Publication Ethics

Zakariya Journal of Social Sciences (ZJSS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and responsible research practices. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and Guidelines to ensure ethical conduct in all stages of the publishing process.

ZJSS promotes transparency, honesty, fairness, and accountability among authors, editors, reviewers, and all parties involved in scholarly publishing. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, research misconduct, unethical publication practices, or any violation of academic integrity.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to ZJSS must ensure that:

  • The submitted manuscript is original and has not been published previously or submitted for consideration elsewhere.
  • All research data, findings, and results are accurately presented without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation.
  • All sources, references, and contributions from other researchers are properly acknowledged.
  • All listed authors have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.
  • Any financial support, funding sources, or potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.
  • The research complies with relevant ethical standards and applicable regulations.
  • Any errors discovered after publication are promptly reported to the journal for correction.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Editors of ZJSS are responsible for:

  • Ensuring a fair, transparent, and unbiased editorial decision-making process.
  • Evaluating manuscripts based on academic quality, originality, relevance, and ethical standards.
  • Maintaining confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and author information.
  • Selecting qualified and independent reviewers according to subject expertise.
  • Avoiding conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.
  • Handling complaints, appeals, corrections, and ethical concerns according to established procedures.
  • Taking appropriate action if misconduct or ethical violations are identified.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an important role in maintaining the quality of published research. Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and unbiased evaluations.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscript content and review reports.
  • Evaluate manuscripts only on academic merit, originality, methodology, and relevance.
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited by authors.
  • Declare any personal, professional, or financial conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
  • Avoid using unpublished information from manuscripts for personal advantage.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

ZJSS strictly prohibits all forms of academic misconduct, including:

  • Plagiarism
  • Duplicate publication
  • Data fabrication
  • Data falsification
  • Manipulation of research results
  • Misrepresentation of authorship or contributions

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts containing significant ethical violations may be rejected, and published articles may be corrected or retracted when necessary.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships that could influence the research, review process, or editorial decisions.

The journal ensures that conflicts of interest are properly managed to maintain fairness and transparency throughout the publication process.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

ZJSS follows COPE guidelines for handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern.

The journal may publish corrections or retract articles when:

  • Significant errors affect the reliability of published findings.
  • Research misconduct is confirmed.
  • Ethical violations are identified after publication.

All corrections and retractions are handled transparently to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Complaints and Appeals

ZJSS provides a transparent mechanism for authors and readers to submit complaints or appeals regarding:

  • Editorial decisions
  • Peer review concerns
  • Publication ethics issues
  • Research integrity matters

All complaints and appeals are reviewed fairly, confidentially, and independently by the editorial team.

Ethical Publishing Commitment

Zakariya Journal of Social Sciences is dedicated to maintaining responsible scholarly communication by following internationally accepted ethical publishing standards. The journal continuously works to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity in the publication process for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

ZJSS follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and Guidelines to promote ethical research and trustworthy academic publishing.