Publication Ethics

The Social Trends and Policy Review (STPR) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in all aspects of its publication process.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

a) Originality and Integrity

  • All manuscripts must be the authors’ original work and must not have been published or be under consideration elsewhere.

  • Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism or duplicate publication, is strictly prohibited.

b) Authorship Criteria

  • Only individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research should be listed as authors.

  • All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.

c) Acknowledgment of Sources

  • Authors must give proper credit to all sources, including data, ideas, and literature used in their work.

  • Permission must be obtained for any copyrighted material.

d) Ethical Compliance

  • Research involving human participants or animals must have received ethical approval from an appropriate institutional review board.

  • Authors must follow all relevant laws and guidelines for ethical research conduct.

e) Conflict of Interest Disclosure

  • Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial relationships that could influence their research or its interpretation.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

a) Confidentiality

  • Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and must not share or discuss them with anyone outside the review process.

b) Objectivity

  • Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively, focusing on the scholarly content without personal bias.

c) Timeliness

  • Reviewers must complete their evaluations within the agreed timeframe.

d) Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers should decline assignments if they have any conflicts of interest (financial, academic, or personal) with the authors or the research.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

a) Decision-Making

  • Editors are responsible for making fair, unbiased, and timely decisions based solely on the manuscript’s academic merit and relevance to the journal’s scope.

b) Impartiality

  • Editorial decisions are made without regard to authors’ race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.

c) Integrity of the Scholarly Record

  • Editors must take appropriate action when ethical concerns are raised, including issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary.

d) Confidentiality

  • Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.

4. Misconduct Handling

STPR treats ethical violations seriously. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Plagiarism or fabrication of data

  • Manipulation of images or results

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest

  • Breaches of confidentiality in peer review

If misconduct is confirmed, STPR may:

  • Reject the manuscript or retract a published article

  • Notify the authors’ institution or funding agency

  • Impose a submission ban for a defined period

5. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

  • Retractions will be issued for serious errors or proven misconduct that invalidate the findings.

  • Corrections will be issued for honest mistakes that do not affect the overall results or conclusions.

  • Expressions of Concern will be published when investigations are ongoing.