Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

The International Journal of Social Business (IJSB) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, fairness, and responsible scholarly publishing.

The journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and other participants in the publication process to conduct themselves ethically and professionally.

IJSB intends to develop its publication procedures in accordance with recognized scholarly publishing practices, including principles associated with COPE, Crossref, research integrity, plagiarism checking, and responsible metadata management, which are already identified in the journal's strategic plan.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit original work and appropriately acknowledge the ideas, words, data, and contributions of others.

Plagiarism, including substantial unattributed copying, inappropriate paraphrasing, or presenting another person's work as one's own, is unacceptable.

IJSB may use plagiarism or similarity-detection software to evaluate submitted manuscripts.

A similarity score alone does not determine plagiarism. Editors will consider the nature, context, and significance of any identified overlap.

Duplicate and Simultaneous Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to IJSB and another journal.

Manuscripts previously published in substantially the same form will generally not be considered.

Authors must inform the editors about closely related manuscripts that have been published, submitted, or are under review elsewhere.

Fabrication and Falsification

Fabrication or falsification of:

Data;

Research findings;

Evidence;

Interviews;

References;

Images;

Statistical results; or

Other research materials

constitutes serious research misconduct.

Submissions containing fabricated or intentionally falsified information may be rejected, and appropriate action may be taken where misconduct is identified after publication.

Authorship and Contribution

Authorship should reflect genuine scholarly contribution.

All listed authors must:

Have contributed meaningfully to the work;

Approve the submitted version; and

Accept responsibility for the integrity of their contribution.

Guest, honorary, purchased, or fraudulent authorship is not acceptable.

Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be explained to the journal.

IJSB may request written agreement from all affected authors before approving an authorship change.

Changes after acceptance will be allowed only where there is a legitimate reason.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI tools cannot qualify as authors because they cannot take responsibility for scholarly work.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools where appropriate, but the human authors remain responsible for:

Accuracy;

Originality;

Citations;

Data;

Analysis;

Research integrity;

Confidentiality; and

Compliance with journal policies.

Material use of generative AI in manuscript development should be transparently disclosed.

Authors must not submit fabricated AI-generated references, false quotations, invented data, manipulated results, or other misleading content.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relationships or circumstances that could create an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.

Editors will take reasonable steps to ensure that conflicts do not compromise editorial decisions.

Human Participants and Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants should comply with appropriate ethical requirements.

Where institutional ethics approval or informed consent is required, authors should state this clearly in the manuscript.

The editors may request documentation relating to ethical approval where necessary.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.

Unpublished information obtained during peer review must not be used for personal research, commercial purposes, or personal advantage.

Reviewers should not share manuscripts with unauthorized individuals.

Reviewer Conduct

Reviewers should:

Provide objective and constructive assessments;

Respect confidentiality;

Declare conflicts of interest;

Avoid personal criticism;

Evaluate manuscripts fairly; and

Inform the editor if they identify suspected plagiarism, duplication, fabrication, or other ethical concerns.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions should be based on:

Academic quality;

Originality;

Relevance to IJSB;

Methodological or conceptual rigor;

Contribution to knowledge; and

Compliance with journal policies.

Decisions must not be influenced by an author's nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, political position, personal relationships, payment of publication charges, or other irrelevant considerations.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may contact the journal if they believe an editorial decision or process involved a significant error or procedural concern.

Appeals should provide a clear academic or procedural justification.

An appeal does not guarantee reconsideration or acceptance.

Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Issues

Where significant errors are identified after publication, IJSB may issue an appropriate:

Correction;

Editorial notice;

Expression of concern; or

Retraction.

The action taken will depend on the seriousness and nature of the issue.

Minor errors that do not materially affect the findings may be corrected without retracting the article.

Research Misconduct

Where credible concerns regarding research misconduct arise, the journal may:

Request clarification from authors;

Request supporting research documentation;

Pause the review or publication process;

Reject the manuscript;

Correct or retract published material; or

Where appropriate, communicate serious concerns to relevant institutions.

IJSB will seek to handle allegations fairly and avoid making conclusions without reasonable evidence.

Contact for Ethical Concerns

Questions or concerns regarding publication ethics may be directed to:

International Journal of Social Business (IJSB)
Email: ijsb.editorial@gmail.com