal and cooperate with them to withdraw the article or publish an appropriate erratum.

PUBLISHER CONFIRMATION

In the event of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication or plagiarism, the Publisher, in close cooperation with the Editors, will take all appropriate steps to clarify the situation and amend the article. This includes the prompt publication of errata or, in the most severe cases, the complete withdrawal of said paper.