Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The International Journal of Kurdish Studies (IJOKS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the Core Practices and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editors, reviewers, authors, and the Publisher are expected to adhere to these ethical principles throughout the editorial and publication process.

I. PUBLICATION AND AUTHORSHIP

• IJOKS adheres to the highest standards of scholarly publishing and ensures that all submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process conducted by at least two independent experts in the relevant field.
• Editorial evaluation is based on the originality, scientific significance, methodological soundness, academic quality, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal's aims and scope. Reviewers also consider the clarity of presentation and quality of language.
• Submitted manuscripts must be original, must not have been published previously, and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Editorial decisions include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.
• Authors invited to revise and resubmit their manuscripts should note that resubmission does not guarantee acceptance.
• Rejected manuscripts will not normally be reconsidered unless otherwise decided by the Editorial Board.
• Acceptance of a manuscript may be constrained by legal requirements concerning copyright infringement, plagiarism, libel, or other applicable regulations.

II. AUTHORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

• Authors guarantee that the submitted manuscript is their original work.
• Authors must ensure that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal.
• All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the manuscript and must approve the final version before submission.
• Authors must ensure that all data and information presented in the manuscript are accurate, authentic, and have not been fabricated, falsified, or inappropriately manipulated.
• Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of their work.
• Authors must appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources used in preparing the manuscript.
• Authors must respond to reviewers' comments professionally, thoroughly, and within the requested timeframe.
• Authors are responsible for promptly notifying the Editors of any significant errors discovered in their manuscript before or after publication and for cooperating in issuing corrections or retractions where necessary.

III. REVIEWERS' RESPONSIBILITIES

• All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
• Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts objectively and constructively without personal criticism of the authors.
• Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.
• Reviewers should inform the Editors of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other publication of which they are aware.
• Reviewers should declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest and decline to review manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
• Reviewers should provide clear, well-reasoned, and evidence-based comments to support their recommendations.
• Reviewers should evaluate both the scientific quality and the clarity of the manuscript.
• Reviewers must not use unpublished information disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research or personal advantage.

IV. EDITORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

• Editors have full responsibility and authority for accepting or rejecting manuscripts.
• Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic quality and integrity of the journal.
• Editorial decisions are based solely on the originality, scholarly merit, significance, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal's scope.
• Editors shall ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religious belief, political opinion, or institutional affiliation.
• Editors shall preserve the anonymity of reviewers throughout the peer review process.
• Editors shall not reverse editorial decisions made by previous editors without compelling reasons, and additional peer review may be requested where appropriate.
• Editors shall not handle manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest. Such manuscripts will be assigned to another qualified editor.
• Editors will take appropriate action whenever ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise and will follow internationally accepted ethical standards in investigating such cases.
• Editors will ensure that published articles comply with internationally accepted ethical principles, including transparency regarding funding sources where applicable.
• Editors will take all reasonable measures to prevent conflicts of interest among authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members.

V. PUBLISHER'S RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Publisher is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and supports the Editors in safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.
• The Publisher works closely with the Editors, Editorial Board, reviewers, and authors to promote ethical publishing practices in accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• The Publisher respects the editorial independence of the journal and does not interfere with editorial decisions. Decisions regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection are based solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal's scope.
• The Publisher ensures that allegations of research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, authorship disputes, and conflicts of interest are investigated thoroughly and handled in accordance with internationally accepted ethical standards.
• The Publisher supports the publication of corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and other editorial notices whenever necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
• The Publisher is committed to protecting the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and the personal data of authors, reviewers, and editors in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
• The Publisher provides the necessary technical, administrative, and financial support to ensure the long-term accessibility, preservation, and archiving of published content.
• The Publisher promotes transparency, academic freedom, editorial independence, and equal treatment of all submissions without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.
• The Publisher supports the editorial team in implementing COPE Core Practices and internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing.