Journal of Population and Social Studies: Statement of publication ethics

"The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential building block in the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is a direct reflection of the quality of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is therefore important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editors, and the peer reviewer." (Elsevier, Publishing Ethics Guidelines)

Duties of authors

JPSS expects authors to submit manuscripts that represent their own original work, which is not under review elsewhere and has not been previously published in any language. To ensure the originality of submissions, JPSS employs Turnitin and other advanced software to detect plagiarism and rejects articles with significant portions of text copied from other sources. The journal follows Biomed Central's guidelines on text recycling to assess self-plagiarism (available at http://publicationethics.org/files/BioMed%20Central_text_recycling_editorial_guidelines.pdf).

Authors of original research papers should present an accurate account of their work and provide an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data must be represented accurately, and conclusions should be based on the evidence presented in the paper rather than personal opinions.

Research papers build upon previously published work, and authors should acknowledge ideas and previously published results by citing them appropriately within the paper and listing them in the references section. It is essential to support statements with evidence rather than making unsupported claims.

Authors should disclose all financial support received for the research and writing process in the acknowledgments section, as well as any conflicts of interest. Examples of conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed at the time of article submission.

JPSS expects that research reported in submitted manuscripts adheres to international standards for the protection of human subjects. Research protocols should undergo review and approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), with details explicitly specified in the Methods section.

JPSS recommends following the British Sociological Association guidelines for authorship (available at https://www.britsoc.co.uk/publications/guidelines-reports/authorship-guidelines.aspx) and will refer to these guidelines in case of authorship disputes. The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper and have consented to its submission for publication.

Duties of editors

Editors of JPSS employ a "double-blind" peer review process, ensuring that the identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential. Editors make every effort to protect the identities of all parties involved throughout the review process. Editors must not quote or reference any unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript without the express written consent of the author. Information obtained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

Editors must recuse themselves from the review process if they have a conflict of interest or personal stake in the publication of a research work.

Publication decisions are made objectively based on a thorough review of the submitted manuscript and peer reviews. The significance of the article's contribution to existing research in its field, the quality of argument articulation, and the strength of the evidence presented are crucial factors in the decision-making process.

Duties of reviewers

Reviewers should maintain the confidentiality of the review process and refrain from discussing aspects of the manuscript under review with other researchers until the article is published. Reviewers must not quote or reference any unpublished materials disclosed in the manuscript without the express written consent of the author, which should be requested through the editor. Information obtained through peer review must be treated confidentially and not used for personal advantage.

If a reviewer realizes, after receiving a manuscript for review, that they have been involved in the described research or have personal connections with the researchers involved, they should inform the editors and decline the review. Conflicts of interest may include competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript under review.

Reviewers should assess manuscripts objectively based on their expertise in the field. The significance of the article's contribution to existing research, the quality of argument articulation, and the strength of the evidence provided are critical factors in evaluating the manuscript's quality. Reviewers should not base their decisions on personal opinions without supporting evidence.

Reviewers should identify essential and relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. If reviewers have personal knowledge of substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper, they should bring it to the editor's attention.