Publication Ethics

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The Journal of Gender Justice, Sexuality, and Health is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, ethical conduct, and transparency in the publishing process. Our journal strives to maintain the credibility of academic discourse by promoting responsible and ethical practices in research, manuscript submission, peer review, and publication.

We are guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adhere to best practices in line with international standards for publication ethics. This page outlines the ethical guidelines and responsibilities for authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the journal.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to the Journal of Gender Justice, Sexuality, and Health are expected to adhere to the following ethical standards:

Originality and Plagiarism

·         Authors must ensure that their manuscript is original and does not contain any plagiarized content. All sources, data, and ideas borrowed from others must be appropriately cited.

·         Self-plagiarism (recycling an author's own previous work without proper citation) is also prohibited. Authors must ensure that their manuscript has not been previously published elsewhere or submitted to another journal for concurrent consideration.

·         If substantial portions of the manuscript are based on previous work by the authors, they must disclose this information clearly and provide proper citations.

Authorship and Acknowledgment

·         All individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research should be listed as authors. Authors must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript and consented to its submission.

·         Individuals who contributed to the research but did not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

·         Authors should disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect the manuscript’s content, including financial, personal, or professional relationships.

Data Integrity and Research Ethics

·         Authors must present their data honestly and accurately. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research data is strictly prohibited.

·         Research involving human subjects or animals must adhere to ethical standards, and authors must provide proof of approval from relevant ethical review boards (e.g., Institutional Review Boards or Ethics Committees).

·         Informed consent must be obtained from human subjects, and authors should ensure that privacy and confidentiality are maintained.

Conflict of Interest

·         Authors are required to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that may have influenced the research or its interpretation.

·         If no conflicts of interest exist, authors should state this explicitly in the manuscript.

Acknowledgment of Sources

·         Authors must acknowledge all sources of funding or support for the research. If the research received funding, the source of the funding should be disclosed in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality and integrity of published research. The Journal of Gender Justice, Sexuality, and Health expects reviewers to adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

Confidentiality

·         Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents. Manuscripts should not be shared or discussed with others, except for those involved in the review process.

·         Reviewers should not use information from the manuscript for personal gain or for any purpose other than to assess the manuscript’s validity.

Objectivity and Fairness

·         Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts impartially, without any bias or prejudice. Personal opinions, relationships, or disagreements should not influence the review process.

·         Reviewers should provide constructive feedback to authors, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, and suggesting areas for improvement.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

·         Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that may arise due to personal or professional relationships with the authors, institutions, or any other stakeholders involved in the research.

·         If a reviewer believes they cannot review a manuscript objectively due to a conflict of interest, they should decline to review and inform the editorial team.

Timeliness

·         Reviewers are expected to complete the review process in a timely manner, following the deadlines set by the editorial team. If a reviewer cannot meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial office as soon as possible.

Ethical Issues

·         Reviewers should report any ethical concerns they encounter during the review process, including potential issues related to plagiarism, data fabrication, or ethical violations in the research.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the integrity and quality of the journal’s content and for overseeing the editorial process. The Journal of Gender Justice, Sexuality, and Health expects editors to follow these ethical guidelines:

Editorial Independence and Objectivity

·         Editors should make editorial decisions based on the quality of the research and the relevance of the manuscript to the journal’s scope, free from any personal, political, or financial influences.

·         Editors must ensure that all manuscripts undergo fair and unbiased peer review and should not allow personal relationships or conflicts of interest to interfere with editorial decisions.

Confidentiality

·         Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential and should not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the author, reviewers, and relevant editorial staff.

·         Editors must take steps to protect the privacy of authors and reviewers, ensuring that their identities and opinions are kept confidential.

Publication Ethics

·         Editors must ensure that articles are published in compliance with ethical guidelines and in adherence to national and international standards of research ethics.

·         If any misconduct or ethical violations are identified during the review process, editors must take appropriate action, which may include rejecting the manuscript, requesting corrections, or retracting published articles.

Conflict of Interest

·         Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their editorial decisions. If an editor has a conflict of interest regarding a submitted manuscript, they should recuse themselves from the decision-making process.

·         Editors should not be involved in the editorial process of a manuscript in which they have a personal or financial interest.

Ensuring Fairness and Transparency

·         Editors must ensure transparency in the review process and should be open to feedback and suggestions from authors and reviewers. They should handle appeals and disputes fairly and objectively.

·         Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic rigor and integrity of the journal by ensuring that published content meets the highest standards.